{"id":55539,"date":"2019-05-28T11:28:05","date_gmt":"2019-05-28T03:28:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/facfox.com\/?post_type=kb&p=55539"},"modified":"2019-05-28T11:28:05","modified_gmt":"2019-05-28T03:28:05","slug":"sketchup-3dprint","status":"publish","type":"kb","link":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/sketchup-3dprint","title":{"rendered":"Design 3D printable model using SketchUp"},"content":{"rendered":"

SketchUp is one of the most popular 3D modeling & design programs for 3D printing<\/strong>. However, preparing a SketchUp model for 3D printing can be a little tricky. That\u2019s why we put together a list of 10 simple yet effective tips and tricks to make your SketchUp design 3D printable.<\/strong><\/p>\n

1: Set your Template to Millimeters or Inches<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Some simple clicks before getting started will make your life easier: you may want to set your SketchUp template to metric or imperial units. This way, you won\u2019t need to re-scale the printing size of your model later.<\/p>\n

You can change the template by clicking on Window > Preferences > Template and selecting \u20183D Printing \u2013 Millimeters\u2019 or \u20183D Printing \u2013 Inches\u2019.<\/p>\n

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2: Install the SketchUp STL Extension<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Typically you can save your 3D model as a SketchUp file (SKP). Even though our online 3D printing service accepts these files, you might want to get SketchUp\u2019s free STL Extension<\/a>. The STL file format is the most commonly used in the 3D printing community and will make it easier to share, print, and edit your design in other software.<\/p>\n

With the SketchUp STL extension installed you can export your model as an STL file. Make sure to select the same unit type that you chose in your template (millimeters or inches) when exporting, and choose the binary file format to reduce the size of your file.<\/p>\n

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3: Avoid Paper-Thin Surfaces & Set Wall Thicknesses<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In order to make your SketchUp model printable, you need to ensure that each and every surface has a wall thickness. Without setting a wall thickness, a 3D printer has no information about how thick or how thin it is supposed to print your part.<\/p>\n

The picture below shows a model with paper-thin surfaces (not printable, left) and a solid object with thick walls (printable, right). If you want to learn more about how thick your walls need to be exactly, make sure to read this blog post<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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4: Make Your Model Watertight (Manifold)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A printable model must not feature any holes in its surface. Ask yourself the question: if I were to put water inside my model, would it flow out? If that\u2019s the case you need to find these holes and close them. This is one of the trickiest parts of creating 3D printable models in SketchUp.<\/p>\n

The design below is an example of a model that is not watertight. You can clearly see that there is one big hole on its surface.<\/p>\n

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Once this hole is closed (for example by drawing new lines), SketchUp recognizes that the object is solid on the inside and ready for the printer! You can see such a watertight (also referred to as manifold) object below.<\/p>\n

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5: Avoid Internal Overlapping<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Intersections and walls within your design can make your life difficult since your model needs to have one continuous \u2018outer shell\u2019. That\u2019s why it makes sense to think about your model in a 2-dimensional space first.<\/p>\n

In the case below, the left shape will not be printable once it is pulled into a 3-dimensional object since it will feature paper-thin walls within the object. The shape on the right, however, won\u2019t be a problem to print once it is pulled into a 3D object because it will only have one \u2018shell\u2019. It doesn\u2019t feature paper-thin walls on the inside. We\u2019ll look at an automatic way to create one outer shell later.<\/p>\n

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6: Check if Your Model Is Solid<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Creating watertight models with one continuous outside can be tough sometimes. Luckily SketchUp lets you check if you made any mistakes.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how it works:<\/p>\n