Looking for advice on printing a tricky part, a scan of seabed wreck.

[griffog]

I wonder if anyone can advise me on a workaround here. A friend has asked me if I can print this .stl that is a scan of a sea bottom wreck site. Very cool but the .stl is is a tricky one as the seabed is so irregular. I'd hoped that I could setup Simplify3D with 100% support so the gaps between the 'seabed' and the print bed were filled but it doesn't seem to work. The end result is a very scrappy looking print with parts of the seabed resting on strands of support.

I tried to open it in Sketchup but the app hangs. Is there anything I can do to help here?

wreck-anchor.jpg wreck-anchor-side.jpg

[EagleSeven]

I would first load the file into Design/Edit software, such as Mesh-Mixer,
which can be downloaded and installed free.
Meshmixer can automatically fix holes and other error areas.
When it is edited to your satisfaction in Meshmixer you can send it directly to Slicer software,
if you have Host/slicer software that is compatible.
If not, just Export it and then run it from your slicer.

Like any Design/Edit software , Meshmixer takes some work to learn how to use properly,
but it is easier to learn than many other types of editing software
and I think that is really what you need.
There are many online tutorials that will help learn it.

[LambdaFF]

Your biggest problem here is that this is a "sheet". What you need to do is to create a flat rectagular base that fills underneath.

Is this STL the only document you have or did you reach that point by processing other inputs ? If that is the case, I would suggest trying to modify your process to try and include a step for a filled rectangular base under the scan.

If the STL is the only thing you've got... try and go to meshmixer and do cuts/booleans with cubes to get something that has a printable base.

[griffog]

Thank you both, have installed Meshmixer and will see if I can figure it all out, looks like a powerful piece of kit. Unfortunately all I have is the .stl, I didn't create it and have no other source.

[curious aardvark]

as lambdaff says - you just need to add a solid base.
But you're both overthinking it :-)

hang on: take a couple of seconds to knock one up in openscad - then all we do is combine the two files in s3d.

Okay - rectangle attached. Just load both stls, centre and arrange them both. then just resize the rectangle with s3d's resize panel, untill it gives you a solid base and print both models.
rectangle.stl

Sorted :-)

If you're struggling bung me tha stl and I'll do it for you :-)

[griffog]

I did try by adding a plinth but there are still gaps between the two and that causes the issues. Is there a way to combine the two so that the plinth doesn't protrude upwards through the seabed file?

Here is the .stl if it helps?

Download

[curious aardvark]

I did try by adding a plinth but there are still gaps between the two and that causes the issues. Is there a way to combine the two so that the plinth doesn't protrude upwards through the seabed file?

Here is the .stl if it helps?

Download

Just adjust the height of the rectangle.
And if necessary use several rectangles at different sizes and heights. It all prints as one.

I'll have a play :-)

[Davo]

I have a question for you guys. I have a prospective customer who sent me an stl file which was just a topographical surface, similar to the first post.

I was able to generate 100% support and print it (~50 hours), but I couldn't define the top to be more than one layer thick, and the support to top interface wasn't great. If there's a reliable process for extruding the outer edges down to a plane below the lowest point, I'd be grateful to learn it.

Thanks,
Davo

[curious aardvark]

Hmm, okay that's not going to work.

plan b :-)

Well I've managed to level it and align it with the build plate.
My cunning plan was to have it generate 100% support from the build plate.

But it doesn't believe a floating print needs support - so nothing happened :-)
Back to the drawing board.

Anyone know anything about s3d support settings ?

Logically - I thought - if I set 100% support from the build plate only. It should have filled the space under the floating shell with solid support.
But it doesn't generate anything.

Plan b MK II would be to remove the thing from a rectangle in openscad and print a reverse image that could be used as a mould with clay/ playdoh etc.

But the support thing seemed logical and simple. Just didn't work - no idea why.

[LambdaFF]

I have an idea I'll try tonight : see if I can use it to cut a Solid cube.
Tell you tmrw.