Trans Media Production
Assignment 24: 3D Print Design
3D printing is a rapidly developing technology that is making its presence felt in a number of industries. 3D printers can now create 3D objects from a variety of materials including plastic, metal, ceramic, paper, slidon gel, chocolate, sugar and bio materials. This new ability to manufacture one-off custom products can be highly beneficial. This is opposite of the mass production process that has been the basis of the industrial revolution for the last 150 years.
3D printers are working their way into the film industry to print props, costumes, set design, models, replacement parts, etc. See 20 Pieces of Film Gear You Can Print With a 3D Printer as an example. As more templates become available the 3D printer's utility increases. A 3D print template search will reveal lots of samples.
3D printing generally follows the pattern below.
- First a 3D design is created in some Computer Aided Design (CAD) software. (The first industry to adopt CAD was architecture for building design.) CAD has gotten so precise that complicated parts like plumbing are constructed off site and inserted into the construction and it all fits. Programs like After Effects can also create 3D objects.
- The CAD drawing is exported as an STL (STereoLithography) file. STL is a generic file format (like jpeg) native to all CAD software and can be used to move 3D objects between CAD software.
- The 3D CAD object STL file is converted to machine code. Machine code tells computerized machinery like robots, lathes, saws, etc. how to make something providing instructions on where to move, how fast, by what path and what to do. Machine code is stored in .gcode format files. Machine code can be subtractive and instruct machines like lathes to remove material to achieve a final product or additive like 3D printers that build a product from raw material.
- There are also 3D scanners that will scan a real 3D object and create the stl computer file that digital replicates the real object.
Design a 3D Model from Scratch
Creating a 3D image can be entirely from scratch using CAD software. 3D modeling is a newer art form but many of the fundamentals of 2D creation still apply. You can use any CAD software or After Effects to create a 3D object for this assignment but Tinkercad is recommended for ease of use and because it has no cost.
Tinkercad is a free online CMS for 3D design that facilitates creating original 3D models. https://www.tinkercad.com/ Other 3D modeling and CAD software such as Maya can export files that can be sliced into a 3D gcode printing file.
Create an account on Tinkercad and use the system to design some 3D object. The goal is to be exposed to the concept. Keep this first try as simple as possible and just use a basic object to create a design like a 3D word or a simple cube.
You can return and design a much more sophisticated model as a final project for the class.
Use an Existing 3D Model Template
Another way to get started in 3D printing is to find an existing 3D project template. There are 1000s of publicly available 3D printing stl files.
- Ultimaker has has over 10,000 3D objects designed to work with the CMA department's Ultimaker 2+ 3D printer at https://www.youmagine.com/
- Makerbot has over half a million https://www.thingiverse.com/ 3D object files. Their website also has an option to customize or edit existing projects. https://www.thingiverse.com/customizer
- Searching the web for 3D print files will result in 1000s of other 3D models that could be used.
Locate and download a 3D model stl file. Often the file format will be a stl (stereolithography) file.
This stl template file can be uploaded to Tinkercad for editing.
Using a 3D Scanner
A 3D scanner is a handheld device that records information of a real object and stitches it together to create a CAD file that can be imported into design software.
There are several apps that can convert your phone camera into a 3D scanner. Search for the most recent options.
Download Cura Software
Cura is the software the converts the stl file into the gcode file for use by the 3D printer. Download and install Cure software. You do not have to try and use it right now. We will be going over the software in our next class session.
To Receive Credit for this Assignment
Consider look at early work for an inspiration for this project. Maybe you would like a 3D print of the logo or film title designed earlier.
- Turn in a stl 3D print file on Canvas for the 3D object you created in Tinkercad.
- Turn in a stl 3D print file on Canvas for a 3D print template of interest you have found.
- Download and install Cura machine code creation software on your computer or plan to use the software on PC computers.
At the next class session we will review importing a stl file into Cura, creating the gcode file and setting up the printer to print your creation. You can then choose whether to print your creation or the template 3D object.