How to slice and cut stl files for 3D Printing - 3DP 101

[@kazolar]

been using these methods, but sometimes you just need to print something in one piece where you can hide a seam. I was working with a 200x250x200 bed on my MakerGear M2 for a while -- then got a TypeA Series 1 Pro with a 305x305x305 bed. Then just because I like a challenge and to torture myself, I designed and build a delta 490mm diameter x 675mm height. Now I think I can print just about anything I need or can print on one spool without cutting it apart. Expensive hobby. Did some test slices on the delta, anything that fills up the build volume and is not a vase will take 4-5 kgs of plastic, so that will be fun.

[@wibble1999]

gotta say... i bought a tronxy x3a faulty board faulty x motor and lose black wire on leveler... the anycubic kossel plus linear which had a loose wire in leveler and needed a new board as despite setting the thing up nothing was storing even after umpteen gazillion ( large number indeed)... firmware cleardown and re flashing . after such a baptism of fire I was having all kinds of print issues.... your channel has been outstanding ... as has joe at 3dmn and lots of other guys. Without the guidance you and the community provide life would be soooo much harder... thank you

[@JimmyShawsTidbits1]

"I won't judge" LOL!!!! That cracked me up.

[@andrews5926]

Jimmy Shaw's Tidbits that's what she said

[@aPyroDesign]

Awesome video. I literally just used netfabb basic last night to cut up a large project last night. I saw that other tip on Joels channel. Now I keep seeing how useful mesh mixer is though and keep not using it. I really need to start ha-ha.

[@DragonRoco]

There was a tool floating around for opencad that would slice an object up into a set size and put connectors (t-shaped) in so that the print could be slid together to form one large print. It removed any worries of alignment as it should self align.

[@johanlindeberg7304]

+DragonRoco www.thingiverse.com/thing:35834 OpenSCAD is really useful. Haven´t used puzzelcut myself yet though.

[@MakeItWithCalvin]

I tend to use Meshmixer for slicing up files into pieces although the hack method in simplify 3d works a treat if done right!

[@3dpprofessor]

I always thought that dropping things below the print bed would cause the nozzle to crash so I... never actually tried it.

[@TravisRamage]

Don't worry, I thought the same thing!

[@raghavgarg6909]

Lol buddy.... But its okay

[@draquablu2030]

Hey dude, mind if i ask you for the name of the music at 0:30? sounds cool, also love your shirt.

[@3DPrintingNerd]

If I had the money, I would pay for you to fly to me to teach me Meshmixer.

[@mrgriff9648]

Crowdfund a flight...

[@MakersMuse]

+Andrew Griffiths That's an idea, crowdfunded classes!

[@TravisRamage]

Hey Angus, I've been having trouble with getting Meshmixer to launch once installed, so I had to try your 3rd option. It doesn't seem to be working for me either. Why don't they just add a cut tool into Cura? That would be so much easier for us...Lol!

[@Themadfranklin]

Terrific information well put! I learned SO MUCH in three minutes from you. Thank you so much!

[@Averwing]

how do you open the file from mixer into cura??

[@bobHsampaio]

Tks, I have used 3dsmax to divide, but Meshmixer is also an excellent choice to do it.

[@watsonmtb31]

Have you ever used xyznobel uv resin printer? And how can i use it with other files

[@MurphyTJ]

Hey Angus, you explained well how to cut, but what about gluing? From what I heard ABS loves acetone, but for PLA it's complicated... Personally I use Super Glue for PLA and it's ok but not that solid.

[@shaddydxd]

+Julien Dodokal Personally I use "loctite super glue power flex gel control" tinyurl.com/gpw9tz2 . The KZbinr H Alex made a video on his channel y2u.be/HvIu98A9GA8 where he bought the top recommended glues on the internet for PLA gluing and tested them against each other :)

[@ShadowBurn680]

+Julien Dodokal Im a fan of super glue and baking soda together its wicked strong

[@raghavgarg6909]

@@ShadowBurn680 really??? Because I wanna try this

[@ShadowBurn680]

@@raghavgarg6909 yup it's just like the super glue activator you can buy for a quick dry time and it hardens up really solid it also fills gaps if you have some, you got nothing to lose by trying it out either

[@LanceMiller87]

What if I don't want to cut along a plane? For larger objects (prop helmets, to be more specific), having a bunch of rectangular-shaped pieces can sometimes make it really hard to line everything up properly. It would be nice to be able to cut a model along its natural edges, to make pieces that naturally fit together, and would also have the bonus side-effect of hiding seams in pre-existing edges. How might I do that?

[@chazhaze3d]

i know this video is 8years old and my question is not directly connected to this but close. I am trying to figure out why on some .stl files when I slice them, they remove some small details like lines that form a pattern on a file. Have you seen this and is there a fix?

[@iamthemooon]

That deathclaw print is amazing!

[@techdiyer5290]

hey makers muse, I'm a student and i can only keep my printer in my room because my dad uses the office, but i want to make some larger prints. So anyway, i wanted to know if there is a possibility to slice what I'm printing into multiple sections so i can start printing today. turnoff my printer and finish printing tomorrow. I have a Troxy P802E and it doesn't have any features except that it is a kit. it doesn't remember anything if i pull the plug and can't start printing from where it was. and i haven't had any luck with plugging it up to my computer via USB but i also need to use my computer a lot. and i heard that i can mess up a print if I'm doing something on my computer.PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!

[@UnlikelyCreators]

"It's alright I won't judge" Haha, oh Angus that helped me a lot right there you don't even know.

[@duncanrock2249]

Making a printer with a 500by500mm bed how do i make a program with a bed that size I'm using replicatorG with sailfish firmware,thanks

[@giregumegrimung5359]

So my problem is that I have to print one part at a time, and I don't know what to do with the other slices.

[@mustafaabdulhaq6566]

Hello for more complex models a join/junction is needed to put parts together, any ideas how to accomplish that?

[@002-b9s]

ok for cut, but how to stick them when the print is finished? :(

[@saltytrickster6122]

strong glue ?

[@red13emerald]

Do you have a tutorial on how to glue split parts together? I'm not sure what good options are for that, apart from ABS juice that you mentioned in your Jargon Busting video.

[@sukursukur3617]

hello, i am newbie in 3d printing. can we choose bed surface of a part as we wish? Namely i have 3 planar surfaces in my stl file, but i exactly want to choose one of those surface.

[@theinkdroid]

Great vid as always Angus. Wooo super sledge.

[@MakersMuse]

+theinkdroid Thanks! Super sledge is definately one of my favourite weapons of choice in Fallout. There may be further plans involving this idea (and the super sledge) in the future...

[@typhousneon-777]

Thanks this is really helpful, been following your channel for a little over month and learned a lot 👍👍👍

[@CJPrinting]

I feel like a broken record. maybe it is your camera but... are you the God of lighting?

[@MakersMuse]

+CJ Printing It is a delicate art that takes many trials and errors (and migraines caused by bright light) to perfect :P

[@OneTooManyRCS]

Just a question when I cut my model. I end up with hollow parts. Along my cuts. The model prints good small. Any help?

[@tcellen2136]

haha! That's me. thanks! Exactly what I'm doing now with a large piece but putting the pieces together exactly will be critical. So am I correct in that I can use Meshmixer to cut two halves that fit like a puzzle for extra strength? thank you.

[@befrey]

Can you also 3d model the pieces yourself and the wall thicknes, like puzzle pieces that fit together and interlock? or would that make printing more complicated?

[@joemacneil4460]

How do you pull the object through the bottom of the bed

[@stephenmcinturff6323]

What if I want to cut my model with more complex cuts than just a plane cut? For example a full sized helmet. If I use just plane cuts I may get some weird seams that will be a pain to fill and sand later. However, if there was a way to contour my seams to parts on the model, I could place seams in easy to fill places or in places that would be less noticable in the final model. Is this possible? How would you do it?

[@MakersMuse]

Extremely difficult to do this once the model is in mesh format, but you can 3D design a cutting 'blank' and use that with a Boolean difference. It's best to separate parts in the modelling stage if you're after complex cuts.

[@notcranium]

Did you forget to add some links to Joel's page and to the video where you go into more depth on Meshmixer? :)

[@MakersMuse]

They're done through cards, they should show on the top right of the page or click the little i

[@kylegillespie81]

So if a object is in pieces but you have a big printer, and you want to make it one part or fewer parts to print, would you match up the stl's the best you can and use combine/make solid to make it one or fewer parts? Or is there a better/easier way?

[@Mickice]

FlashPrint has a cut tool. You can cut diagonally as well as XYZ. You can even save STL after it has been cut.

[@MakersMuse]

That's really neat! It sounds like flashprint has improved hugely since I last used it. Wish I could use it to slice gcode to other printers!

[@Mickice]

Software has come a long way, great job by the coders. Tree supports and regular supports have crazy options too.

[@HopeGamerBrand]

Dude you saved my life!! Thank you!! I needed this!

[@brandon3883]

Over 2000 views and 200 thumbs up without a single down-vote. You've finally found yourself The Perfect Formula, Angus. The Perfect, Award-Winning Formula For Ultimate Interwebs Video Success! :D

[@MakersMuse]

I think the formula is KISS!!! Also dw I'll get to your post on patreon soon been at a trade show for this week. :D

[@brandon3883]

+Maker's Muse That and hyperlinking to other, more in-depth videos that provide the extra 20+ minutes of content. ;P No probs on the message, I actually forgot I'd sent it! (...and it's not an ASAP Thing anyway. But in any case thanks for acknowledging it. Have fun at the trade show and cheers!)

[@gilb6982]

cool trick ! have you heard anything about the new Wanhao i3 plus

[@dathotac3496]

Bro you're a life saver. Thank you!

[@Crafted102]

Finally a really helpful video with no dislikes!! (KZbin comment section is evil)

[@MakersMuse]

+Crafted102 It's a bonus, but I'm sure one will prop up eventually XD

[@Crafted102]

+Maker's Muse well 220:0 still ain't to shabby

[@Crafted102]

+Maker's Muse you know I bet you realized this but technically you could say that for every one dislike you have on this video you have an infinite number of likes!

[@timothymclean]

Dividing by zero doesn't work like that. Also, there are six dislikes now. Good job.

[@PrintThatThing]

badass video! great tips as always! :) :) :)

[@MakersMuse]

+PRINT THAT THING Your welcome, always glad to help ;D

[@alexhaszard]

are you the guy that stole the designs because you have the same name

[@Geeksmithing]

Good stuff dude!

[@AtrumNoxProductions]

That is some pretty cool advice! Thank you :) This is a lot easier then what I do haha

[@abowlflooris]

do you have time to assist?

[@idontcare4425]

Hey Angus I'm only 12 and bought a 3D printer this year and I have been saving up for 3 years to buy it. Any tips on what filament to buy because I don't have much money after buying it. BTW it was a rebranded whanho something I don't know the name because it was rebanded to a unpopular company and you might not know them. Thanks :)

[@corysinclair6484]

What country do you live in? That'll change where you buy it from. If you have a heated bed, buy ABS, if not, get PLA

[@michaelphelps6110]

I have been using Microsoft 3D Builder to slice big files (prints) into sizes my printer can handle. But I need to learn Meshmixer. :)

[@jacquesgilbert2774]

Nice tips, thank you. It would also be nice if you could do a review of Maker Farm's Pegasus 12" printer. It seems like an affordable way to get to a much larger print volume.

[@MakersMuse]

+Jacques Gilbert It's not on my books at the moment, but I'll have a look at it when I have a spare moment (running flat out atm! Hence my late replies on a lot of these comments), and see if I can fit something in, maybe talk about it during a stream

[@im_santo]

Thanks!!! This was extremely useful!!

[@TheIcemanModdeler]

I use Maya and Zbrush and Meshmixer to check the mesh.

[@MakersMuse]

+TheIcemanModdeler As I've said in the video, Meshmixer is one of my go-to programs for this technique. On the other hand, I have not yet had a chance to dabble in either Maya or Zbrush extensively, though looking at Zbrush I would definately pursue the oppertunity to explore it further as it looks like an amazing program (once you get through the interface). What's your thoughts?

[@TheIcemanModdeler]

+Maker's Muse Yeah been using these programs for more than 10 years and both are quite difficult for beginners but they are two of the most powerful and most used programs in the industry both in games and movies. Zbrush has the most customizable interface out there, many artists including myself have custom ui and shelfs for the tools that we use the most, although i wouldn't say the program is hard in itself the sculpting is especially and if you've never sculpted or drawn before at a decent level that will take a while till you get used to the brushes, the shapes, form and silhouette and dividing the mesh. An alternative to Zbrush that is much easier but also with less options is Mudbox but if you've been following the plans that Autodesk has for Maya they will incorporate soon Mudbox sculpting into it to compete with Zbrush.

[@MakersMuse]

+TheIcemanModdeler Yeah I have had a look at Mudbox before and find it quite good for a quickie model (and great when teaching students), but have gotten myself into a comfortable zone with Meshmixer and CAD when it comes to my work. I played around in Zbrush before, and from what I could grasp it's capabilities are amazing-especially since I struggle with creating organic forms from scratch. Sadly I am not a huge artist in trade so it would take time for me to get used to the utilities offered and the format. Though my assistant/minion is interested in picking it up and learning it, which should be interesting since she hasn't delt with much 3D modelling before... Should be quite entertaining! I'll make sure to recommend your channel when she starts so she gets the right idea!

[@TheIcemanModdeler]

Sure, i don't have tutorials on my channel due to my job but if you or her have any questions feel free to ask, oh and thanks for the great Craftbot Plus review, got myself one and it;s been amazing so far. Cheers

[@bukszpryt_]

cutting models in modeling software or in slicer is trivial. joining it preciselly to keep dimensions is totally different thing.

[@selfimprovementfromwithin8599]

I won’t judge absolutely made me laugh love it😂😂😂😊😊😊

[@abouzarazarafza4381]

How about multiple slicing. Imagine that I need to slice a cylinder into 100 planes and then save them as images in order to open them in image processing tools. Thanks

[@josephwilson6651]

I was wondering how it could be accomplished and you've now explained it

[@Panoreth3DPrinting]

Joel don't got time for slicing models. He just prints the whole.

[@ruitfsilva]

Great video. Thanks a lot :)

[@walt_man]

You wnet a bit fast on that Mesh Mixer.. so about 15 "When You're Happy"'s (drove me nuts lol) later I got it! Thanks... uhmm. yah.

[@3DPrintEverything]

"I won't judge" 😁😂😂😂😂😂

[@diegolozano2397]

thanks

[@TrzCinA122]

1:35 meshmixer

[@maierpetarer652]

3d builder also works very well for slicing

[@MrBeer1970]

You forgot 123D. Free and very easy to cut up a print as wel. ;-)

[@MakersMuse]

+MrBear1970 Will look into it! I generally attempt to create content based on my personal experiences as a creator and refer to programs that I have found great success, or that I feel confident to recommend- but I am always on the look out for new things, and always appreciate suggestions.

[@markellison8456]

nice haircut!

[@KarlKarlex]

I have a 200mm x 300mm printbed, but dont tell any one.

[@rainerschillings6418]

Netfabb is buyed by Autodesk so its not free anymore

[@mustafamutluu]

thank you baby

[@drummerboyz55]

Not all heros wear capes

[@humanityrising-hz3cm]

the other software confuses the crap out of me man :( just gna give up

[@Rubafix989]

I have a massive print volume ok? My mom said so, stop judging.

[@olvr53]

Legit me the past week 😂

[@demon_turtle2825]

Damn right mine is small :p

[@AsusDK1]

Gosh, this Meshmixer is so fucking anoying..... how to say this program which part it should export after planecut....

[@eshenandmazzymaresch7582]

Just print giant legos and you can put them together

[@Darkchyylde]

WHY ARE YOU A BOBBLEHEAD?

[@markellison8456]

hahahahaha this is funny already!

[@kieftatraveler3314]

GO SLOWER HOW ARE WE TO SEE WHAT YOU ARE PRESSING WHEN YOU JUST RUSH IT ...REALLY ANNOYED ME

[@TheJttv]

Better yet just design them as parts that fit together......I'm not a fan of people on the 3d printer bandwagon who don't know how to properly design and just print things off the internet

[@elftablet7283]

+Jttv Bingo. If it wasn't for Yoda heads and Iron Man masks 99% of owners wouldn't be printing anything. A personal fabrication plant and the only thing most people can think of is printing is going to end up in the bin next month. It's tragic.

[@skilledjack7054]

+Elf Tablet and Jttv.... You should thank those 3d printer "Bandwagoners". Without them driving down the cost of 3d printers you egg heads wouldn't be able to afford one... Lot's of pompous arrogant people out there that have to put other people down in order to feel good about themselves I guess...

[@elftablet7283]

Lol, you think price is a consideration? and TBH, in a comparison between my own thoughts and uses for 3D printing, it's not very difficult to feel superior over the average 'bandwagoner', and although you may dislike my comment (and guess how much I care about that), I'm not wrong. So you go ahead and rally to the call of the lowest common denominator, I'll be in this corner trying to raise expectations, or at the very least, laughing at those who don't. Just to make it clear, like them or not, my thoughts on the matter are my own, no-one elses, so don't bother tarring Jttv with the same brush, and as we're on the subject of arrogance and superiority, what exactly is it you think your comment says about you? You think my comment is somehow less, that my opinions are below yours. You demonstrate the very arrogance and feelings of superiority that you accuse me of, but there is one crucial difference as I said, I am not wrong and it's your acceptance of the lazy and unimaginative that is at odds with a healthy societal structure, so good luck with your base, narrow-minded stupidity.

[@TheJttv]

Richard Ryerson I don't even know where to start with your comment. First of all your comment is hypocritical "you egg heads" - "pompous ignorant people" - "have to put other people down". Second of all I work 2 part time jobs all the while being a full time engineering college student so I can afford what ever printer I want, its just called budgeting and working my ass off. Thirdly 3d printing is officially known as rapid prototyping and there ain't no prototyping going on if you just print it off the internet. Fourthly learn to read i think you missed the part where is said " *I'm* not a fan" that makes it an opinion and removes the need to go bat shit crazy on someone.....

[@insomniactheater8165]

Elf Tablet hahaha you made my day that was a verbal t slap if I've ever seen one damn I bet he cried and called his mom