I update an earlier post with the best, coolest, and most awesome Sketchup plugins I can find.
The latest entry is one that will convert a Sketchup file into a 2D G-code cutting pattern. It’s not useful (yet) for printing 3D images, but I hope one day it will be!
Adam, if you read this – the latest RepG is AMAZING. Getting to preview an STL, convert to GCode, and then to an S3G file all from the comfort of the friendly RepG UI is fantastic!
It’s not that I’m scared of the Skeinforge UI or anything.
It’s just that it stalks me while I sleep, steals my happy innocent dreams, and replaces them with a theater of shadow puppet parade of horrors.
If you’re thinking of the normal run-of-the-mill business cards and you’re thinking too flatland.
This is a 3D printed business card printed using two extruder heads, clear PLA, black ABS, and some special GCode to essentially laminate black text within layers of clear PLA.
I’m not even sure what I would build with this kind of tech. Although, I think it would be super awesome to build models using clear PLA to create a variation on those “bubbles in crystal created by laser” thingies you see in gift shops everywhere. Or, a white or black plastic dinosaur skeleton printed in a block of PLA “ice.”
How about a woolly mammoth? Or caveman or alien or an entire 3D scene of spaceships attacking the deathstar suspended in clear PLA?
In order to step up production of my Beco Block collection (up to 30 pieces now) I ‘ve been using the Skeinforge multiply feature. Basically you feed it the number of columns and rows and it will make that many of your object in the final Gcode. For my own reference, and hopefully to help others, I’m putting down this little tidbit about Skeinforge’s multiply feature.
The “Multiply->Columns” feature creates additional sets of your object running from the front to the back of your build platform. So, if you have “Multiply->Columns” set to “3” and “Multiply->Rows” set to “1,” you will have three objects in a line running from the front of your Y platform to the back of your Y platform.
The “Multiply->Rows” feature predictably operates in a 90 degree rotation from the “Multiply->Columns” feature, with the additional parts running from side to side. So, if you have “Multiply->Rows” set to “3” and “Multiply->Colums” set to “1,” you will have three objects in a line running from the left to right of your Y platform.
This is a pretty handy feature for production. One caveat – more is not always better. In producing the Beco Block FF pieces I’ve discovered their combined warping is enough to ruin the entire print job (on my unheated build platform). I was printing 2 columns of 3 rows for 6 pieces at a shot. Unfortunately, with the additional warping I don’t have a single usable FF piece.
I designed this in Sketchup, exported to STL, Skienforged to gcode, RepG’d to an S3G file, and printed. The feature I’m the most proud of is the pendulum inside his chest.
Digital Cogsworth
Physical Cogsworth
The design needs to be tweaked a little since parts of him have too much plastic and a few parts have too little. But, overall I’m quite happy with the result.