You possibly can print customized 3D snowflakes with the names of your family and friends members magically hidden inside their snowy crystals! Comply with these simple steps, and your mates might be impressed. So will you!
You want the next software program in your system:
- Adobe Illustrator, or no less than some drawing program that means that you can convert textual content to outlines; a program that may flip, duplicate, rotate, and mix shapes into compound shapes, and that may save information in a format that your 3D software program can import.
- 3D software program: I’m utilizing 3DS Max as a result of it could import Illustrator 3 information as splines. (That’s proper: Illustrator 3, not CS3. Old fashioned.)
- Your 3D printer software program. I’m utilizing a MakerBot Replicator 2 (MakerWare), printing with MatterHackers white PLA filament. MatterControl can be a fantastic software program selection for RepRap customers.
Step 1. In Illustrator (or different): Kind a reputation of a pal. I’m utilizing “MatterHackers” for example. Select a font that’s not too loopy and that’s daring sufficient to print nicely.
Step 2. Convert the textual content to outlines: Utilizing the stable arrow software, choose your textual content field, then below Kind > Create Outlines.
Step 3. In case your pal’s identify has a lower-case “i” or “j” then the dots will fall off if you print. Each form should join nicely with each different form to supply a viable snowflake that you may proudly hold out of your tree. Preserve this in thoughts whereas continuing to Steps 4 and 5.
Step 4. Go to Impact > Distort and Rework > Free Distort; use your mouse to create a distorted form as within the instance right here. The consequence ought to look about proper for half of 1 arm of a six-armed snowflake, then go to Object > Develop Look. Save your work: You would possibly want to regulate this later. I do know I did! The “MatterHackers” snowflake took me two tries.
Step 5. Utilizing the Mirror software, select Horizontal and Copy. Holding the Shift key, transfer the ensuing form down, leaving some house between the right-side-up and upside-down variations of your pal’s identify.
Step 6. Draw an extended, skinny rectangle between the 2 names that barely covers the underside of the highest one and the highest of the underside one. Align and heart it fastidiously to overlap the 2 shapes equally. Utilizing your Pathfinder palette, unite all shapes into one compound form.
Step 7. Utilizing the Mirror software once more, flip and duplicate the complete form on a vertical axis, and transfer the consequence to the best, once more utilizing your Shift key to maintain the whole lot in line.
Step 8. Choose all of your shapes, use your Rotate software at 60 levels, clicking Copy, after which do it as soon as extra. This will provide you with a snowflake form. Make sure corners overlap sufficient within the center to supply sturdy connections. Use your Illustrator Pathfinder palette to mix each form into one compound form. The ascender within the “okay” within the identify “MatterHackers” occurred to overlap its mirrored offspring. This may both contribute to the energy of your snowflake or completely confuse your pc, inflicting spurious outcomes. Hopefully your mates have shorter names with out too many ascenders or descenders or dots. If not, discover new associates with names like “Ron” or “Jan.”
Step 9. Save your file as an Illustrator 3 doc. If you happen to strive to reserve it as CS5 or no matter, traces of code might be too lengthy. Your file format must be importable as an editable spline to your 3D software program.
Step 10. In 3DS Max (or different), select File > Merge, and discover your file. Possibly this gained’t work. If not, again up a number of steps and take a look at a unique font or alter your shapes. Possibly your compound form wasn’t full? Strive ungrouping and utilizing the Pathfinder software once more. Once you’re assured that you’ve an extrudable spline, then extrude it about 0.1 inches.
Step 11. Export your file into .stl format, or no matter your printer prefers.
Step 12. My MakerBot is happiest printing snowflakes between three to 5 inches in diameter. This MatterHackers snowflake is 4.75 inches from nook to nook.
At first, if you present these snowflakes to your mates, they gained’t discover their names in any respect. This offers every kind of enjoyable alternatives so that you can progressively reveal these magically hidden crystalline phrases in no matter artistic methods you may think about!
