Table of Contents

Preface

Part 1: Exploring 3D Printing

Chapter 1: Getting Started with 3D Printing

Technical requirements

Understanding the Creality Ender 3

Ender 3 models

Understanding the parts of the Ender 3

Upgrading the Ender 3

Leveling the print bed

Leveling the corners of the bed

Mesh bed leveling

Materials available for 3D printing

Poly-Lactic Acid (PLA)

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)

Glycolyzed Polyester (PETG)

High-Impact Polystyrene (HIPS)

Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA)

Carbon fiber

Nylon

Flexible materials

Other materials

Summary

Chapter 2: What Are Slicer Programs?

Technical requirements

Controlling a 3D printer using G-code

What is G-code?

Understanding G-code

Using Pronterface to control our 3D printer

Leveling the corners with G-code

Common FDM slicer programs

Slicing an object into G-code

Slicing software applications

Which FDM slicer should I choose?

Slicer programs for liquid resin 3D printers

What is liquid resin printing?

Chitubox

The Anycubic Photon Workshop

Summary

Chapter 3: Printing Our First Object

Technical requirements

Finding objects to print

Understanding 3D object file formats

Downloading 3D objects

Calibration objects for our 3D printer

Preparing our 3D printer

Slicing our object

Setting up the profile

Loading our model

Quality settings

Infill settings

Temperature settings

Cooling settings

Build Plate Adhesion settings

Slicing our object

Printing our object

Applying a glue stick to the bed

Running our print job

Calibrating our printer

Inspecting #3DBenchy for print quality

Summary

Part 2: Learning OpenSCAD

Chapter 4: Getting Started with OpenSCAD

Technical requirements

Introducing OpenSCAD

Exploring other CAD programs

Fusion 360

TinkerCAD

FreeCAD

Comparing OpenSCAD with other CAD programs

Learning OpenSCAD GUI and basic commands

Downloading and Installing OpenSCAD

Getting to know the OpenSCAD environment

OpenSCAD basic 2D shapes

OpenSCAD basic 3D shapes

Learning OpenSCAD Boolean and transformation operations

OpenSCAD Boolean operations

OpenSCAD transformation operations

Creating our PVC pipe hook

Summary

Chapter 5: Using Advanced Operations of OpenSCAD

Technical requirements

Turning 2D shapes into 3D objects

Importing SVG files into OpenSCAD

Creating a 3D Thumbs Up symbol

Extruding the base

Putting the base and Thumbs Up object together

3D printing our Thumbs Up award

Looking at advanced OpenSCAD commands

Exploring the available fonts

Exploring the text operation

Creating a dynamic backing plate

Simplifying our code with modules

Creating a module for our Thumbs Up object

Creating a module for the base

Creating a module for the plaque

Creating a design using modules

Summary

Chapter 6: Exploring Common OpenSCAD Libraries

Technical requirements

Exploring the OpenSCAD General libraries

BOSL

dotSCAD

NopSCADlib

BOLTS

Using the BOSL to design a desk drawer

Downloading and installing the BOSL

Creating the drawer tray

Adding rails to our drawer tray

Creating the handle for our drawer

Creating the sliders for our desk drawer

Adding screw holes to the sliders

Exploring OpenSCAD Single Topic libraries

Round Anything

Mark's Enclosure Helper

The OpenSCAD threads.scad module

The OpenSCAD smooth primitives library

Creating our own OpenSCAD library

Summary

Part 3: Projects

Chapter 7: Creating a 3D-Printed Name Badge

Technical requirements

Creating text for our 3D-printed name badge

Understanding the OpenSCAD text operation

Making text curve in OpenSCAD

Creating a name tag text generator module

Adding a base plate to our 3D-printed name badge

Creating our first shape

Adding an indent for the brooch pin

Putting the first shape and indent together

Printing out our 3D-printed name badge

Preparing our design for a print job

Printing and finishing

Summary

Chapter 8: Designing and Printing a Laptop Stand

Technical requirements

Designing the frame in Inkscape and OpenSCAD

Downloading and installing Inkscape

Exploring Inkscape

Using Inkscape to design the frame

Using OpenSCAD to complete the design

Designing the threaded rod in OpenSCAD

Creating a rod with an M10 threaded top

Adding a connector plate

Printing out our laptop stand

Slicing and printing the frame

Slicing and printing the rods

Putting the laptop stand together

Summary

Chapter 9: Designing and Printing a Model Rocket

Technical requirements

Creating the motor mount

Building around the paper tube

Designing and printing the motor mount

Getting an accurate outside diameter measurement

Creating the nose cone

Designing the nose cone

Printing out the nose cone

Creating the fins

Designing the fin can

Printing out the fin can

Assembling and launching the model rocket

Installing the shock cord

Installing the fin can

Finishing the construction of our model rocket

Summary

Part 4: The Future

Chapter 10: The Future of 3D Printing and Design

Technical requirements

3D printed homes

What are 3D printed homes?

Advantages of 3D printed homes

3D printed homes for space exploration

Creating a 3D printed birdhouse

The future of mass customization

The fourth industrial revolution and 3D printing

Customizing products

Summary

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