Transcript
Introduction to 3D Printing How Do 3D Printers Work?
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The Parts of a 3D Printer
2
Find and Download an Object from Thingiverse
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What is Thingiverse?
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Finding Files to Download
3
Selecting a File to Print – Will My Object Print Successfully?
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Create a Thingiverse Account
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Thingiverse and Copyright
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Using MakerBot Desktop
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Adjust the Device Settings
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Open a File
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Common Warning Messages
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Moving, Rotating and Resizing
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Move
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Rotate
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Resize
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Settings – Rafts and Supports
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Estimated Print Time
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Save the File
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How Do 3D Printers Work? 3D printers work using additive technology. This means that to create an object, the 3D printer lays down layer after layer of material, until the object is complete. This way of printing means that some 3D object designs print better than others, depending on what model of 3D printer is being used. Here at the Whitby Public Library, our 3D printer is a MakerBot Replicator 2. The Replicator 2 prints objects using PLA filament. PLA is a biodegradable, corn-based plastic, so it is relatively environmentally friendly and doesn’t extra considerations (such as adequate ventilation) when printing.
The Parts of a 3D Printer
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Find and Download an Object from Thingiverse What is Thingiverse? Thingiverse is a website dedicated to discovering, making, and sharing 3D printable objects. You can access Thingiverse from any computer with an Internet connection by visiting www.thingiverse.com.
Finding Files to Download You can browse the objects available on Thingiverse by clicking on Explore at the top of the page. Select Categories from the dropdown menu that appears to view objects by genre.
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Once you select a category, the objects will display in chronological order, with the most recently uploaded objects appearing first. You can use the search filters in the top left corner of the page to view the search results in order of popularity, most makes, and others if you would prefer.
Alternatively, if you are looking for a specific type of object, you can use the search bar in the top right corner of the page to search for an object by keyword.
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Selecting a File to Print – Will My Object Print Successfully? The Thingiverse is an open-sharing website. This means that anyone with a Thingiverse account can upload an object to Thingiverse. This results in many files to choose from, but also means that the quality of the objects is sometimes unreliable. There are a few things you can look for to help you decide if an object will print successfully:
1. View a 3D image of the object using the Thingiview. This will allow you to see the object from all angles. Keep in mind that our model of 3D printer doesn’t necessarily do well with very thin parts of objects. The Thingiview will let you spot any parts of the object that may be too small to print successfully. 2. Read the Instructions for the object, if any. The instructions are created by the person that uploaded the object to the Thingiverse, so sometimes there aren’t any, and sometimes they are not very descriptive. However, sometimes they 5 – May 2015
provide crucial information about piecing together multiple parts, or scaling for different models of 3D printers. 3. View the Thing Files to see what type of file the object was uploaded as. The Library can only print .stl files, so the object must be this file type if you wish to print it at the Library. 4. Read the Comments from other users. Often, if many other users have downloaded and printed the object there will likely be comments about how successfully or unsuccessfully the object printed. 5. Use the Made tab to view photographs of the object as printed by other Thingiverse users.
Create a Thingiverse Account You don’t need to have an account to use and download objects from Thingiverse, but if you sign up for a free account, you’ll be able to like and collect your favourite 3D objects to remember for later. With an account, you can also upload your own 3D designs, comment on others designs, or post pictures of the objects you have 3D printed. To sign up for an account, click on Sign In/Join in the top right corner of the screen.
Click on Create an Account to visit the page where you can sign up for your own account.
You will need to provide your name, email address and a password as prompted, as well as agree to the Terms of Use before you can successfully register for a Thingiverse account.
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Thingiverse and Copyright The objects and designs that are uploaded to www.thingiverse.com are protected under Creative Commons copyright licenses. Creative Commons is a non-profit organization that provides free, easy to use copyright licenses. This provides a simple, standardized way to give the public permission to share and use a person’s creative work – on conditions that the creator gets to choose. When you choose to download and print something from Thingiverse it is your responsibility to be aware of the copyright and licensing restrictions. You can find this information in the bottom right corner of the page for every object. There are several variations of Creative Commons copyright licenses used on Thingiverse. Each license allows for different levels of copyright restrictions. Some examples of Creative Commons licenses include:
Attribution: This license lets other distribute, remix, tweak and build upon our work, even commercially, as long as they credit you for the original creation.
Attribution – Share-Alike: This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon your work even for commercial purposes, as long as they credit you and license their new creations under the identical terms.
Attribution – NoDerivs: This license allows for redistribution, commercial and non-commercial, as long as it is pass along unchanged and in whole, with credit to you.
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Using MakerBot Desktop MakerBot Desktop is the application that sends 3D print files to the 3D printer. This software also allows you to see the specific measurements of the object, resize the object, and get an estimated print time. MakerBot Desktop is a free application that you can download to your home computer from www.makerbot.com/desktop. The Prepare screen is the part of the program that will allow you to view and adjust your 3D object.
Adjust the Device Settings Part of what the MakerBot Desktop application can do is give you an estimated print time for your object. However, this software is compatible with all MakerBot models. To get an accurate estimated print time for the Library’s specific model of 3D printer, open the Devices menu and then click on Select Type of Device. Select the Replicator 2, as this is the model of 3D printer the Library currently uses. This will ensure you have an accurate estimated print time.
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Open a File To view your object in the MakerBot Desktop application, open the File menu and select Open. From here, you can browse your computer for the file you wish to open.
Common Warning Messages There are 2 warning prompts that are not unusual to see when opening a file in MakerBot Desktop. The first one occurs when the object loads into the MakerBot Desktop software and is not touching the build platform. You will see the following prompt:
When this message appears, always select Move to platform. The second common warning prompt occurs when the object is too large for build space, or loads outside the build space. You will see the following prompt:
When this message appears, you will usually need to select Scale to Fit. This will ensure that the object fits inside the build space. You can make adjustments as necessary after this. 9 – May 2015
Moving, Rotating and Resizing The 4 squares on the right side of the window allow you to move, rotate and resize the object. Click on the square once to activate that tool. Click a second time to open a small window with more specific options for that tool.
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Move This tool allows you to move the object around on the print bed. This can be helpful if you need to adjust the placement of the object on the print bed to optimize space and size.
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Rotate This tool allows you to rotate the object on all axes. 3D objects print best on their flattest edge, with as little overhangs as possible. The rotate tool allows you to select which edge or face becomes the object’s bottom when printing.
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Resize This tool allows you to adjust the size of the object to be larger or smaller. This can help the object fit onto the print bed, be the specific dimensions you want, or fit within the Library’s 3 hour print limit.
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Settings – Rafts and Supports 3D objects will print best if rafts and supports are turned on. These tools help ensure that your object prints as well as possible. The raft ensures a smooth, flat base for the object to print on, and allows for easier removal with the build platform. The supports provide a base for all overhanging parts to print on – this prevents these parts of the object from drooping because they have no base to print on. It is okay to always leave supports on, as the MakerBot will not print supports if the object does not need them.
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Estimated Print Time To get an estimated print time for your object, click on Export Print File. This will provided an estimated print time, as well as confirming that Rafts and Supports are on.
After getting the estimated print time, it is important to hit Cancel. Exporting the print file will result in a file format incompatible with the method the Library uses to send print jobs to the 3D printer.
Save the File Once you have adjusted your object as wanted, or as needed, you must Save As the file. Select Save As from the File Menu. You must change the File Type to Binary STL. ASCII STL is also acceptable, but Binary files are smaller. This will ensure that the Library is able to print your 3D object.
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