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Blender 3D Printing by Example
Blender 3D Printing by Example

Blender 3D Printing by Example: Learn to use Blender's modeling tools for 3D printing by creating 4 projects

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Blender 3D Printing by Example

Using a Background Image and Bezier Curves

One of the advantages of 3D printing is the ability to make custom projects and gifts. A custom gift may entail a unique shape, one that you aren't going to be able to readily drag and drop from standard meshes. In this chapter, you will start to use Blender to make a custom pendant based on the profile of a child. You don't have to be an artist to accomplish this piece. You will learn about a tool called Bezier curves that you can use to trace your desired shape from a background photo. This chapter will cover the following skills:

  • Importing a photo to use as a background image in Blender
  • Creating and editing Bezier curves to make unique shapes
  • Switching view perspectives, projection modes, and object interaction modes to evaluate your work

Getting started

When you first open Blender, your brand new project always starts with three objects—a camera, a lamp, and a default cube. Cameras and lamps are more applicable to modeling for animations and videos than they are for 3D printing, but there is no harm in leaving them in your project. The default cube, however, is not going to be necessary for our pendant and will just clutter up the screen:

Three default objects for every Blender project—a camera, a cube, and a lamp

The first thing you'll want to do is delete the unnecessary cube with the following steps:

  1. Right-click the cube to select it. You will see the cube highlighted in yellow and a trio of axis arrows originating from the center of the cube.
  2. Along the left side of your screen is an area called the Tool Shelf. If necessary, select the Tools tab.
  3. Under the Edit section, hit the Delete...

Adding a background image

When working with 3D objects, you don't want just one side to look good, you want the whole object to look good. Therefore, it is beneficial to review your work from varying perspectives. Blender has some preset viewpoints already defined to help you navigate from side to side. You can reach those by clicking on the View menu at the bottom of the screen.

There, you can change your perspective and view your design from the Top, Bottom, Left, Right, Front, and Back:

Under the View menu, you can use shortcuts to view your work from various perspectives

For each of those predetermined viewpoints, you can tell Blender to display a background image of your choosing. In this chapter, you'll be adding a background image to the Top view; this means when you are looking down on your object from the top, your image will be visible.

Navigating in the 3D...

Tracing with Bezier curves

If you don't have an artistic background, you may be intimidated by the idea of drawing someone's head. We aren't drawing—we're simply tracing! The tool we are going to use for this is called Bezier curves. Bezier curves can build complex curves out of a series of straight lines.

Moving the 3D Cursor and adding a new Bezier curve

When you are adding new objects to your project, including Bezier curves, they appear at a spot designated by the 3D Cursor, a small target-like icon in your 3D View Window. Moving that 3D Cursor is considered an action, so use the left mouse button. You simply click where you want the cursor to go in your 3D View Window. You can also key in exact...

Summary

In this chapter, you learned how to import a photograph in Blender to use as a background image. You learned about adding new Bezier curves and how to use the control points and handles to alter the shape of that curve. Finally, you learned how differences in perspective, view modes, and object interaction modes can help you evaluate the quality and aesthetics of your design.

In the next chapter, we will work on getting this 2D curve one step closer to 3D printing by turning it into a 3D mesh.

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Key benefits

  • A project based guide that helps you design beautiful 3D printing objects in Blender
  • Use mesh modeling and intersections to make a custom architectural model of a house
  • Create a real world 3D printed prosthetic hand with organic modeling and texturing painting

Description

Blender is an open-source modeling and animation program popular in the 3D printing community. 3D printing brings along different considerations than animation and virtual reality. This book walks you through four projects to learn using Blender for 3D Printing, giving you information that you need to know to create high-quality 3D printed objects. The book starts with two jewelry projects-- a pendant of a silhouette and a bracelet with custom text. We then explore architectural modeling as you learn to makes a figurine from photos of a home. The final project, a human hand, illustrates how Blender can be used for organic models and how colors can be added to the design. You will learn modeling for 3D printing with the help of these projects. Whether you plan to print at-home or use a service bureau, you’ll start by understanding design requirements. The book begins with simple projects to get you started with 3D modeling basics and the tools available in Blender. As the book progresses, you’ll get exposed to more robust mesh modeling techniques, modifiers, and Blender shortcuts. By the time you reach your final project, you’ll be ready for organic modeling and learning how to add colors. In the final section, you’ll learn how to check for and correct common modeling issues to ensure the 3D printer can make your idea a reality!

Who is this book for?

If you’re a designer, artist, hobbyist and new to the world of 3D printing, this is the book for you. Some basic knowledge of Blender and geometry will help, but is not essential.

What you will learn

  • Using standard shapes and making custom shapes with Bezier Curves
  • Working with the Boolean, Mirror, and Array Modifiers
  • Practicing Mesh Modeling tools such as Loop Cut and Slide and Extrude
  • Streamlining work with Proportional Editing and Snap During Transform
  • Creating Organic Shapes with the Subdivision Surface Modifier
  • Adding Color with Materials and UV Maps
  • Troubleshooting and Repairing 3D Models
  • Checking your finished model for 3D printability

Product Details

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Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Dec 22, 2017
Length: 430 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781788390545
Vendor :
Blender Foundation
Languages :
Concepts :
Tools :

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Product Details

Publication date : Dec 22, 2017
Length: 430 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781788390545
Vendor :
Blender Foundation
Languages :
Concepts :
Tools :

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Table of Contents

15 Chapters
Thinking about Design Requirements Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Using a Background Image and Bezier Curves Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Converting a Bezier Curve to a Properly Sized 3D Mesh Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Flattening a Torus and Boolean Union Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Building a Base with Standard Meshes and a Mirror Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Cutting Half Circle Holes and Modifier Management Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Customizing with Text Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Using Empties to Model the Base of the House Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Mesh Modeling and Positioning the Details Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Making Textures with the Array Modifier and Scalable Vector Graphics Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Applying Textures with Boolean Intersection Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Making Organic Shapes with the Subdivision Surface Modifier Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Trial and Error – Topology Edits Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Coloring Models with Materials and UV Maps Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Troubleshooting and Repairing Models Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

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Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.3
(15 Ratings)
5 star 73.3%
4 star 6.7%
3 star 6.7%
2 star 6.7%
1 star 6.7%
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N/A Feb 05, 2024
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Useful ideas in spite of the now dated version of Blender.
Feefo Verified review Feefo
Clydia Jan 18, 2018
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
I love Vicky's approach to explaining things.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Amazon Customer Jan 19, 2018
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
This book is intended for 3D printer hobbyists who want to create designs in Blender. Having created a few 3D designs for print myself, I am often disheartened to learn my design won't print because I did not put it together properly in Blender. This book is a great introduction to designing 3D models in the open-source Blender software that a 3D printer can successfully replicate in the real world.Following the steps in this book will save you much headache and model rework when you take your creation to print. The author's down-to-earth explanations of highly-technical subject matter keeps the materials accessible as she goes from foundational topics into advanced modeling techniques. Between so many screenshots, explanations of the geometry involved, keyboard shortcut tips, troubleshooting tips, gotchas, and the 20 files you can load into Blender to follow along, the author gives the reader as much material as possible to ensure success with each project. She takes the reader through steps intended to introduce them to the most technical concepts when working with Blender, but always notes alternative and faster ways of getting the same results. Beginner users will want to work straight through the book, but I think even intermediate users will pick up a deeper understanding of concepts and some great tips, tricks, and terminology here.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
John T Apr 30, 2022
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
First time user of the Blender application and it is extremely mind boggling using its layout.Blender videos dont work for me (R.E.M).With the help of this paperback Im absolutely positive that it will start me on my journey into Blenders interface.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Haggy Sep 18, 2018
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
I paid for the book, got what I needed out of it. The American dream am I right? Review done.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
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