In most cases, it is useful to implement a boolean operation, which is a function that helps to merge several overlapping elements.Ĥ. The shape on the right, however, won’t be a problem to print because it won’t feature those walls on the inside.

In the case below, the left shape will not be printable once it is transformed into a 3-dimensional object since it will feature paper-thin walls within the object.

That’s why it makes sense to think about your model in a 2-dimensional space first. Intersections and walls within your design will therefore make your life difficult. While a model might look great for 3D printing from the outside, intersections in the model can make it unprintable and confuse printers about what exactly you want to print. Auto intersections/internal overlapping/self-intersecting surfaces You can learn how to choose the perfect wall thickness for your 3D print here.ģ. The minimum printable wall thickness primarily depends on the material you choose. Many printing problems can be traced back to wall thickness issues. Wall thickness is simply the distance between one surface of your 3D model and its opposite sheer surface. Therefore, when turning a 3D model into a real 3D print, the wall thickness or volume information is needed. However, 3D printers need information about how thick you intend the wall of your object to be or if you want to print a completely solid model. Many visual 3D models (e.g., 3D models intended for games) only have surface visual purposes and thus do not have wall thickness. When using your 3D modeling software, it is possible to design a surface without a wall thickness. It’s very important that every surface of your 3D model has been assigned a wall thickness. You can clearly see that there is a big gap in its surface. The design below is an example of a model that is not watertight. Sometimes this process is also called ‘creating a manifold model.’

Ask yourself the question: if I were to put water inside my model, would it flow out? If that’s the case, then you need to find those holes and close them. Watertight/non-manifoldĪ printable model must not have any holes in its surface. Sticking to this checklist will make sure that your 3D model is perfectly prepared to be 3D printed. In this blog post, we will cover some essential tips designers should keep in mind to get a stunning 3D print. Creating a model for 3D printing can be somewhat intimidating at first.

Small 3d print files