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Hmm, so when I imported the drawing into netfabb a measurement on the original drawing of 19cm (190 mm) is now 7.48mm. So is it normal for the drawing to be shrunk during the process, I used meshlab in between, or have I got a setting wrong.

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Yes, I am not happy about the distance that pipe is away from the tanks, so that is one of the things I want to do.

 

When I am creating the pipe's it seems that if I don't draw the curves at less than a certain radius then the inner part of the curve doesn't draw in. Not sure how this will work out when it gets shrunk. I added that pipe to get an idea of how it would look so I wasn't concerned that it was inside out!

 

It'll be fine, even when resized in sketchup. Work at the biggest size you can when working with complex curved shapes (basically anything that isn't a straightforward cylinder!), they'll always resize down just fine. 

 

I would say though that you'd be best off just marking a hole in the tank where the pipe goes and making the pipe from wire, it will break off if printed. 

 

For reference, there is a plugin available to export straight to STL. 

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Hmm, so when I imported the drawing into netfabb a measurement on the original drawing of 19cm (190 mm) is now 7.48mm. So is it normal for the drawing to be shrunk during the process, I used meshlab in between, or have I got a setting wrong.

 

Yes there's mixed units. STL doesn't recognise units, only the numbers. So the same STL file can be in mm, inches, miles or whatever with no actual difference in the actual size of the file. What has happened here is that meshlab has interpreted it as originally being in metric and converted it to inches, now netfabb thinks those inches are actually mm values 

 

Go to the part menu and select convert units > inches to mm and you should be back up to size. 

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Well after a couple of attempts was finally able to install the STL plugin for Sketchup.

 

In the future I will need to remember that its best to install the plugins from inside the program, because if you don't do it Windows doesn't recognize the file extension and it wants to look for a program that can open it for you.

 

In regards to the measurements. I don't know if this will work but after importing it into Netfabb I resized the drawing so that it was the desired dimensions. I am now wondering if doing this was in error, I don't want to submit an order to Shapeways and get an item back that would need to be delivered by a Chinook helicopter! :O

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Well after a couple of attempts was finally able to install the STL plugin for Sketchup.

 

In the future I will need to remember that its best to install the plugins from inside the program, because if you don't do it Windows doesn't recognize the file extension and it wants to look for a program that can open it for you.

 

In regards to the measurements. I don't know if this will work but after importing it into Netfabb I resized the drawing so that it was the desired dimensions. I am now wondering if doing this was in error, I don't want to submit an order to Shapeways and get an item back that would need to be delivered by a Chinook helicopter! :O

 

It should be fine, as long as you upload in the same units as you export from Netfabb. They do display the size info on Shapeways anyhow before you order, you'll know you've cocked up when you see the astronomical price of an oversize model! 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just spent the last few hours working on this, and am feeling quite crazy from working in such small detail!!! :jester: :jester: :jester:

 

I used an old Triang AL1 for measurements and then checked it on photos of both AL1 and AL5 to add details.

 

This side isn't finished but have had enough for the night (I am seven hours behind GMT) so will put it out there for comments and suggestions while I get some sleep.

 

post-21413-0-07388600-1419243553.png

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I draw my rivets as small cylinders rather than domes in 2mm.  It's quicker to draw, easier for the computer to process and seems to cause less problems with automatic wall thickness checks.

When they are printed they come out a bit rounded anyway and they are so small that, as long as there is a 'pip' there, it doesn't matter too much the exact shape of them.

Edited by Rabs
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Not quite as I realized that my first chassis is actually an AL5. Did a lot of research to get the details right and still don't know if it is correct as photos with great detail don't seem to be common on the internet. Also I still have to do an AL3!

Edited by jsp3970
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Will that print though? It's amazing fine detail and if it doesn't print it will be a pity. But I am sure some very fine grade mesh will save the day.

You know that was actually going through my head as I was making it. Since I have never printed anything before I am not sure how fine a detail it can print.

 

I originally had them larger but realized that they were too large so altered them accordingly.

 

Anyway I can but try, and therefore learn from my experience.

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Well I finally think I have got it ready for printing. Did decide to remove the fine detail that I had spent hours working on as I was thinking that it was too fine to have been printed.

 

At this point I would like to hear all comments from people, if you see any mistakes let me know before I pay to get it printed.

 

post-21413-0-51117500-1420618292_thumb.png

post-21413-0-61542700-1420618317_thumb.png

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  • 2 weeks later...

So I have tried to work with this is netfabb but it is proving to be frustrating.

 

For a start it won't save any part repairs I have done to fix issues, I don't know why but nothing I try is working!

 

Also when I opened the drawing in netfabb it was a lot smaller than when I drew it in sketchup. I drew it in meters but it came out in netfabb in millimeters meaning I had to enlarge it by 1000% to get the correct length. Is this normal? I was expecting to have to shrink it, not enlarge it!

 

Edit as I figured out how to save the part repairs!

Edited by jsp3970
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Also when I opened the drawing in netfabb it was a lot smaller than when I drew it in sketchup. I drew it in meters but it came out in netfabb in millimeters meaning I had to enlarge it by 1000% to get the correct length. Is this normal? I was expecting to have to shrink it, not enlarge it!

 

Edit as I figured out how to save the part repairs!

Yes that is normal, I think I explained it above in post #30. I too initially had a problem with the repairs but Netfabb usually gives you an option before exporting.

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Yes that is normal, I think I explained it above in post #30. I too initially had a problem with the repairs but Netfabb usually gives you an option before exporting.

Right and I thought that was just for converting the units from imperial to metric. I drew the original in metric so that I wouldn't have to do that step.

 

When I saved the drawing it gave me the option to remove the old drawing, which I did, and it saved the repairs.

 

Next up is getting it printed so will have to take a look through the Shapeways website.

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  • 6 years later...

Did you ever get as far as printing off the AL1 underframe parts?

Just asking as I'm currently working on a Triang body that will run on a shortened Hornby 86 chassis and could do with the modified parts (smoothing chokes?) from the window side.

Edited by Waveydavey
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