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3D Printing Blueprints

You're reading from   3D Printing Blueprints Using the free open-source Blender software, anyone can design models for 3D printing. Fantastic fun and a great experience whether or not you have a 3D printer, this book is a crash course in the new technology.

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Product type Paperback
Published in Aug 2013
Publisher Packt
ISBN-13 9781849697088
Length 310 pages
Edition 1st Edition
Tools
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Author (1):
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Joe Larson Joe Larson
Author Profile Icon Joe Larson
Joe Larson
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Toc

Table of Contents (17) Chapters Close

3D Printing Blueprints
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
1. Design Tools and Basics FREE CHAPTER 2. Mini Mug 3. Face Illusion Vase 4. SD Card Holder Ring 5. Modular Robot Toy 6. D6 Spinner 7. Teddy Bear Figurine 8. Repairing Bad Models 9. Stretchy Bracelet 10. Measuring – Tips and Tricks Index

Simplifying the model


One of the problems with Dynamic Topology is that meshes can quickly gain a lot of polygons making a more complex shape. With high polygon models even powerful computers can slow down. Fortunately, it is easy to reduce the number of polygons in a model often without making any visible difference in the model, while reducing how hard the computer has to work.

  • In the modifier tab on the Properties panel on the right press the Add Modifier button and select the Decimate modifier.

Decimate works by entering a ratio between 0 and 1 and reducing the polygons in the model until they match the ratio. So to reduce the polygons to 1/10 of their original count a ratio of 0.1 would be entered. Decimate attempts to remove polygons that won't be noticed, but if the count is reduced too much it becomes very apparent. The following illustration is the teddy bear model at about 100 polygons, 200 polygons, 500 polygons, 900, and 9000, and 90,000 polygons:

There comes a point of diminishing...

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