3D Printing

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SketchUp Arcade! Debut at ISTE

We took a bit of a posting break recently – summer is a crazy time with kids at camp and (too short) vacations. We’ll do our best to keep posting! One reason for the radio silence is that I spent part of last week at the ISTE Convention in San Antonio. This is a huge […]

SketchUp Teeth!

A couple of years ago, when one of my kids was 8, he had a terrible playground accident. Two of his front teeth were knocked out (by a metal bar, not by another kid). As in, the teeth were completely out of his head – roots and all. Since then he’s had a couple of […]

Creating a SketchUp Template: Part 2 - Saving and Using

In Part 1 of this series, I showed how to set up the SketchUp file that will be saved as a 3D printing template. In this post, I’ll show how to save this file as a template, and how to start a new file using this template. Save as Template The file from Part 1 […]

Creating a SketchUp Template: Part 1 - File Setup

Most everyone knows that when you start SketchUp, you’re presented with a list of templates you can choose from. These include construction documentation, interior design, product design, 3D printing, etc. The idea behind a template is that your SketchUp file starts with the right units and scale for your project, and contains whatever other properties […]

3d printing boat maid mist

Here’s what I’ve written about so far in this series: In Part 1 – a 3D printed bear, and in Part 2, a few 3D printed cactus trees. This post will detail the most complicated of the objects I printed for this project: a customized boat. Maid of the Mist My son, whose state you’ll […]

3D Printing Cactus

In Part 1 of this series, I showed how I modified a Thingiverse model of a bear, to print out for my son’s diorama state project for school. Now it’s my daughter’s turn. Her state was Arizona, and she wanted to include some sort of Arizona tree or plant. And what says “Arizona” more than a saguaro cactus? […]

3D Printing Benji Bear 09

In the school where my twins go, each third grader is assigned a US state. After spending a few months learning about their state, the students write a report, give a little speech, and present a diorama. If you don’t know what a diorama is, picture a shoebox filled with cute, stand-up, informative things: If you’re a […]

3D Printing Watertight Model

In Part 1 of this series, I discussed using Monochrome view to check your SketchUp model for watertightness – making sure all front faces are facing front, to ensure all is ready to be converted to the STL format for 3D printing. In this post, I’m writing about the Solid Inspector extension, which can solve front-back face problems, […]

3D Printing Watertight Model

  So, you have a SketchUp model you want to send to a 3D printer. To convert from SketchUp’s format to STL, you can use the  STL Extension or the STL feature of the 3D Warehouse. But before generating an STL, it’s always a good idea to check that your model is watertight, also called “manifold.” Why Watertight? […]