3D Prints & Printing

[Hami]

Rather than hijack my Dads thread I thought I would create my own.

I am new to the whole 3D printing and designing world, I have designed and printed an entire Dark Age Village for my Dad (http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=115106.msg1441587#new). The walls and fences are free files on Thingiverse all the buildings have been designed and printed by myself. I have just printed a large timber barn and will finish the village of with a chieftains house, oh and then my Dad would like a Villa. The list keeps growing. I have also designed some Star War Harvesters small and large for my cousins and a few other Star Wars bits.

Anyway I diverse. the reason for this thread is to help and answer any 3D Printing questions i.e. what does the finished produced look like? will the layer lines take away the look, effect of the print etc. Like I said I am not a know it all when it comes to printing but since borrowing my cousins cheap printer and trying to figure out how that works and sets up, I have become okay with them.

I am currently using a Pursa i3 mk3 and the material I am using is PLA.

[Hami]

If anyone is interested I have just posted a Star Wars Small Harvester on my Thingiverse Page:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3445023

[von Lucky]

That harvester looks pretty good and I liek the village.

I have no 3D printing questions - but I appreciate the offer.

[Hami]

That harvester looks pretty good and I liek the village.

I have no 3D printing questions - but I appreciate the offer.

Cheers thanks,

the Harvester was a small "ask/favour" from my cousin, I have the larger one to go with it, the whole design is based on Pictures that he sent me from an old Star Wars computer game.

I will keep posting the odd few files up here if anyone is interested in them.

[ARKOUDAKI]

Loads of questions but sadly my ongoing research on 3D printing creates more questions than answers! 

One question you might be able to answer for me is, can you take a 3D design made in something like MAX3, 4 or 7 and/or 3DS and/or LW7-8. In short, can one take 3D graphics designs and turn them into printable files??? I have found loads of cool looking things using these software programs but I don't quite get whether these are printable or not?

Thanks in advance for your (or anyone's) input!

[Hami]

Loads of questions but sadly my ongoing research on 3D printing creates more questions than answers! 

One question you might be able to answer for me is, can you take a 3D design made in something like MAX3, 4 or 7 and/or 3DS and/or LW7-8. In short, can one take 3D graphics designs and turn them into printable files??? I have found loads of cool looking things using these software programs but I don't quite get whether these are printable or not?

Thanks in advance for your (or anyone's) input!

A lot of the 3D Modelling software are able to create printable files. Instead of saving the file you may need to export it as a .stl file.

Check the setting of the software to ensure that the export .stl files box has been ticked, if this has not been ticked the option to export these types of files will not appear in the first place.

I hope this helps you out.

[ARKOUDAKI]

Thanks for that. So am I correct that you can create an stl from just about any CAD type program, like those I referenced?

[Hami]

All my Designs have come from CAD software, I had to go into the settings options and allow the exporting of .stl files prior to the option being there when I selected export, if that makes sense