Shapeways Problems

[Ian Smith]

All,

 

I have had a few problems with recent files I have uploaded to Shapeways, namely parts of my model missing or at least not showing in the rendered image on the "My Models" page.

 

Is this a common problem? I have uploaded 3 versions of my GWR W1 Cattle wagon, a single wagon, a pair of wagons and a further file of 3 wagons. The 3 wagons look OK in the rendered image, but the single and pair files have rendered with large parts of the model missing. Obviously, the wagons are all the same - just copied and pasted in Google SketchUp before exported as STL files then those STL files run through NetFabb to repair any issues.

 

Any ideas? I have sent an e-mail to Shapeways to highlight the problem to get their view.

 

Regards,

 

Ian

[billbedford]

All,

 

I have had a few problems with recent files I have uploaded to Shapeways, namely parts of my model missing or at least not showing in the rendered image on the "My Models" page.

 

Is this a common problem? I have uploaded 3 versions of my GWR W1 Cattle wagon, a single wagon, a pair of wagons and a further file of 3 wagons. The 3 wagons look OK in the rendered image, but the single and pair files have rendered with large parts of the model missing. Obviously, the wagons are all the same - just copied and pasted in Google SketchUp before exported as STL files then those STL files run through NetFabb to repair any issues.

 

That is a problem with you file not being manifold, or solid. Have you run them through Netfabb?

[Guest]

All,

 

I have had a few problems with recent files I have uploaded to Shapeways, namely parts of my model missing or at least not showing in the rendered image on the "My Models" page.

 

Is this a common problem?

 

I had the same problem, just the once. I eventually found that exporting the file in NetFabb as a .STL (ASCII) just didn't work. I was losing large parts of the model. Eventually, I exported as a plain .STL file and haven't had this happen to me since.

 

Hope this helps.

[Delichon]

I have sometimes produced designs that according to Netfabb are non-orientable. The Basic version of the software is not able to correct this, but if one exports the file and uploads to Shapeways, its repair system (Meshmedic) will attempt to make the model orientable but may demolish it in the process. I have found that copying and pasting in Sketchup can sometimes alter a model's orientability (I don't know why).

One solution I have used is to upload the model to Netfabb's Cloud Service (basically the same system as Meshmedic) and then import the corrected / demolished file back into Sketchup to replace any bits that were removed during the repair process. A second run through Netfabb Basic usually gives a file that uploads and renders successfully.

At one time I had problems with Sketchup designs that were exported in .DAE format (and converted to .STL in Meshlab) - some designs would not export properly. I ended up using a plugin that enables Sketchup to export directly to .STL format - this seemed to resolve the issue.

[Ian Smith]

All,

 

Thank you for the explanations. I always export from SketchUp using a plugin that provides an STL file. I then run that STL file through NetFabb (basic), using the repair tool to do a default repair. After applying the repair, I then use the Part Export to produce a repaired STL file - This process ALWAYS identifies some things that need further repair before the new STL file can be exported.

 

I did wonder whether the problem was due to SketchUp, and may look for a different 3D modelling application to try - Any suggestions for a freeware app?

 

I have uploaded both ASCII and non-ASCII versions of STL files in desperation, and although this fixed the rendering of a single model of my W1 cattle wagon, the file containing a pair had huge parts of the models missing!! What is bizarre is that the file containing 3 wagons looks OK, and an early version of a pair of wagons was simply this file with one of the models deleted. Got to be honest and say I'm getting quite frustrated by all this now :-(

 

Ian

[Revolution Mike]

If you are used to Sketchup then you might find Blender OK. It will do everything that Sketchup does (and a lot more). It also has an inbuilt tool to check for holes - you search for non manifold vertices or edges.

 

Cheers, Mike

[RichardJones]

This often happens to me, all I do is go back to the sketchup file and study the offending part. Usually it can be reattached simply by drawing a few new edges or lines kind of like tagging in etched brass, seems to do the trick! Usually happens with springs and axleboxes as when working at tactual size in sketchup it seems incapable of getting curves right.

 

To combat this I drawn anything curvy 10x larger, then export it to STL as Centimetres rather than Millimetres then once it's been corrected in in Netfabb it's back to original size!

[RichardJones]

Ahh, this just struck when I glued several copied and pasted components together in sketchup, half of them were inverted in Netfabb!

 

Returned to sketchup, exploded the lot and deleted one line between them and hey presto it's now one contiguous lump according to Netfabb!

[Ian Smith]

Sorted!!

 

Decided to download Blender, and to be quite honest I didn't know where to start with it!! After an unproductive hour or so I gave up with Blender.

 

Instead I reverted back to SketchUp, and decided to merge the many component parts by selecting each "Component", then copying and pasting to a new part of the work area before I exploded down to individual lines again. These lines were considered and any that weren't needed (i.e. common lines from previously separate components) were deleted.

 

For example the ends were made up of a part of end planking, a further part containing the roof profile, the headstock and finally the strapping, all of this was exploded and the inside face of the end temporarily deleted - this allowed the various joining lines to be seen and any not needed removed before restoring the inside face. Eventually I ended up with a new end and a new full side that could then be copied and pasted to make the full wagon. To make this process easier I have amended the reverse face colour to be Red which helps immensely.

 

This new version of the wagon was successfully uploaded to Shapeways (after running it through NetFabb) along with a file of a brace of wagons and a further file of 3 wagons (each produced by copying and pasting the single wagon. All now render correctly.

 

Ian

[billbedford]

So, you didn't find this page on the Blender site? There are enough tutorials there to get you very proficient quite quickly --that's if you are willing to put the time in to learn from them. Personally, I think that most of the problems that people seem to have with 3D printing come from assuming that SketchUp, or even Blender are good enough to produce the quality of output needed for good 3D railway models.

[RichardJones]

So, you didn't find this page on the Blender site? There are enough tutorials there to get you very proficient quite quickly --that's if you are willing to put the time in to learn from them. Personally, I think that most of the problems that people seem to have with 3D printing come from assuming that SketchUp, or even Blender are good enough to produce the quality of output needed for good 3D railway models.

 

Sketchup is fine, you just need to be creative with how you use it. I ran Blender, it looked like it Windows 3.11. I closed it and uninstalled it. I have only found 1 thing I cannot do in Sketchup, and I will find a solution to that too!

[Ian Smith]

So, you didn't find this page on the Blender site? There are enough tutorials there to get you very proficient quite quickly --that's if you are willing to put the time in to learn from them. Personally, I think that most of the problems that people seem to have with 3D printing come from assuming that SketchUp, or even Blender are good enough to produce the quality of output needed for good 3D railway models.

 

Bill,

 

I have to be honest and say that I didn't really persevere with Blender. Having got used to SketchUp, I decided I would try to eradicate the problems I was having in that application first. The main driver for that was the STL and DAE files of my model that I produced in SketchUp when imported into Blender looked worse than the rendered images on the Shapeways previewer!! Huge parts of the models were missing.

 

If I draw anything else (I have a couple of Horse Boxes in mind), then I will try Blender to do those.

 

Ian

[Etched Pixels]

Shapeways have been updating their meshmedic stuff so if you get bits disappearing mail their support staff and let them know which ones fail and where.

[Revolution Mike]

There is definitely a steep learning curve with Blender (like many 3D programmes), but once you get the hang of some of the basics it really is very powerful for producing 3D prints. Some of the Blender interface is a bit annoying and inconsistent.

 

Some basic parts that are useful in learning blender:

- pick a scale you want a blender unit to represent (I use 1 blender unit = 1mm on my model)

- learn how to select vertices, edges and faces

- manipulate vertices or edges with the co-ordinate system

- learn how to add new vertices or split edges

- learn how to import and scale a drawing or photo as a background image

- learn how to use modifiers particularly mirror and boolean operators

- learn about bezier curves

- learn how to build a library of common parts that can be re-used

- learn how to use the manifold checking tool (and how to fix any errors it throws up)

 

I am sure there are others that I have missed.

 

Cheers, Mike

[Etched Pixels]

Not only is the interface inconsistent - it changes *completely* in the newest releases so make sure you have latest & greatest or you'll have to learn *two* horrible interfaces.