My process for hollowing models for Resin 3D Printing with Meshmixer

[@dunnodoyou5666]

When I get a printer im going to print a hetero anderson cat.

[@MakersMuse]

LOL

[@adaptivetech8165]

Maker's Muse Hi Angus How are you? When are you going to do another live stream? Also I'm doing a ANET A8 live stream on Saturday!! Do you think you can drop into it for a couple of minutes that would mean the world to me!!

[@1st_ProCactus]

@Razor, I had to google that. I hope google wont go jumping the fence on me now. But you left out the 'straight', Id prefer one of them over the lgbt types. edit: Though lesbians are cool as long as they still look like chicks.

[@godfreypoon5148]

Oh I printed one of those. But I keep finding it in the closet.

[@Hanzi2u]

When I get one to i will print a cat aswell

[@ShishakliAus]

Hey Angus, can I interest you in making a video about splitting a large model into parts and joining them post print? Maybe joining techniques/plastic friendly joints?

[@swedishchewbacca]

You never stop teaching me ;-) Im on my second printer now and still go back to your videos on a regular basis.

[@SteveVelazquez]

You're a rock star, man! I can't even begin to tell you how much your tips have saved me. This video was exactly what I needed to see.

[@MakersMuse]

Thanks! Glad to hear they help

[@DRIX3D]

Hi, yes this tutotial is ... 4 ears old BUT it has been VERYVERY usefull for me. Thank you Mister, tahnk you very much. I'm following several youtubers around 3d printing , resin, but when it comes to have a cristal clear tutorial for what I need... no way i always come to you :) Thank YOU mister ! (and by the way, I love kookaburas ;) )

[@icemanfred]

I got as far as "select" "deform" "transform". this is where things stopped working as in the video. not able to pull/extrude the base. I noticed another person commented on the same problem.

[@JayAnAm]

Hi Angus, you can use Blender Solidify Modifier, extrude to the inside with even thickness which prints nicely with resin.

[@yaot.1523]

not complex mesh

[@radry100]

What's the thinnest printable wall? That would be an interesting benchmark.

[@MakersMuse]

true, that'd be a cool test!

[@MakersMuse]

Yep that was for FDM but this is a different process so worth revisiting, the results will be very different.

[@alectrem]

it would be more a test of the slicer than the printer though... btw, do you think one could hollow their models (like the cat), use slightly thicker walls, and leave column supports on for fdm?

[@joebywan]

After doing the selection on the base, and selecting deform>Transform, clicking does nothing for dragging the base down. Have controls changed since the video was made?

[@brucepiggott]

Very useful video. I have used this technique many times with success. Thanks.

[@MakersMuse]

Thanks Bruce, glad to hear it's helped. Definitely something I use every time I print a large model in resin.

[@ratstarone]

Thank you so much I am now able to hollow out my models. You are awesome keep up the great work.

[@littleshopofhorrors6216]

I've just beenhaving the same issue with Deform > Transform but I found that using Edit> Extrude works like a charm.

[@marcweidemeier235]

would love to follow this tip but there is no way to tranform the base like you did. Selected the base and transform but no way to pull it. Any tips?

[@iwannaratrod]

Thanks a lot! I got a Wanhao D7 a few months ago and this helps a lot.

[@scythe3000]

@Maker'a Muse I'm a little confused as to why this works. I suppose it's possible that the form 2 is just so damn good at breaking the suction forces with its sliding vat that it's been a non-issue for you - But aren't you still essentially creating a giant suction cup with all the van der waal forces associated with that even without a printed base? I wouldn't have thought the bed would be so rough that it would allows air through? To me it seems like it would still benefit from a hole not facing the bed to allow air to move freely during each lift?

[@jrenzo0001]

Hey Angus, first of all, a huge thank you for all your videos... I've used them for all aspects of my 3D printing learning. I know this video is getting old, but I'm looking to thin a STL file. Specifically a faceshell for cosplay. I'm printing with tpu on an ender 3. Can I use the advice on this video to do that?? I had to scale the model up to fit, but doing that increases the model thickness. What would the best way to thin the shell be???

[@millenniumf1138]

This really needs an update. Meshmixer doesn't allow me to do the Transform function like it does in this video. It has a red outline around the face I'm trying to extrude out, but when I try to pull it down, it doesn't move with my mouse. I've tried several times and nothing seems to work.

[@galatician8063]

Ok, so I downloaded the exact stl file you are using, and on it I am able to deform & transform. Now I just have to figure out what I need to change on my model to make it work. The cat is nice and all, but not what I'm after...

[@galatician8063]

Losing you like others at 3:56 mark on Edit, deform, transform. Your translator tool is on local and pointing down. I don't even see the translator unless I click the green W for World, it's pointed up, and it's not going to move the face group. So is your method still possible in mesh mixer? Did something change? What are we missing? Thanks!!!

[@jeffmckelvy1489]

Dude!! You passed Joel with subscribers! Congrats, Angus!

[@MakersMuse]

haha thanks man! Not in it for the subs though, Joel is awesome!

[@jeffmckelvy1489]

Maker's Muse Oh yeah, I know. I just thought is was worth noting. You guys are both great. Love the channels, man!

[@NickDClements]

If you make two holes, can you blow air into one, forcing all the resin out of the other? Like hollowing out an egg?

[@tmanchu2002]

Off topic but tips for printing with HIPS? More specifically layer adhesion? On topic though I loved the video and Im kinda curious to see if this would "break" some models.... and if theres a torture test that can be made with this method.....

[@bigfilsing]

Great video but did i miss something ? Why would you need drain holes unless you were using a top down resin printer ?

[@joebywan]

With the cat, wouldn't you want a drain hole on the sides somewhere unobtrusive to plug later to ensure the print isn't generating a vacuum on the fep/vat/whatever it's curing through? If you're hollowing the bottom, and printing it bottom on the build plate, you're still going to retain resin in the hollow once it gets to the head. Taking it off the build plate would result in a print's worth of resin flowing out of the chamber no?

[@rminichino]

For a bottom-up printer, the resin drains out each time the build platform raises to separate from the bottom of the vat, so the only resin remaining at the end of the print will be whatever clung to the inside and dripped down. I intuitively thought the same, but imagine printing a cup with the opening toward the build plate--it'll be a hollow cylinder until the very end when it gets capped off with the bottom.

[@leerobinson186]

Hey Angus. What if I’ve made a 3D head sculpt of an action figure and I need to make a hollow within it of a particular shape to fit the pin on the figure’s neck. How can I do that?

[@RayCaesar1111]

Hi Angus ... I am a big fan of your page. I am working on getting my first 3D print done in SLS or SLA ( probably at Imaterialise ) and was wondering if after doing the Hollow and plane cut in meshmixer ( which worked great ) I need to "make solid" again as I noticed the plane cut makes separate shells ... not obvious in meshmixer but I took it back into MudBox and Maya and the surface was combined in 3 parts but not a single mesh. Perhaps its ok for printing as long as the polygons are without holes or separations in the edges?

[@susanatwood7963]

I am trying to add a base to a gold pile so I can raise it a little, however each time I try what you are saying in the video, it selects the entire model. How do I fix this so that I can keep going with my project? I have a very specific vision and I need this base to make it work.

[@jano2917]

After Deform > Transform... I dont see any options to "pull it down"?

[@bduprey1992]

did you figure this out I too am stuck...

[@mcaahny3825]

after you double click the surface, the submenu that includes the deform tool will appear

[@davidmorgan1619]

Still waiting for my printer, so I'm trying to learn everything before it arrives. Would you habe to support the internal of the cat, so it does not fail??

[@KowboyUSA]

The Hollow tool is powerful stuff.

[@janhendrikfranke]

Dear makers Muse i am planning to build a 3D printer completely by myself and therefore I would like to ask you what you would recommend for midsize 3D printer and what Controller I would need also I am interested in using an Arduino for the controller board and I'd like to know if it's possible! I know it's a bid stupid to Bilder 3D printer completely DIY why if you don't know much about them but I would like to try anyways. Greetings from Germany!

[@janhendrikfranke]

The rest should be no problem, since I got okish to decent engineering skills!

[@MakeItWithCalvin]

I have sent parts out for polyjet printing that were hollowed to about a .75 to 1mm wall thickness and the price per model went from $6 to $3 (there abouts.) Mind you it was an engine model going inside a model train locomotive so part strength was not super critical.

[@MakersMuse]

Lol their quoting engine must have not been calculating support material use, because it costs just as much as the resin they use! Crazy high detail though right?

[@MakeItWithCalvin]

Yep... hey I was NOT going to complain! And yes your totally right. I was going to send the models out for SLA printing but no one on 3D hubs had rates that were competitive enough so... Polyjet it was!

[@drakeorion94]

This should work with models that need support structure as well?

[@hmspain52]

Thank you! I had no idea you could go above 1mm holes, and moving them around! I will have to play more :-).

[@TKs3DPrints]

love the printer you're using. looking forward to getting the wanhao d7. and you do great work Angus.

[@Wolf-3.5.9]

How would you set the orientation for the cat in Meshmixer? A video on orientating objects for printing objects with SLA printers. Thanks

[@nobocks]

So what you say is SLA sliccer software don't have a vase mode ? Also i think for SLS you can add a hole on the bottom to eject the powder avec the print. Maibe it work for SLA too ?

[@MakersMuse]

Hollowing the part saves powder as well in SLS yes! And no, no 'vase' mode as such for SLA.

[@Lumpsack]

Excellent vid, exactly what I was looking for - thanks :)

[@khenricx]

Currently building a DLP printer, I think this will be usefull

[@ХАЙПОГОЛИК-и8е]

Is there options to use cheaper resin than original?

[@AlsAutoandAppliance]

Thank you for this tutorial. Works perfect!

[@ChannelHTS]

i was playing with fusion and i was trying to move something but the increments were to big just wondering if that is how to make the increments smaller/larger in fusion too? cheers

[@MakersMuse]

Yep same method :)

[@stevenhoogslag8025]

Very good show-how.

[@rolfalm]

how do you adjust the thickness of the shell. say you realize that you need to adjust the thickness. i cant just go in to the hollow and adjust the thickness. and there are not much of a "redo" function on separate parts (i have several parts that i have made thick, but need to re-thicken one of the first i made and dont want to "redo" a hundred times)

[@danielchristensen2414]

Super useful info

[@SandyCrack69]

In the case of the sphere, if you cut it half to print could you use the resin to glue it back together again ?

[@MakersMuse]

absolutely! You can then use UV light to harden it. Works good.

[@SandyCrack69]

Does it bond on a molecular level resulting in an invisible joint ? or more like a traditional glue that is visible ? The reason I ask is that I've seen a chloroform ( the anaesthetic ) used to join perspex and it joins on molecular level resulting in a transparent joint where none of the joined edges are visible

[@MakersMuse]

It becomes the same material, you could sand it back smooth and it would be impossible to spot.

[@ericspence820]

Thank you for your videos they are very helpful. Any chance you have a tutorial on how to make a low resolution curve into a high definition curve without losing sharp edges on something like a motorcycle helmet model?

[@itailu]

this is great. thank you.

[@sumi-satsuo]

Nice! Thanks a lot!

[@avinojoshi8934]

Hello sir, I don't know why in my meshmixer one time body shows hollow and another time it is shown solid. Please help me to correct it please

[@kaslon13]

If a model is small enough for something like a mini, does the print still need to be hollow?

[@MakersMuse]

no, you don't need to if it's small or delicate.

[@AwaisRauf]

Hi Maker's Muse, Amazing video tutorial, really helped me. Thanks. Can you make a tutorial on how to do the following: I have a scanned 3D human model that is ready for printing (scaled, cleaned, hollowed up, etc.). There is only one major issue. After "Make Solid", I lost the resolution of the face and it's quite blurry. I also have another scan of the face in .obj file format. How do I impose or imprint this face model on the final 3d print ready model to improve the resolution. Or is there a better way? Your guidance will be really helpful. Thanks, Awais :)

[@Chromeskull90]

Does it work to hollow miniatures? like 35mm miniatures?

[@Andrewatnanz]

Thanks ! super video !

[@LyciaD3]

When i get to the transform step, i don't have the tool that allow me to extend the face... I still hollowed it by adding 2 giant holes to the base, but it's frustrating not managing to extend the base...

[@ArthurBugorski]

Is there an open source alternative to MeshMixer for this step?

[@JamieTheEnby]

Do your tolorence test on the form 2

[@oldguy2194]

Or on a couple machines - the moai would be a good test as it is a sla

[@SkintSNIPER262]

On a scale of 1-10 (1 being very rough, 10 being very smooth) how would you rank the surface on resin printed models?

[@MakersMuse]

10... you can print down to 25 microns if you really wanted to.

[@SkintSNIPER262]

Perfect! Also, I was wondering what the outro song is? Thanks!

[@SkintSNIPER262]

+Andrei thanks

[@stevelaminack1516]

In one of your videos (I think it was you) you have a device with some twisty knobs to determine the clearance your printer will print. If it was you can you (or anybody here for that matter) tell me where to get that file?

[@SteveVelazquez]

I started thinking about something... Is it possible to hollow a portion of a model but leave another portion of the model solid? Or at the very least can part of a model have thicker walls than other parts. We use our Formlabs Form 2 printer for Orthodontic models. I print hollow as your tutorial shows but would love the portion that contains teeth to be solid. Is there any possibility of doing this in meshmixer. Needless to say, since we're printing dental models the exterior accuracy needs to remain.

[@MakersMuse]

You could use hollow and then selectively remove the hollow from areas you want to go back to being solid, repairing the holes in the mesh you create but it'd be pretty difficult in meshmixer.

[@SteveVelazquez]

Thanks for the response. Sounds like there is no easy peezy way of doing it. Love your channel.

[@mycsculptures]

Also, When using plane cut.. I dont get the scale and numbers to bring it/type it to ZERO ... I only get the arrows

[@8907raptor]

Good work thanks for the info !!!

[@Scott-kv9gb]

hi angus looking for a good and easy way to rejoin stl models that have been cut up for easy printing on small machines as i have a raise3d n2 plus .

[@jakemaverick911]

Great stuff, very useful......but I have what is probably bit of a daft Q though....believe I have latest version of meshmixer....but I can't move the object 3 dimensionally with the mouse....I got this icon top right of screen where I can select front/ back/ side etc.....I just can't get it off that so finding it impossible to extend base of the model atm? can anybody help....? I know I'm probably being daft :-(

[@SirCutRy]

Why can't you have infill? Is there a technical limitation?

[@TheVergile]

i dont get why the software for the resin printers cant hollow out and generate infill just like FDM slicers?

[@mycsculptures]

Can you please tell me how you get rid of the printer floor so I have a transparent floor to see the bottom of my model? I have always a printer option on for and cant look at the bottom of my model because of that.

[@Deagorsarrh]

Click on "View" and uncheck "show printer bed". You're not the only one that was looking for that option ;)

[@patrolmaverick]

How do you hollow out an STL that has an internal structure (e.g. a game file of a car that has a full interior -seats, dash, steering wheel, etc)?

[@chrisphillips6795]

Maker's Muse is first.

[@peopoly]

very useful video

[@rexxthunder]

WTF, I did this about a year ago, and I tried this again today and it doesn't work. When I got to the Generate Faces, it doesn't appear to do anything. I've tried it with several different models. Has anyone else had this issue?

[@jambosuss]

Would love to see how thin you could get those walls

[@eversonpossamai3669]

Hi. I am starting to play with 3d models and printing so please bear with me... Could you please let me know how to make a hollow model solid?

[@eversonpossamai3669]

Sorry! Just saw on your video a command "make solid".

[@swapnil321you]

Thank you!

[@travisapel7375]

Whenever I import STL file, I cannot see below the table, as I rotate model below the table, an opaque white field blocks my view. How do I fix the setting?

[@MakersMuse]

try view - show printer bed - untick. your model is loading below the Z origin sounds like.

[@clutch2827]

Deform/transform does nothing. EDIT: Somehow got it to work but it creates an empty space. In other words, the original bottom stays in place and when I extrude downward, it creates another bottom. When I do the plane cut, the model is still enclosed by the original bottom.

[@RandomLensProductions]

how can you view the model in a high rez/ my models look in low res in preview

[@JamesTM]

I feel like I'm missing something super obvious, but why can't you have infill with resin?

[@id104335409]

I needed a hole and boolean difference gave me terrible results so I tried hollowing, but the mesh turns translucent and none of the hollowing buttons and sliders do anything.

[@MakersMuse]

Try adding in some more triangles with subdivide so it has more to work with, also untick 'simplify result'

[@Sam-ze9mo]

could you do another one of those history videos like the one about the gears? those are super interesting

[@MakersMuse]

One coming soon dude!

[@Sam-ze9mo]

awesome!

[@magus104]

The Olo looks pretty good. you dont have to worry about gloves or alcohol you can just pick it up with your bare hands and run it under water....... lol if the product wasnt a scam

[@B3D]

Thanks for the tips. smart

[@user-fb6dz2dx1z]

Hey, Great vid! i'm new to this entire world of 3d printing. I just bought an ANycubic Photon (because i want the quality of resin and i'm a quality bitch), but I have a question: I'd like to print some 3d model i just made but i dont want them to feel cheap and toy-like. Do you have any advice on how to fill a hollow resin model after it is cured? I thought For what i learned it would cost me a lot, second it would take a lot more time to finish and cure (if it will ever cure completely). Thanks in advancE!

[@luissilva8732]

why though? why cant you have infill?

[@milhooz]

Can we see the sphere printed? :D

[@meesternadim]

Why doesn't Formlabs just add a "print hollow" function in their software? I don't think it that hard to implement such function.

[@chinchinlovs6563]

You should get yourself a lab coat. Idk why but I have that feeling

[@alectrem]

well angus is science p.h.d. so it makes sense

[@MakersMuse]

not science :P industrial design

[@Rav0000000]

Maker's Muse You should get a labcoat anyway. They're awesome.

[@pepemoore1]

Hello from México

[@yesman.]

Hello from USA

[@PaulBraddock]

I'm really not sure why Formlabs haven't implemented this yet. My old SLA was a pegasus touch, and its software, Retina Create, has a shell function. It creates a hollow model in an instant, and fills it with a lattice type structure fslaser.com/RetinaCreate

[@WWS3D]

your logo is similar to elon musk new project logo neuro link :D

[@nannerpuss9430]

WTF, I was just watching the Form 2 video like an hour ago and wondered in the back of my head how you hollowed them out.

[@MakersMuse]

+Nannerpuss psychic! :)

[@pelecyphora1]

90s techno 303 The Lash?

[@vfxforge]

dont forget to add a vent hole near the bottom if you decide to print straight on the plate or you will get cupping / blowout issues

[@nin1ten1do]

i do exacly same what you do.. but i get NO FRIking.. resuolt.. dat stuff stay still ZERO THIC! if i try by uffset.. ut cant be NEGATIVE what mean a INSIDE.. iam fucked..

[@nerys71]

I must be stupid or something but for the freaking life of me I can not figure out how to DELETE something in meshmixer. I can literally find NO remove/delete/clear option ANYWHERE????? I have been screwing around with this for 20 minutes and google is literally useless (closest I could find is edit transform but no delete option the direction stop there) I imported a model. its too small I want to import the original instead so I need to delete the one on the screen. I can find "NO" option anywhere to do this. ????

[@MakersMuse]

Choose 'show objects browser' or CTRL-SHIFT-O and you can duplicate or delete from there :)

[@nerys71]

wow. never would have found that in a million years :-) thank you! will mesh mixer let me import multiple stl files and then scale them and then "save" the "set" as a "single" STL file? my resin printer can't handle multiple stl files to slice.

[@MakersMuse]

Yep you just need to select them all and 'combine' under the edit tab, it nests them into the single mesh file.

[@nerys71]

Maker's Muse thank you very much and sorry to bother you with simole stuff!

[@MakersMuse]

Not at all dude have fun!

[@MadBashify]

Try to make an sla vase

[@MakersMuse]

Did you just watch Make Anything's video too? :P

[@gandhicruzmolina5868]

great!!

[@2muchofyou]

this does not help me putting a lattice as support inside the models... and no the other video of the lattice doesn't work as drain holes wont allow the normals to flip

[@MakersMuse]

put the drain holes in after...

[@woodrobot8]

You may have implied it, but did not actually SAY how to put the little semicircular hole at the bottom of the cat. Being a newbie I did not put it in and had a CATASTROPHY ! (pun intended)

[@The_Wosh]

Print it clear and fill it with something