Re: is there a way to solid-fill an object?
Sorry, I'm late to the party as usual, and hopefully not teaching too
many grandma's to suck eggs.
Any closed STL can be pushed through a slicer to generate the g-code to
print it, but the slicer determines how thick the actual walls, base and
top are, infill just holds the outside walls apart. The default slicer
settings [for Cura], always need tweaking, I use a minimum of 3 walls
and 1.2mm [ish] top and bottom layers, the infill pattern depends on the
model, too thin walls causes the infill to influence the outer wall
finish and no enough top and bottom layers means there could be
incomplete surface finishes - but that could just be my printers.
So if a 3D scan is not closed, the resulting STL can be fixed with any
number of tools, online or offline, then printed, then put through the
lost wax process.
HTH, and Gene, you are a legend
Roger
Roger:
Can you specify some of those tools?
This is what I am trying to work with:
http://www.jonbondy.com/mesh.stl
Jon
On 7/13/2025 7:20 AM, Roger Whiteley via Discuss wrote:
So if a 3D scan is not closed, the resulting STL can be fixed with any
number of tools, online or offline, then printed, then put through the
lost wax process.
--
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG antivirus software.
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What I need that started the discussion is basically wanting to use a 3D
scan to make a mold platen. So, I would want to find each part in the scan
and make sure that there is a 2- to 6-degree draft angle. I see how to do
this using C/C++/Python, but hoping that the functionality is already
implemented...
EBo --
On Sun, Jul 13, 2025 at 7:21 AM Roger Whiteley via Discuss <
discuss@lists.openscad.org> wrote:
Sorry, I'm late to the party as usual, and hopefully not teaching too
many grandma's to suck eggs.
Any closed STL can be pushed through a slicer to generate the g-code to
print it, but the slicer determines how thick the actual walls, base and
top are, infill just holds the outside walls apart. The default slicer
settings [for Cura], always need tweaking, I use a minimum of 3 walls
and 1.2mm [ish] top and bottom layers, the infill pattern depends on the
model, too thin walls causes the infill to influence the outer wall
finish and no enough top and bottom layers means there could be
incomplete surface finishes - but that could just be my printers.
So if a 3D scan is not closed, the resulting STL can be fixed with any
number of tools, online or offline, then printed, then put through the
lost wax process.
HTH, and Gene, you are a legend
Roger
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To unsubscribe send an email to discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org
I would say that OpenSCAD is very much the wrong tool for the job.
Possibilities include:
Meshmixer
https://apps.autodesk.com/FUSION/en/Detail/Index?id=4108920185261935100&appLang=en&os=Win64
Sculptris https://www.sculpteo.com/en/glossary/sculptris-definition/
Meshlab https://www.meshlab.net/
I've not used any of these myself, though, but it might be a place to start.
On 13/07/2025 13:15, John David via Discuss wrote:
What I need that started the discussion is basically wanting to use a 3D
scan to make a mold platen. So, I would want to find each part in the
scan and make sure that there is a 2- to 6-degree draft angle. I see
how to do this using C/C++/Python, but hoping that the functionality is
already implemented...
EBo --
On Sun, Jul 13, 2025 at 7:21 AM Roger Whiteley via Discuss
<discuss@lists.openscad.org mailto:discuss@lists.openscad.org> wrote:
Sorry, I'm late to the party as usual, and hopefully not teaching too
many grandma's to suck eggs.
Any closed STL can be pushed through a slicer to generate the g-code to
print it, but the slicer determines how thick the actual walls, base
and
top are, infill just holds the outside walls apart. The default slicer
settings [for Cura], always need tweaking, I use a minimum of 3 walls
and 1.2mm [ish] top and bottom layers, the infill pattern depends on
the
model, too thin walls causes the infill to influence the outer wall
finish and no enough top and bottom layers means there could be
incomplete surface finishes - but that could just be my printers.
So if a 3D scan is not closed, the resulting STL can be fixed with any
number of tools, online or offline, then printed, then put through the
lost wax process.
HTH, and Gene, you are a legend
Roger
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To unsubscribe send an email to discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org
<mailto:discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org>
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To unsubscribe send an email to discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org
If by solid-fill you mean 100% solid, just use an Infill Density of 100%. However, if doing this, I recommend doing it only in small specific areas, because it will use extra filament & time. Something else you may want to consider if you need a stronger model is the number of walls and/or top & bottom layers (in some small areas this may cause you to end up not needing infill at anyway)
Nathan Sokalski
njsokalski@hotmail.commailto:njsokalski@hotmail.com
From: Dylan via Discuss discuss@lists.openscad.org
Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2025 8:23 AM
To: discuss@lists.openscad.org discuss@lists.openscad.org
Cc: Dylan dylan@dylan.me.uk
Subject: [OpenSCAD] Re: is there a way to solid-fill an object?
I would say that OpenSCAD is very much the wrong tool for the job.
Possibilities include:
Meshmixer
https://apps.autodesk.com/FUSION/en/Detail/Index?id=4108920185261935100&appLang=en&os=Win64
Sculptris https://www.sculpteo.com/en/glossary/sculptris-definition/
Meshlab https://www.meshlab.net/
I've not used any of these myself, though, but it might be a place to start.
On 13/07/2025 13:15, John David via Discuss wrote:
What I need that started the discussion is basically wanting to use a 3D
scan to make a mold platen. So, I would want to find each part in the
scan and make sure that there is a 2- to 6-degree draft angle. I see
how to do this using C/C++/Python, but hoping that the functionality is
already implemented...
EBo --
On Sun, Jul 13, 2025 at 7:21 AM Roger Whiteley via Discuss
<discuss@lists.openscad.org mailto:discuss@lists.openscad.org> wrote:
Sorry, I'm late to the party as usual, and hopefully not teaching too
many grandma's to suck eggs.
Any closed STL can be pushed through a slicer to generate the g-code to
print it, but the slicer determines how thick the actual walls, base
and
top are, infill just holds the outside walls apart. The default slicer
settings [for Cura], always need tweaking, I use a minimum of 3 walls
and 1.2mm [ish] top and bottom layers, the infill pattern depends on
the
model, too thin walls causes the infill to influence the outer wall
finish and no enough top and bottom layers means there could be
incomplete surface finishes - but that could just be my printers.
So if a 3D scan is not closed, the resulting STL can be fixed with any
number of tools, online or offline, then printed, then put through the
lost wax process.
HTH, and Gene, you are a legend
Roger
_______________________________________________
OpenSCAD mailing list
To unsubscribe send an email to discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org
<mailto:discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org>
OpenSCAD mailing list
To unsubscribe send an email to discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org
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Jon,
This is a direct cut and paste from my internal wiki...
Online:
STL Mesh Repair
Stumbling around trying to fix a long broken STL model…
https://formlabs.com/blog/best-stl-file-repair-software-tools/
https://formlabs.com/blog/best-stl-file-repair-software-tools/
There is also this.https://www.formware.co/onlinestlrepair
https://www.formware.co/onlinestlrepair
Offline:
Based on locally installed software, I've had success with Meshlab [on
Ubuntu and Debian desktops], below is a description of the process in
Meshlab.
IN MESHLAB
Load the STL, Enable Display of Boundary Edges, Boundary Faces, No-Manif
Verts, No-Manif Edges, Texture Border.
Then follow the guide in the link above, but this is the report..
Apply Filter Merge Close Vertices
Apply Filter Repair non Manifold Edges
Apply Filter Repair non Manifold Vertices by splitting.
Tried filter Simplification: Quadric Edge Collapse Decimation - failed -
the input mesh isn't watertight…
Apply filter Merge Close Vertices.
Apply filter Close Holes.. ….. …. result!.
If you have Windoze, I once had a very nice developer laptop [32GB RAM,
quad core i7] Windows 10 machine from work upon which I could install
software, there's a Microsoft package called 3D builder which you may be
able to install, that also does a good job of mesh repair and its quite
simple to use.
The only machine I still have Windows on is an 8.1 desktop, so I can't
test it any longer. I found this
https://letsprint3d.net/download-microsoft-3d-builder-for-windows/, it
claims one good feature is the ability to split models - I do this in
Cura, there's a plugin for doing so.
I have found the latest version of OpenSCAD I use is quite capable of
breaking perfectly good OpenSCAD scripts, this version 2024.12.30...
whereas the same script run in version 2021.01 works perfectly, albeit
glacially. I really should try an updated nightly build, but when the
component is a critical part of a machine I make I'm always on the
trailing edge of releases..
HTH,
Roger.
N.B. I'm retired, so using professional tools that cost an arm and both
legs and only run on Windows are off-limits.
On 13/07/2025 13:00, Jon Bondy wrote:
Roger:
Can you specify some of those tools?
This is what I am trying to work with:
http://www.jonbondy.com/mesh.stl
Jon
On 7/13/2025 7:20 AM, Roger Whiteley via Discuss wrote:
So if a 3D scan is not closed, the resulting STL can be fixed with
any number of tools, online or offline, then printed, then put
through the lost wax process.
I recently had a reason to 'solid fill' a 3D printed object, but didn't want to waste material...
You know the interlocking deck/patio/garden tiles, about 30x30cm and made of plastic with wood or composite top?
I wanted to use those on my verandah, but I have asphalt roll covering on it, and the little 'feet' on those tiles would punch right through it.
So I made 'shoes' for it.
Just a Cylinder with 20mm diameter, with height 2 or 4mm (the material is about 2mm thick, and there's overlap so two heights were needed)
On top of that cylinder is a 6mm or so high tube with the inner diameter sized to fit the 'feet' of the tiles.
I could print those with 100% infill, but I needed in the region of 5000 of them...
(42 on each tile, that's about half the 'feet' on each. Some tiles were cut short, others have cutouts for the railing)
I ended up making a hole in the bottom part, that was 2mm less in diameter than the hole of the tube on top.
Then I set the number of walls to 3 (1.2mm) and got the '100% fill' exactly where I needed it. Combined with thick bottom this seems to hold up admirably.
Each 'shoe' is around 2grams. A full 100% infill would have been around 10grams.
I could have made them all with 2mm 'soles' and just extended the top tube and saved a little bit more, but with different sole heights it was easier to see what was what.
Understand where you need the strength and where you don't.
Punching holes in strategic places may actually improve strength.
Trygve
Den søndag 13. juli 2025 17.58.09 +02.00 skrev Nathan Sokalski via Discuss discuss@lists.openscad.org:
If by solid-fill you mean 100% solid, just use an Infill Density of 100%. However, if doing this, I recommend doing it only in small specific areas, because it will use extra filament & time. Something else you may want to consider if you need a stronger model is the number of walls and/or top & bottom layers (in some small areas this may cause you to end up not needing infill at anyway)
Nathan Sokalski
njsokalski@hotmail.com
scuss-leave@lists.openscad.org discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org