Introduction

In this chapter, we're going to learn how to make some interesting surface textures. Modeling programs such as SketchUp and TopMod are great for creating smooth geometric forms, but how would we create a model with realistic organic textures? Meshmixer makes available a set of stencils that can create interesting textures, which can be either stamped or brushed. We'll learn how to customize our own stencils and use them on the starfish shape we made earlier with TopMod.

Later in this chapter, we're going to find that some textures are undesirable. During the process of 3D printing, some imperfections may occur. These imperfections will leave bumps, holes, and stringing filaments on the model. We'll look at how we can avoid these imperfections by making calibrations with the slicer.