How add structure for metaball for 3D print?

I'm going to have a 3D print for my interim presentation, but I'm confused about how to print the metaball in with support as all my contour plan are horizontally floating, so what can I do if I want to have a 3D print?

I used boolean different to delet the internal area of the plan so the middle part of each of the ball is empty. like this. And the definition is the internal one. I am thinking how to link them up in order for the 3d print, any suggestion? Thanks!

Attachments:

3D Print metaball.gh, 33 KB

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by martyn hogg on September 21, 2014 at 3:13am

You will have to use laser sintering of Nylon (or similar material / process that doesn't require support material)

And you will have to add some structure, of course, because the contours are floating in space... Could you add a central column with spokes reaching out to each contour? You might be able to do this by generating points around each contour and points at the centre of each contour and then creating stucture along the lines created by joining up the points.

I don't know enough about metaballs to know if this is a good solution or not though!

Permalink Reply by Ka Chun Ringo Chan on September 21, 2014 at 6:22am

Thanks for the reply! But I just cannot make it because some of my command seem having problem. Actually I used the loft in rhinos to loft all the surface and I'm think how can I give the thickness to it instead of just a skin.

Permalink Reply by martyn hogg on September 21, 2014 at 8:24am

Can you createan eliptical shape normal to each curve and then sweep those around the curves to create solids instead of using loft?

Permalink Reply by Ka Chun Ringo Chan on September 21, 2014 at 7:15pm

Ys, but the problem is I cannot make like that, after I extrude a column and I cannot find the centre points of my contour as there are some mistake in the command. Anyway, thanks for the help!!! :)

RSS