Blender

Blender is another one of those amazing programs that does just about everything. It is a 3D modeling program, a game engine, and an animation system. Blender supports a range of 3D object types including polygon meshes, NURBS surfaces, bezier and B-spline curves, metaballs, and vector fonts. It also supports multiresolution sculpting, and non destructive real time Boolean and Array modifiers. You can model meshes based on vertex, edge and/or face selection. You can also import and export obj and stl files (File>Import>STL file or File>Export>STL file), as well as convert stl files into OpenSCAD polygons.

The Blender interface may seem intimidating at first, but with some practice it will all seem to make sense:

Navigation

To Navigate in Blender use the Right mouse button to select an object.Left dragging on a selected object constrains the movement to the x, y or z axis. Shift and clicking the middle mouse button allows you to pan. The Mouse wheel enables zooming. Click and dragging with the middle mouse button rotates.

To Deselect an object or to select all press A.

1. If you don't have Blender installed, download it from blender.org and install it.
   
   

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2. Open Blender:
   
   

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3. Set up your User Preferences. Navigate to File>User Preferences or type (CMD + ,).
   
   
   

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4. Click on Input
   
   
   

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5. Click on Emulate Button Mouse and Emulate Numpad
   
   
   

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6. Click on Save As Default
   
   
   

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7. To maximize a window, place the cursor in the window and press SHIFT+spacebar:
   
   To revert back, press SHIFT and spacebar again.br />
   

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8. To toggle the Tool Shelf Panel, press T
   
   To toggle the Properties panel, press N
   
   In addition to creating your own layouts, you can call up premade arrangements from a drop-down list at the top of the screen:
   
   
   To undo a step, press CTRL+Z. To redo a step, press Shift+CTRL+Z
   OPT+G resets the location to the global center
   OPT+R resets the rotation so the object stands pright in global coordinates
   OPT+S resets the scale to the object's original size
   
   

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9. To resize and add another viewport, hold your mouse over the diagonal strips at the top-right or bottom-left corner, the mouse pointer will change to a cross).
   
   
   

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10. Hold down the LMB (meaning Left Mouse Button) and drag towards the center of the window, or up and to the right.
    
    

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11. As you increase the size of one window, you will decrease the size of the other. Blender does not allow the windows to overlap, as they would in other programs. This is why Blender's interface is known as a non-overlapping window interface.
    
    

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12. Blender works with layers much like other programs where objects can be placed in different layers and displayed as needed. It's a good idea to get comfortable with layers because as your scenes get bigger, turning layers on and off can help with the speed of your work and ability to see things better.
    
    The Layer menu can be found on the header strip of the 3D view. If you can't see it, toggle the Show Pull Down Menu button
    
    
    
    To move things between layers, select the object with the Right Mouse Button (RMB) and type M for move, then click on the appropriate layer button.
    
    
    

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13. You can also select a layer through the numpad. Press 1 for layer 1, 2 for layer 2, OPT+1 for layer 11, etc.
    
    

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14. You can turn on layers by clicking on the layer menu:
    
    
    

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15. To turn on multiple layers, hold down Shift and click on the buttons.
    
    
    

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16. As you move around, you will see that there are four objects in your 3D scene by default:
    
    
    
    
    1) The Camera
    The camera location and rotation will determine what you will see at render time. To see in your 3D viewport what the camera will see, activate that window by pressing number 0 . To switch out of the camera view, press 0 again or drag the MMB.When using Blender as a 3D modeling application with the intention of 3D printing, you don't care that much about the camera.
    
    2) A Lamp
    A lamp is simply a light source. It will not be rendered, but the light it provides to the scene will be rendered. Again, when using Blender for 3D printing, you don't have to think about the lighting.
    

    3)

    

    4) The 3D Cursor (works like an 'insertion point')
    This is not an object, but a tool for you to use to choose where to put new objects in the scene, much like the cursor when you're typing on a word processor (the 'insertion point').
    
    

    
    
    

    4) A Cube
    If the cube is not selected (if there is not an orange line around it), RIGHT click on it to select it:
    
    
    Press X and click on Delete
    
    
    Press SHIFT+A, select Mesh and Cube to add a new cube.

    
    
    

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17. Set your viewport to Front View by pressing the number 1 on your keyboard (use the number keys above the letters).
    
    

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18. Press number 5 to switch out of perpective mode and into orthogonal mode. Press it again to switch back. Press CTRL+ 5 to switch to a bottom view.
    
    

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19. Press number 1 to change the viewport to a front view. Press CTRL + 1 to switch to a back view.
    
    

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20. Press number 3 to change the viewport to a right view. Press CTRL + 3 to switch to a left view.
    

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21. Align the 3D cursor to the intersection of red and blue lines:
    
    
    

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22. Press Z KEY to toggle back and forth between Wireframe Mode and Solid Mode.
    
    

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23. To add a mesh press SHIFT+A and select Mesh. Then click on an object from the list.
    

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24. Press Tab to switch from Object Mode to Edit Mode.
    
    

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25. You can use the manipulators instead of the hotkeys to manipulate objects.
    
    Make sure you are in Object mode and that the pivot mode is set to median point or bounding box center:
    
    
    
    To move the object, hold the LMB on one of the arrows and drag in the direction you want your object to move in.
    
    To use keyboard shortcuts:
    
    • Press G for move (or grab)
      
    • Press R for rotate
      
    • Press S for scale
      
    Blender lets you constrain the movement in specific directions by pressing the keyboard shortcuts for the transformations followed by an X,Y or Z.
    
    
    
    

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26. Global X,Y and Z are world space. Z is always up, no matter which way the object is rotated. In local space, Z is up only in terms of the object itself.
    
    Press N to reveal the Properties Panel:
    
    
    
    You can specify your transformations through numbers.
    
    This is extremely helpful. Before editing objects, it is often a good idea to place them at 0,0,0.
    
    
    
    

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Extruding SVG files

Blender provides a very simple way to extrude SVG files. This is great for whenever you want to convert 2D to 3D.

1. Find or create an SVG file to extrude
   
   

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2. Open Blender
   
   

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3. If the cube is not selected (if there is not an orange line around it), RIGHT click on it to select it:
   
   
   

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4. Press X and click on Delete to delete the cube.
   
   
   

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5. Click on File>Import>Scalable Vector Graphic (.svg) and navigate to your .svg file
   
   

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6. Click on Import .SVG button in the top right corner.
   
   
   

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7. RIGHT+click on the imported file so that it is selected.
   

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8. In the left panel select Origin to Geometry
   
   

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9. Click on Object Data in the Right Panel:
   
   

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10. This will open the Object Data panel:
    
    

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11. If it isn't open, toggle open the Geometry panel
    
    

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12. CTRL+click on Extrude
    
    

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13. Change the extrude value to 1
    
    

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14. In the Viewport press N. Resize your shape by pressing S and scaling up so that your width matches your width from the original .svg file:
    
    
    

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15. Set the z to however high you want your model.
    
    

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16. Convert the shape to a mesh by selecting Object>Convert To>Mesh from Curve
    
    
    

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17. Select the object if it is not selected and select File>Export>STL(.stl) Save the stl and open in MakerWare. Print.
    
    

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Using the Boolean Modifier with Blender

What is it?

Constructive solid geometry (CSG) is a technique used in solid modeling. Using this typeof modeling allows you to create a complex objects by using Boolean operators to combine objects. Often CSG presents a model or surface that appears complex, but is actually little more than cleverly combined or decombined objects.

The simplest solid objects used when modeling are called primitives—cubes, cylinders, pyramids, spheres, cones. These are Blender's primitives:


When using Constructive solid geometry , an object is constructed from primitives by means of combining operations. These operations are typically Boolean operations: union, intersection and difference.

Constructive solid geometry is used in cases where simple geometric objects are desired, or where mathematical accuracy is important.

1. Open Blender
   
   

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2. You should have a document with the default Cube. If you do not have the cube, you can select File>Load Factory Settings. If you do reload the factory sttings, you'll have to reset your user preferences.
   
   

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3. Add a UV Sphere by pressing SHIFT+A
   
   

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4. In the left panel adjust the Sphere properties
   
   
   

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5. While the sphere is selected, RIGHT+click on the Cube.
   
   

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6. Select Object Data Modifier
   
   
   

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7. Select Add Modifier and choose Boolean
   
   

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8. Select Intersection. Click on the Object icon and select Sphere
   
   
   

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9. Depending on the complexity of your mesh, you may have to wait for Blender to process the request
   
   

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10. Click Apply
    
    
    

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11. Select the Sphere
    
    
    

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12. Move the sphere by pressing G and X and dragging the Sphere along the X axis
    
    
    

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Boolean Union

1. Select File>New. You should have a new document with the default Cube. If you do not have the cube, you can select File>Load Factory Settings. If you do reload the factory sttings, you'll have to reset your user preferences.
   
   

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2. Add a UV Sphere by pressing SHIFT+A
   
   

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3. In the left panel adjust the Sphere properties
   
   
   

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4. While the sphere is selected, RIGHT+click on the Cube.
   
   

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5. Select Object Data Modifier
   
   
   

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6. Select Add Modifier and choose Boolean
   
   

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7. Select Union. Click on the Object icon and select Sphere
   
   
   

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8. Depending on the complexity of your mesh, you may have to wait for Blender to process the request
   Press Apply
   
   

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9. Select the Sphere and move it by pressing G and X and dragging the Sphere along the X axis
   
   
   

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Boolean Difference

1. Select File>New. You should have a new document with the default Cube. If you do not have the cube, you can select File>Load Factory Settings. If you do reload the factory sttings, you'll have to reset your user preferences.
   
   

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2. Add a UV Sphere by pressing SHIFT+A
   
   

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3. In the left panel adjust the Sphere properties
   
   
   

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4. While the sphere is selected, RIGHT+click on the Cube.
   
   

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5. Select Object Data Modifier
   
   
   

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6. Select Add Modifier and choose Boolean
   
   

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7. Select Difference. Click on the Object icon and select Sphere
   
   
   

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8. Depending on the complexity of your mesh, you may have to wait for Blender to process the request
   Press Apply. Select the Sphere and move it by pressing G and X and dragging the Sphere along the X axis
   
   
   

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9. I tend to use difference a lot. Not only do I use it to create holes, but I often use it to slice off sections of a mesh. This comes in handy when the bottom of a mesh is uneven and cannot lie flat on the build plate.
   
   Here the cube was used to slice off the bottom of a mesh and then it was moved down along the Z axis
   
   
   

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Using the Array Modifier with Blender

The Array modifier creates an array of copies of the base object, with each copy being offset from the previous one in a number of possible ways.

This modifier can be useful for creating complex repetitive shapes.

Multiple array modifiers may be active for an object at the same time.

1. Open Blender
   
   

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2. If the cube is not selected (if there is not an orange line around it), RIGHT click on it to select it:
   
   
   

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3. Move the cube along the x axis by pressing G and X and moving your cursor
   
   
   

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4. Make sure the 3D cursor is positioned in the center
   
   
   

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5. Add an Empty object by pressing SHIFT+A
   
   
   

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6. Press N to open the right panel and make adjust the location so that the Empty is in the center
   
   
   

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7. RIGHT+click on the cube to select it
   
   
   

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8. Click on Object Modifier
   
   
   

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9. Click on Add Modifier and select Array
   
   
   You can also use this modifier to create a matrix of your mesh which can then be printed.
   
   

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10. Click on Object
    
    
    

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11. Click on the cube icon and select Empty
    
    
    

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12. Deselect Relative
    
    
    

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13. Change count to 8
    
    
    The original object used as a start is placed at the start of the array, as if it were in position -1, an array step before the first array copy.
    
    

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14. Select Empty in the Scene panel
    
    
    

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15. Click on the Rotate manipulator
    
    
    

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16. Click and drag on the blue line to rotate the cubes around the Empty
    
    
    

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17. You can adjust the rotation and the location to move the cubes.
    
    
    

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18. You can adjust the Delta location to move the cubes
    
    
    

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19. Select the cube and adjust the Constant Offset
    
    
    

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20. Select Merge and first and Last
    
    
    If enabled, vertices in each copy will be merged with vertices in the next copy that are within the given distance. If Merge is activated, and the Start cap is near enough of the first copy, they will be merged.
    
    
    

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21. From Object Mode press Tab to go to Edit Mode
    
    
    

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22. In Edit Mode you can modify the original mesh and the copies will incorporate those changes.
    
    You can subdivide the cube by pressing W and clicking on Subdivide:
    
    
    You can turn on Proportional editing by pressing O:
    
    
    
    
    You can even add another mesh in Edit Mode:
    
    
    

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23. When your object is complete, toggle back to Object Mode.
    
    

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24. Select the object if it is not selected and select File>Export>STL(.stl) Save the stl and open in MakerWare. Print
    
    

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