You will then enter a filename and click SAVE! On the next window you are asked for the Export to DXF Options - set this to "lines", then press OK. A window will open asking for the export unit - set this to "Inches" (or whichever you prefer). You should end up with a nice clean view of your parts like this:įinally, select all or your objects, then click File->Export to DXF or STL. Next, click the Zoom Extents icon, or press CTRL+Shift+E. Mine are arranged to be viewed from the top, so I then choose Camera->Standard Views->Top, then Camera->Parallel Projection. This makes sure there is no camera distortion in the view. Make sure they are all aligned to the same plane. Hide everything you do not want/need for your plans in SketchUp, then arrange all of your flattened pieces together. Click the OK's until you're back at the main screen. Another window will open confirming that the plugin has installed successfully. A window will pop up confirming that you want to install the plugin, click Yes. Once you have it, open up SketchUp and click on Window->Preferences, then Install Extension:īrowse to the file you downloaded ("skp_to_dxf.rbz") and click Open. In this tutorial I am using SketchUp Make (free version of the latest SketchUp), so download the. That's where our first free tool comes in. We need to export scale vector graphics (or something close at least!). Sure you can export a JPG or PNG, but those will be low-res raster graphics and not to scale. SketchUp Free doesn't have a decent 2D exporter. Once you've got the files, install them both. I recommend downloading the "Zipped Setup" version, as it includes the writer and converter (both free). THis works like a virtual printer, so you can create PDFs form any program with a print function! If you don't have the ability to print directly to PDF, you'll want to install CutePDF Writer. but how do you go from flat parts in SketchUp to a nice PDF? FEAR NOT! ThatJoshGuy is here with a collection of FREE tools to help you along your way to success! So now you've created an awesome model, and you've flattened out the parts for your plans. When you're ready, the plugin lets you one-click-upload your prepared model for printing.What? You haven't? Oh, I'm sorry, I must be getting ahead of myself.Ĭheck out these awesome tutorials by FliteTest user JasonEricAnderson to learn how to create and flatten models in SketchUp! You scale your model to make it fit on the printing "plate", indicate areas of glazing (transparency), and even add ready-made elements (like trees) from a collection of "guaranteed-to-print" objects supplied by i.materialise. The new SketchUp plugin from i.materialise is essentially a wizard: After installing it, you open a model, launch the plugin and go through the steps. ![]() With demand for rapid prototyping on the rise, companies like Materialise (and a few others) are doing their best to make the SketchUp-to-object printing process easier than ever. Printing SketchUp models involves file conversion, scale conversion and quite a bit of checking for mysterious things like "watertightness". Pretty simple, really.Įxcept that 3D printing is usually anything but simple. ![]() You give them a computer model and some money, and they send you a physical model in return. I.materialise is a web-based 3D printing service provider.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |