The Mesh Analysis panel performs similar functions to the Print3D Toolbox, but it has a more graphic interface and is more interactive. It's located in the 3D View Properties panel on the right-hand side of the 3D View window. You must be in edit mode to see it:
- Open the
4597_03_Distorted Cube.blendfile. This distorted cube is a very bad candidate for 3D printing. Make sure you are in Edit Mode and scroll down in the Properties panel of the 3D View window until you see the Mesh Analysis subpanel. - Click on the Mesh Analysis checkbox. The Type: button says Sharp. The distorted cube has become colored. Polygons that are not too sharp are displayed in grey. The sharper the geometry, the more the color goes from blue to red as seen in the following screenshot:
- Rotate the cube around; look at the bottom as well as the point. The two buttons below the Type: button mark the minimum and maximum angles you are inspecting for. Play with their values. They let you choose a range of values that you want to watch for.
- Click on the Type: button and select Distortion. Rotate the cube and notice the coloration. The two buttons below mark the minimum and maximum angles you are inspecting for. Play with their values. Can you see any distorted polygons?
- Click on the Type: button and select Intersect. There are no degrees to intersection; polygons either intersect or they don't.
- Next is Thickness. It measures the thickness of the object. You can choose a range with the min and max buttons. For a more graphic display, select all the vertices, press W, and subdivide the faces of the cube to about four or five cuts. Then inspect it again.
- The last category is Overhang, which is a problem for material extrusion printers like most hobbyist printers. You'll notice that initially, the top surface of the cube is overhanging and red. Play with the min, max buttons and select the different X, Y, and Z buttons. They define overhang according to different axes.
The Mesh Analysis panel gives you powerful tools to use in determining what needs to be fixed on your model to make it printable. You can adjust the minimum and maximum values to trap a range of values which will tell you a lot about the geometry.
..................Content has been hidden....................
You can't read the all page of ebook, please click here login for view all page.