Microsoft Adaptive Accessories expand accessibility and inclusivity for technology users, providing adaptive hardware in an interconnected ecosystem to meet user needs and change with them over time.

The easy-to-use Adaptive Accessories system consists of a Microsoft Adaptive Mouse, Adaptive Hub, and Buttons, and is designed to empower users who may have difficulty in using a traditional mouse and keyboard. After purchasing the main components through Microsoft here, customers can also shop for and customize 3D printed add-ons at the Shapeways Marketplace using the Shapeways Configurator for Microsoft Adaptive Accessories.

Use the Configurator to Customize Mouse Tails and Button Toppers

Our team created the Shapeways Configurator so Microsoft technology users could customize 3D printed add-ons like mouse tails and button toppers to fit their unique needs.

To access the configurator, enter the Shapeways Marketplace for the Microsoft Adaptive Accessories to customize core pieces like the Adaptive Mouse and any of the three Adaptive Buttons for greater functionality, ease in use, and comfort. 

As an example, users can customize the mouse to make their mouse tail thicker or extended, or personalize the finger scoop to make it more substantial. 

The Microsoft Adaptive Hub, paired with the wireless adaptive buttons, allows you to replace or augment traditional keyboards. The Adaptive Buttons can also be easily customized with different 3D printed toppers simply by replacing the top of the button.

Whether you are customizing a thumb support or a joystick stem topper, you have the ability to create the adaptive accessory attachment that works best for you by changing the size, shape, or fit. 

Are you interested in more than one customized 3D printed attachment? Each product can be added to your Shapeways cart after you generate the desired 3D model from the configurator.

Once you have fully customized your 3D printed add-ons, complete your order through the Marketplace.

Download 3D Files for Modifying and 3D Printing

Intermediate users may also want to modify parts further on their own. The configurator provides an option to download 3D models for additional customization, available as OBJ files. This format is one of the most common, and allows for precision in 3D models as well as supporting color options.

After exporting the OBJ file into your own 3D modeling software, you can also convert it into other popular formats that are compatible at Shapeways: DAE, OBJ, STL, X3D, X3DB, X3DV, WRL, 3MF, STP, STEP.

3D Printing Modified 3D Models at Shapeways

Once you’ve customized files, upload them to Shapeways via Self-Service 3D printing, following these steps:

1. Log into your Shapeways account and select My 3D Models. 
2. Find the ‘choose a 3D file or drag it here’ area. Select your units, keeping in mind that your model can be re-scaled later.
3. Drag and drop your file, or click and a dialogue box will appear, allowing you to select the file.
4. The model page will load. Proceed from there.

After uploading your 3D model, a series of automated processes are activated to check for printability. This begins with assessing the file format, making sure it is a supported file with a suitable polygon count. Find out more about the Self-Service option for 3D printing and printability analysis here.

Materials and Technology available for Adaptive Accessories

Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic] tops the list as a 3D printing favorite, making it highly suited to 3D printing add-ons for the Microsoft adaptive accessories. Shapeways 3D prints Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic] using Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) technology.

Following are the finishes and colors available for 3D printed mouse tails and button toppers:

• Natural: Slightly rough surface and a matte finish
• Processed: Smooth surface
• Premium: Smoother surface
• Smooth: Smooth surface and slight shine
• Colors to choose from: Black, Blue, Green, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, White, Yellow

Learn more about all the finishes and colors available for 3D printed mouse tails and button toppers.

Shapeways and Microsoft continue to provide a new model for personalization and productivity, recognizing that everyone deserves a solution to fit their needs. Making a true impact means providing everyone with the opportunity to engage as fully as possible in their work, in their communities, and in the world.

The post Shapeways Launches 3D Model Configurator to Further Customize Microsoft Adaptive Accessories Add-ons appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

If you want to learn how to add finishing touches to your products post-production before shipping to your customers or transform your own 3D printed designs to a more vivacious color you can do so by following a few simple steps. In this tutorial, Steven and Jeremy Gonzalez of The Super Maker Bros demonstrate how to paint eyeglass frames printed in Multi Jet Fusion Plastic PA12 in multiple colors, a process that can be applied to many other projects of the same 3D printed material.

3D printed eyeglass frames in MJF PA12, 220/400/600 grit sandpaper (Photo by The Super Maker Bros)

Primers and paints (Photo by The Super Maker Bros)

Here is what you will need:

•       3D model printed in Multi Jet Fusion Plastic PA12 (also applicable for Versatile Plastic)
•       220 grit, 400 grit and 600 grit sandpaper
•       Spray paint primer
•       Spray paint in your desired color(s)
•       Clear coat matte or gloss spray paint
•       Reusable drop cloths or newspaper to protect your work area from paint
•       Highly Recommended: A respirator with replaceable filters will not only protect you from spray paint fumes but will last you through many more future paint projects.

Once you have these materials you are ready to get started. Follow the steps below and check out this video to see each step in action. 

Step 1:

Prepare your workspace by placing newspaper or a drop cloth over the area to cover any furniture or floor space in range of your spray painting pattern. Protect enough space to spray from different angles.

Step 2:

Put on your respirator. Spray paint fumes are toxic and sanding generates dust particles that are dangerous to inhale, so make sure you sand and spray in a well ventilated area and wear your respirator.

Step 3:

3D printed eyeglass frames, sanded (Photo by The Super Maker Bros)

Start by sanding the glasses pieces to smooth out their surfaces. This will also help the paint adhere to the plastic. Makerbro Tip: The best sandpaper to use is wet/dry or waterproof paper because getting the paper wet helps cool the plastic while sanding as well as keeps small dislodged plastic particles under control. Waterproof sandpaper is black instead of tan or beige.

Begin with a rougher, 220 grit sandpaper to remove any bulky texture and then move on to 400 grit and 600 grit to buff the surface smooth. The lower the number, the rougher the paper is. Be sure to rinse and dry the pieces to remove loose particles.

Makerbro Tip: To give your sandpaper more longevity, apply spray adhesive to the back of your quarter sandpaper sheet and fold it over to make an extra thick one-eighth sheet. This will give you the ability to use more pressure without tearing a hole in the paper.

Step 4:

Prime the frames using a spray primer like the Dupli color filler primer. Spray the glasses using a sweeping motion, keeping the spray can at a distance of about 6 to 12 inches. Spraying too closely will coat the object in too much paint and cause dripping or even cause the coat to crack when dry. Make sure all visible surface area is covered and let the pieces dry before spraying the other side.

Makerbro Tip: Spray paint takes about 30 minutes to dry to touch but wait between 1 to 2 hours to handle it. It will be fully dry after 24 hours.

Step 5:

Once the glasses are primed, sand the surfaces once more using the 600 grit paper to achieve maximum smoothness and wipe away any resulting dust.

Step 6:

3D printed eyeglass frames, painted (Photo by The Super Maker Bros)

3D printed eyeglass frames, painted (Photo by The Super Maker Bros)

Using the same spray painting method as with the primer, spray each piece in the color of your choice and let fully dry for 24 hours.

Makerbro Tip: Want to use more than one color on the same piece? Use masking tape to cover parts of your project you want in a different color. Once the first color dries, cover that portion and paint the rest.

Step 7:

Once the glasses have had 24 hours to fully dry, it’s time to seal up the paint with a topcoat. Using the same spray painting method, apply two layers of topcoat, leaving 1 to 2 hours of drying time in between. This helps protect the paint and enhances the shine or matte finish desired. It also gives a buffer between paint and skin contact.

Step 8:

3D printed eyeglass frames, painted in blue and brown (Photo by The Super Maker Bros)

3D printed eyeglass frames, painted in green and red (Photo by The Super Maker Bros)

Now assemble the pieces and you’ve got a brand new pair of glasses! You can have a pair in every color.

Check out The Super Maker Bros on Instagram (where they’ll be posting more photos and videos) and YouTube for more fun 3D printed projects.

More from the Material of the Month Series: PA12

Part One: Material Overview
Part Two: Material Comparison: Nylon Plastics
Part Three: Business Example: PA12 used in the virtual reality industry

The post How to Paint 3D Printed Eyeglass Frames Your Favorite Color appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

You’ve got from now to the second week of December to get a 3D design together, if you want to order a 3D print before the Shapeways Material Cut-Off Dates for the holidays. In this post we’ll show you how you can create a custom 3D-printable clock face with three different software programs. Don’t have time for that? Skip to the end to see how you can customize a retro clock very quickly with our Sunburst Clock Maker.

Beginner: Tinkercad

Even if you’ve never created a 3D design before, it’s easy to get started with Tinkercad, a free in-browser 3D design tool with a simple drag-and-drop interface. To get started, sign up for a free account and check out the All3DP video Getting Started in Tinkercad: A Tutorial for Complete Beginners. Once you know a few Tinkercad tricks, you can create complex designs from very simple combinations of shapes; throughout this post we’ll link to helpful YouTube videos to show you exactly what you need to know.

To make a simple clock in Tinkercad, we’ll start with a cylinder for the center face, and then create a couple of stretched-out rings with Rotated “Round Roof” shapes and Holes:

By using the “Control-D” duplication tool we can copy and rotate those rings in a pattern around the cylinder. After modifying the heights of each shape with the Ruler, we get a simple retro clock face design:

If you want to pick apart our Tinkercad design and see how it works, just open this Quick Clock link and tinker for yourself! Add some Text for numbers, if you like, or design something new from scratch. When you’re ready to download your design for 3D printing, click the “Export” button and then choose “Export as STL”.

Intermediate: Fusion 360

To make a fancier custom clock, try Autodesk’s Fusion 360 3D software, which is free for students, educators, and hobbyists. There’s a steeper learning curve to get started in Fusion 360 than there is with Tinkercad, but there are plenty of video tutorials online to help you learn. Some of the best are the Fusion 360 tutorials by Maker’s Muse. We’ll link to relevant video tutorials throughout this section so that you can learn just what you need. Fusion 360 is a very powerful program with a lot of features and tools, but you only need to know how to use a few of those tools to make a simple clock!

For example, if you know how to create a Sketch, add Constraints, and use a Circular Pattern, then you have all the tools you need to create a 2D shape for a clock face design in Fusion 360. To create the example below we started a Sketch, added a Circle at the origin, then formed spoke shapes with Lines. We kept the shapes symmetric by using Constraints, and rotated them in a Pattern around the origin. In the screenshot below we are in the process of duplicating and rotating the thinnest spoke to create twelve copies of it around the center circle:

Most models in Fusion 360 start from a two-dimensional Sketch like the one above. Once you’re done with your Sketch you can Extrude to give it some three-dimensional depth, and then Fillet the edges to make them rounded and professional-looking:

To download your model for 3D printing, right-click on the gray name of your model in the Browser menu (if you haven’t saved your Fusion 360 design yet, then the name of the model will be “(Untitled)”, as it is in the screenshot above). Select “Save as STL”, click “OK” in the new window that pops up, and save the STL file to your computer.

Advanced: Make ALL THE CLOCKS

Feeling more ambitious? With some parametric design you can write OpenSCAD code to generate billions of clocks, each from a random seed. For example, consider the many types of retro-styled “Sunburst” or “Starburst” clocks shown in this Google Image search:

Clocks like these were inspired by the modernist-style work of industrial designer George Nelson, who made many variations of such clocks in the 1950s. There are some common design features that are shared by most of these clocks: geometrically-shaped spokes, a star/sunburst pattern, a circular inside for the hands… Here’s what our first notes looked like when we started thinking about the typical parts and designs for Sunburst Clocks, and some of our early test prints:

OpenSCAD is a free code-based design software that works on any platform. With just a little bit of coding knowledge you can write simple code to describe a library of geometric spoke shapes, and then options for rotating those shapes around a central circle. There are literally billions of configurations; here are just a few:

If you want to learn more about OpenSCAD, check out our beginner’s video tutorial PolyBowls – A simple OpenSCAD code walkthrough and intro document Hello OpenSCAD. The “Hello” document has a link to sample code you can inspect and modify; if you want to play around with the code that made the clocks in the rotating image above, you can download it from our Thingiverse page.

The Easy Way Out: Customize a Sunburst Clock

But… you may be thinking… there is NO TIME FOR THIS!! The holidays are coming fast, and you don’t have time to learn how to write parametric OpenSCAD code right now? No problem, just use our Customzier to design your own retro clock! We’ve made our design free on Thingiverse so you can create unique and interesting Sunburst Clocks in just a few seconds. Just go to the design on Thingiverse and click the “Open in Customizer” button to get started (you’ll have to sign up for a free Thingiverse/MakerBot account to open the design in Customizer):

The Customizer version of the Sunburst Clock design lets you create new clocks just by clicking in the Random Seed slider and selecting design options from drop-down menus. You can also set the overall shape and size of your clock, and control the center hole and backing to match your clock kit:

Once you have the clock you want, click the “Create Thing” button and download the STL file from your list of Things within Thingiverse. Here is a design we made with the Customizer and had printed at Shapeways in White Versatile Plastic for less than $30 (it’s the “Cordelia” design), together with the clock mechanism we’ll use to assemble the final clock:

After assembly, the clock looks like this:

And here’s an “action” shot on the wall:

Light Speed: Order an Existing Design

If you’re really down to the wire and don’t have time to create or customize your own design, then quickly head over to the Shapeways Marketplace for a huge selection of unique 3D printed gifts that you can order right away. If it’s before the December 13 cutoff date for medium-sized White Versatile Plastic at Shapeways, then you still have time to order, with next-day shipping and priority manufacturing, one of our best twelve pre-made retro clock designs from the geekhaus shop, like the Velma:

Happy making, and happy holidays!

The post Just in Time: Last-Minute Holiday Gifts appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

If you already know something about photography or if you have a nice camera, then this post isn’t for you. Today’s tutorial is for people like me, who needed an easy way to make their phone photos a little bit better and don’t want to break the bank doing it.

Time to Tool Up

For less than $100, you can get two tools that make a huge difference: a lighting tent and a clip-on macro lens.

If you’ve ever tried to find just the right lighting, taking dozens of pictures with different lamps and in different locations inside and outside, then you will love having an LED light box. It can throw diffuse but bright light all around your object. It also allows you to maintain a consistent look at any time of day or night.

There are lots of light boxes out there that seem as if they would work, but the one I’ve fallen in love with is the Slow Dolphin Professional Lighting Tent Box. It comes with seamless colorful backdrops.

If you often find yourself wanting to take closeups of a 3D print but unable to focus properly, or if you want to take pictures that focus on your print but blur out the background, then a macro lens is your solution.

Again, there are lots of clip-on phone camera lenses, available for a wide range of prices. The one I’ve tested and that I used for the example photographs below is the Amir 2 in 1 Professional HD Camera Lens Kit, and specifically, its 15X macro lens:

One Model, Four Photos

Let’s see how these two basic photography tools can help us take better photographs. We’ll use the Rhombicosidodecahedron from our geekhaus shop as the example model. Here is a photo of this model sitting on a black surface in partial sunlight, taken with an iPhone and no other tools:

Regular iPhone photo

By clipping on the 15X macro lens, we can focus on the front of the object and have the rear edges blur in the background, which is nice. Notice that we can also capture detail on the surface of the print, and even see some of the layer lines!

iPhone photo with Amir 15X macro lens

To take those two pictures, I had to try a lot of locations in my house before I could find lighting that produced even a reasonably decent photograph, and they still don’t look so great. By putting the rhombicosidodecahedron in the light box, I can get even light all around the object. Here’s a shot with my regular iPhone lens, inside the lighting tent:

iPhone photo in light box

If we combine both the macro lens and the lighting tent, then we can get a clear, crisp image with focus to the foreground, good surface texture visibility, and no areas with too much light reflecting off the model:

iPhone photo in light box with macro lens

Capturing Detail

Using the macro lens and the light box together, you can capture close-up fine surface detail. Let’s see how it looks with our simple Perko Knot.

The images below compare the surface finish of the MJF PA12 Plastic from Shapeways with Shapeways purple Versatile Plastic on the right. The image has some blurring and distortion toward the edges, but you can see the difference between the smooth black knot and the rougher powdery finish of the purple knot.

Here’s another image, with the more complex Perko Spikes Knot. From this closeup, you can see that the MJF PA12 Plastic material smooths out the spikes a bit, but has a pleasant way of making the indented areas lighter than the spikes, which really highlights the texture and path of the knot.

Controlling Focus

You can also use the macro lens in natural environments to take photos that focus tightly on your object while blurring the background. This can be great for product photography, because you can include a pretty background scene without having it distract from your print. For example, here is a picture of our STEIN Pentagonal Tessellation Bracelet taken with no extra lenses, just with a regular iPhone:

Regular iPhone photo

That’s fine, I guess, but the front of the bracelet is slightly out of focus and the background is distracting.

Here’s the same setup with the macro lens:

iPhone photo with macro lens

Much better! This picture does a good job of showing off the soft, slightly rounded edges, the smooth overall finish, and the deep matte color.

What’s in your photography toolbox? Do you have any other recommendations for inexpensive tools to help non-photographers take better photographs of their designs? Let us know in the comments!

Want more design tips and 3D printing news? Sign up to our email list!

Updated: October 9, 2018

The post Tutorial Tuesday: Taking Better Photographs of Your 3D Prints appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Ready to get started? Follow the steps below to connect your Shopify store to Shapeways.

1. Setting Up Payment

To use the Shapeways Fulfillment app, you must have a credit card on file with Shapeways.

If you have previously placed a Shapeways order with a credit card, your payment method will default to the last credit card you used. If you already have a card on file, skip to Step 2.

If you do not have a credit card on file, you can add one on Shapeways.com.

• Sign in to Shapeways.

• Click the avatar in the top-right corner and select Settings.

• Then select Shipping & Billing.

• On the Shipping & Billing page, scroll down to Payment Method. Input your credit card information and billing address then click Save Card.

2. Installing the app

• Go to the “Shapeways Fulfillment” page on the Shopify App Store here.
• Click on the Add App button.
• If you are not already logged in to your Shopify account, you will be prompted to login.
• You will then be prompted to install the app on your Shopify site.

• Next, you will be prompted to sign in to your Shapeways account. Use the same credentials that you use on Shapeways.com.

• Review and accept the terms and conditions and click Authorize.

3. Creating Products in Shopify

To start, you’ll need to create your products in Shopify. There are two methods for doing this.

• Method 1:
  

  Manually create your products in Shopify. For more information on creating products in Shopify, click here to see their guide.

• Method 2:
  

  If you have a Shapeways Store and you’d like to import all of your Shapeways products, the Shapeways team can provide you with a Shopify Product Import CSV file that can be used to import your public products into Shopify. Email storefronts@shapeways.com for details.

4. Mapping Shapeways Products

You can now manually map your Shapeways models to your Shopify products in the Shapeways Fulfillment App. To do this, you’ll need to enter the Shapeways model ID and select a material for each Shopify product variant. There are two ways to locate the information needed.

• Method 1:

  If you have a Shapeways shop, sign to Shapeways.com and go to your Shop Settings. 

• Select Pricing CSV Wizard.

• Click Download CSV. Your model IDs will be displayed in this file.

• Method 2:

  If you don’t have a Shapeways Shop: click on the 3D Models tab. Here, you’ll find a list of your uploaded models. Click on a model and copy the number at the end of the browser’s page URL. This is the model ID for your product. (Example: for https://www.shapeways.com/model/upload-and-buy/1234567, copy “1234567”)

• Then, you can map your Shopify products to your Shapeways models and materials. Go to the Shapeways Fulfillment app and click on the Products tab.

• Here, all of your Shopify products and variants will be automatically populated in the first column.

• For each product-variant, enter the ID of the Shapeways model and select the material you want it to print in.

• If you select multiple product-variants, the bulk edit tool will appear at the top. You can use this to map several product-variants at once.

• If you have a product-variant that is not manufactured by Shapeways, simply leave it blank.
• When you have finished mapping all of your products, click Save.

5. Configuring Settings

You can access your app setting by clicking on the Settings tab.

Decide how you want your Shapeways orders to be created.

• Place orders manually means that you will need to create each order. This gives you the ability to decide which Shopify orders need to be fulfilled by Shapeways and when the order is placed.
• Place orders automatically means that for every Shopify order you receive, a corresponding Shapeways order will automatically be created.

Decide how you want your orders to be fulfilled by Shapeways.

• Ship orders directly to customers means that Shapeways will ship the order to the customer who purchased it on your Shopify site. If this setting is selected, the order will be shipped to the address the customer provided while checking out on Shopify.
• Ship orders to me means that Shapeways will send all orders to you first. This will allow you to complete any assembly, finishing, or packaging that is required before sending it to your customer. If this setting is selected, Shapeways will send it to the Store Address in your Shopify settings.

• To update the Store Address, go to your Shopify Settings and select General.

Decide how you want your orders to be shipped by Shapeways.

• Choose cheapest shipping option means that every time a Shapeways order is placed, it will default to the cheapest shipping option.
• Choose fastest shipping option means that every time a Shapeways order is placed, it will default to the shipping option with the shortest delivery time. If several options have the shortest delivery time, it will default to the cheaper option.

• You can view the shipping rates and delivery times on Shapeways.com. The address used for calculating the shipping rate is determined by the Fulfillment Method setting.

Getting Help from Shapeways

The Shapeways team is here to assist at any stage during the setup. For help, just email storefronts@shapeways.com.

The post How to Set Up the Shapeways Fulfillment App for Shopify appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Check it out:

The post Video Tutorial: Make Your Video Game Models 3D Printable appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

One of the best reasons to use Shapeways for 3D printing is having access to high-quality and incredibly efficient materials. Other 3D printing processes such as the one used by common FDM desktop machines are limited in the geometries they can produce efficiently. They require support both internally and externally to be printed along with the primary form — taking extra time, using more material and requiring heavy amounts of post-processing afterwards. Shapeways plastics such as strong & flexible plastic and frosted ultra detail allow for 100% hollow models and nearly unlimited geometries.

Shell vs. Infill

Source: https://zx3d.com.au/guide-to-3d-printing/

If one were to cut open any 3D printed object, one would find that that there are two distinct regions of the print. There is a outer edge of solid material called the shell, which makes up the walls of the print that are easily seen. The volume inside is where the infill goes; it can be totally solid (100% infill) totally hollow (0% infill) or some percentage in between. The infill is typically generated by the slicing software used to prepare the model file for the printer and may be set to be created in different patterns such as square, hexagonal etc.

Shapeways prints are made with either 100% or 0% without any additional infill being generated. Because of this, you’ll want to prepare your model file. Here’s how to do it:

1. Download Meshmixer

2. Import to Meshmixer to Hollow Out the Model

I could upload and print as-is now. But, to lower the costs I can make both the top and bottom hollow by using MeshLab. I import the top model into MeshLab and select the edit icon, then choose hollow.

Meshmixer will process for a bit and then give me some options to make the mesh hollow. This is great because it reduces the amount of material needed to print. Changing the offset distance at the top will change the thickness of the walls. I also add holes by clicking generate hole and dragging the holes around to the bottom of the trophy so that they will be out of sight when assembled. Once I’m happy, I accept and export the hollowed model. I can do the same for the base.

3. Upload to Shapeways

Next I go to my shapeways account and click upload. I choose my units as millimeters and wait until the upload process is complete.

If for any reason I need to change the size of the model I can just rescale at the top. I can choose to resize by percent or my the dimensions. In this case I decided I want to rescale by 1000% so that the finished models are both 100mm and stack up to 20cm.

Once I’m happy with my materials (I choose x and y) I click add to cart and wait for the order to arrive at my door!

upload your model now

The post Save Money by Making Models Hollow appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

It’s part of our tutorial series on Vectary, a design tool that’s free and 100% online. Check out this video for an introduction, and read on to learn how to make your own contemporary cacti.

Here are three simple tutorials that will allow you to practice the basic functions of free online 3D modeling tool Vectary while creating monochrome and minimalist succulents that look gorgeous when printed.

Let’s start with customizing a ready-made template. The possibility to customize and personalize a ready-made model is one of Vectary’s greatest perks, providing you with endless sources of inspiration that you can easily make your own.

already have a design? print it now

Twirly Shape

Creating a spiral shape is a great exercise to get comfortable with the basic Marquee tool (for selection) and Rotate tool from the Gizmo, which is what Vectary calls its transformation tool. The Gizmo is a collection of arrows, curves, and cubes.

try it now

Open Vectary template of a small succulent. Click on the Customize button to open the editor.

Turn off Smoothing by clicking on the icon in the left toolbar.

Now you see the template in low poly geometry. Click on the arrow next to Snapping to expand the menu, and toggle Snap Angle to 15 degrees. This will allow you to control how much you rotate the shape.

To start, we want to select polygons. Click on Select Faces in the top panel to switch from selecting lines to selecting polygons.

Click on Marquee tool and select the plant. Polygons you select will be shaded yellow.

Drag the blue curve on the gizmo to rotate the selection.

Now we want to deselect the bottom level of faces. Hover your mouse over the Marquee tool and select Marquee Subtract. Look at the other side of the cactus to make sure you have deselected all faces on the bottom.

Drag the blue curve on the gizmo to rotate the selection again.

Continue deselecting one level of faces at a time and rotating to the very top so a nice twirl is created.

Now we can add a bevel to the edge of the twirl, so it will be nicely defined after smoothing:

Switch to Select Lines in the top panel. Click on a line on the edge under the top star shape of the cactus. Then double-click the line to bring up the Selection jog and pick Loop Selection to select all vertical lines. You can click and select lines manually, but with Loop Selection it’s much faster. Repeat the action on each hump of the twirl. Finally, manually select all the lines on the top star shape.

Select the Bevel icon, and a blue tool with arrows will appear. You can drag lines to add offset manually, but if you want to be precise it’s better to use dimensions: Click on the handler, then select Offset and type 0.2mm to add thin polygons along the edges.

Click on Smoothing and see how nicely the twirl is defined.

Now let’s order a 3D print of your creation. Go to +Add Plugin and select the Shapeways plugin. Check the geometry, select the material. We recommend White Strong & Flexible, but you can have it 3D printed in Porcelain or other Shapeways materials.

If you don’t want to do all that work, Vectary has also posted the finished model of the spiral cactus. Feel free to customize that and order via Vectary’s Shapeways plugin.

design your cactus

Low Poly Shape

Low poly shapes can be easily created by using basic selection and the Collapse tool. If you want the edges of your shape nicely rounded, don’t forget about Bevel and Smoothing.

Open this Vectary template of a bigger succulent. Click on Customize button to open the editor.

First, click on Select Lines in the top panel and start selecting lines on the plant. It’s up to you which lines you select, and how many.

In our example, we are selecting every second horizontal line. If you also want to select every second line, choose Loop Selection from the Selection jog in the top panel. Select one line, then hold the Control Key on a PC, or Command on Mac, skip a line and click on the one after (on the same level). Vectary will automatically then select every other horizontal line.

Select Collapse in the left toolbar. Each line will shrink into a single point, creating a crystalline shape.

For smoother edges, click on the Marquee tool, select all lines, and Bevel. Click on the blue tool, then select Offset and type in 0.01mm to add very thin polygons along the edges.

Switch on Smoothing and you’re done.

Go to +Add Plugin and select the Shapeways plugin. Check the geometry, select the material. We recommend White Strong & Flexible, but you can have it 3D printed in Porcelain or other Shapeways materials.

If you don’t want to do all that work, Vectary has also posted a finished model of the low poly cactus. Feel free to customize that and order via Vectary’s Shapeways plugin.

start designing

Spiky Shape

Open this Vectary template of a bigger succulent — the same one we used for the low-poly cactus. Click on the Customize button to open the editor.

To make a spiky cactus, we want to change the rectangle faces to triangles. Click on Mesh Tools and select Triangulate to transform rectangle faces into triangles.

Click on Select Faces in the top panel.

Now you can add faces in the middle of each triangle polygon. Click on the Bevel tool icon on the left panel. Drag the blue tool to add offset.

Now you can extrude the selected faces. Click on Extrude icon and drag the blue arrow. Finally, click the Collapse tool icon to shrink all the faces into one point and create a spike.

Go to +Add Plugin and select the Shapeways plugin. Check the geometry, select the material. We recommend White Strong & Flexible, but you can have it 3D printed in Porcelain or other Shapeways materials.

If you don’t want to do all that work, Vectary has also posted a finished model of the spiky cactus. Feel free to customize that and order via Vectary’s Shapeways plugin.

Now that you know how to create some basic 3D structures, you can combine them to create your own original shape and apply this principle to anything from jewelry to a vase to your own RC car.

Ready to make your own succulent family? Just click the button below.

make your own

A version of this post appeared in Shapeways Magazine in September of 2017.

The post Create a Minimalist Desert-Chic 3D Printed Cactus appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Drawing Celtic Knots from a Grid

There are lots of good tutorials online for drawing two-dimensional pictures of Celtic knots, for example this tutorial from Circle Line Art School:

Celtic knot drawing methods like the one in the video above usually involve drawing a grid of dots and then drawing woven ribbons through the spaces between those dots. For constructing a 3D Celtic knot, it is easier to start with a grid of dots and then connect those dots with splines that you can later thicken into woven pipes. This is actually more similar to how mathematicians think about Celtic knots; for example, the image below is from the paper A Celtic Framework for Knots and Links by computer scientist Jonathan Gross and mathematician Thomas Tucker. Notice that the path of the knot goes through crossing points on the grid, and then we are to imagine that the paths are lifted up or down out of the paper to construct each crossing of the knot.

Tracing Knots with Splines

The quick overview of our technique is that we are going to make a grid of dots in a Fusion 360 sketch, then connect the dots with splines, then shift those splines up or down at the crossing points. This gives us a thin curve that traces out the desired knot, and we’ll be able to sweep a circle around that curve to make a round 3D tube that traces out the knot. Before we get into the details, let’s look at two examples. In general, you want to have as few points as possible long your spline curves; Fusion 360 will be better at drawing a smooth curve between two far-apart dots than at connecting a bunch of close-together dots. On the other hand, you can use extra spline dots to stretch out the path of the spline, and/or change its curvature. Here are two spline paths that define exactly the same Celtic knot, but one has fewer connection points than the other:

The image below shows what these two spline curves look like after sweeping circles around them to make into 3D knots. The very different look and style of these two knots — and even how thick we were able to make them — were determined entirely by how we chose to draw our splines.  You’ll have to experiment with different spline curves to get the look you want.

Step-by-Step Celtic Knot Construction with Fusion 360

Okay, let’s get down to business. We’ll assume that you are a beginner at Fusion 360, and walk through each of the knot-constructing steps carefully. We will trace out curves to make this three-component Celtic knot:

Step 1: Get the software

Download Fusion 360 and sign up for an Autodesk account so you can use it. Fusion 360 is free to students, educators, and hobbyists. For tips on getting started, check out our earlier article Tutorial Tuesday 15: First Steps with 3D Design Software Fusion 360.

Step 2: Create a sketch and make a grid of points

Create a Sketch and then choose Point from the Sketch menu and place points at the locations of the knot crossings and corners. Compare the dots in the screenshot below with the crossings and corners of the three-component Celtic knot shown in the image above. These points will help you keep track of the knot as you make it.

Step 3: Create a spline for each component of the knot

From the Fusion 360 Sketch menu, select the Spline tool. Click dots in order to trace out the path of the knot. Sometimes this will be the entire knot, and the spline will cross itself; this is okay. If your knot has more than one curve in it, then your first spline will only be part of the knot, which is also okay. End your spline at the first dot you chose and then hit Escape to exit the Spline tool.

Step 4: Move the spline up or down at each crossing point

Each point that forms a crossing needs to shift up or down so that the curve of the knot will weave over and under. Right-click on a crossing point and select “move”, then use the vertical arrow to shift that point up or down a fixed amount. You can use Shift-middle-mouse-click-and-drag to rotate your view, and middle-mouse-click-and-drag to pan side to side. Celtic knots always have an “over-under-over-under” alternating pattern at the crossings. (Make sure not to shift the exterior non-crossing points!)

If your Celtic knot pattern has more than one component, then rotate your view back to be directly from the Top and make Splines for each of the remaining components. When you’re done you should have something like this:

When you’re done with the Spline curves, press the Stop Sketch button and move on to the next step.

Step 5: Create perpendicular circles on each component path

Now from the Construct menu, choose the Plane Along Path tool, and construct a Plane on each of the knot components. These planes will be used to construct Circles that we can Sweep along the component paths.

Start a new Sketch and choose one of the new Planes as the base for the Sketch. Then construct a Center-Diameter Circle from the Sketch menu, right at the center of that plane. Press Stop Sketch and repeat for any remaining Planes.

Step 6: Sweep the circles along the spline paths

Finally, from the Create menu, select the Sweep tool. Set one of the Circles as the Profile, then set the corresponding Spline as the Path, and click “OK”. If you get an error then you may have to go back to the previous step and reduce the diameter of the Circle.

Repeat this step for any remaining components of the knot. Pro tip: Sometimes the Sketches will vanish after you create the first Sweep; if this happens then open up the “Sketches” arrow on the Browser list on the left of the screen, and turn the little lightbulbs back on!

You can adjust the Circle diameters as necessary to get the look that you want. To do this, right-click on the corresponding “Sketch” icon in the Timeline bar at the bottom left of the Fusion 360 window, and choose “Edit Sketch”; resize the circle and close the Sketch, and Fusion 360 will re-Sweep the curve with the new circle.

Renders and Prints

Here’s how our Celtic knot looked at the end of this process (and adding some new Materials for style):

To export the knot for printing, open up the Bodies menu in the Brower list on the left of the window, and then right-click on each Body (one for each component) and select Save as STL. We did a scaled-down prototype test print on our XYZ Da Vinci Color printer in black and white:

And here it is uploaded to the Shapeways site. We’ve ordered prints in Full Color Sandstone, Stainless Steel, and Strong & Flexible, and will post photos on our Shapeways geekhaus shop when we get them back!

Upload your own Celtic Creation

The post Holiday Tutorial: Creating Celtic Knots with Fusion 360 appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Thin Walls

This error will most frequently limit the types of materials your product is printable in. Because our plastics are more forgiving, a model may pass printability in those materials but not in any metals. Whether it’s unprintable in all or only some materials, here’s a helpful resource for breaking down that wall that’s keeping your model from being printable (pun intended).

Floating Shells

Loose shells are pieces of your model that are separate or unconnected from the base portion of the model. In some cases, this may be intentional (like this) because you want the parts separated. If not, try our part count visualization tool to help you identify unconnected parts and catch problems where you had intended to print a single, connected model.

Non-manifold Edges

This means that your model has failed print checks with a “non-manifold” or “mixed normals” error. These can be triggered by a number of things so head on over to this page to find out how you can fix the model.

Now that you’re ready to make it printable, upload your latest model here.

PRINT YOUR DESIGN NOW

The post The Top 3 Reasons Models Aren’t Printable and How To Fix Them appeared first on Shapeways Blog.