New to 3d Printing - Can't figure out two color printing in FlashForge FlashPrint

[JonC]

Hi Everyone,


I'm new to 3d Printing. I just bought a FlashForge Dreamer which ships with FlashPrint. When I installed it immediately updated to 3.8.x


I've had a 3d file professionally created which is a very simple polygon base and some text in the middle. The designer selected different materials for the base and text and set the colors. However there is absolutely no way, that I can see, to get FlashPrint to recognize that a single model has different attributes. It is not picking up those attributes when I load the 3d files(had designer try multiple versions like STL and so on) in order to print color.


Instead, it seams you have to produce separate models and manually set the left/right extruder per model/object? This is a nightmare!!! What if I wanted the base orange, the text orange, and polygon border black? That is three models I then have to attempt to align properly in the software?


My designer has also told me that text is an extrusion of the polygon, and cannot be produced individually in SolidWorks. So what am I to? Are there more advanced 3d printing programs I might be able to buy that are compatible with this printer? It seems that the default program is not very good at all. I'm disappointed because when I buy a 3d printer with two colors, I don't want to have to be a CAD expert in order to produce these models and then align them properly.


Any help is appreciated!
Jon

[Geoff]

Hi Everyone,


I'm new to 3d Printing. I just bought a FlashForge Dreamer which ships with FlashPrint. When I installed it immediately updated to 3.8.x


I've had a 3d file professionally created which is a very simple polygon base and some text in the middle. The designer selected different materials for the base and text and set the colors. However there is absolutely no way, that I can see, to get FlashPrint to recognize that a single model has different attributes. It is not picking up those attributes when I load the 3d files(had designer try multiple versions like STL and so on) in order to print color.


Instead, it seams you have to produce separate models and manually set the left/right extruder per model/object? This is a nightmare!!! What if I wanted the base orange, the text orange, and polygon border black? That is three models I then have to attempt to align properly in the software?


My designer has also told me that text is an extrusion of the polygon, and cannot be produced individually in SolidWorks. So what am I to? Are there more advanced 3d printing programs I might be able to buy that are compatible with this printer? It seems that the default program is not very good at all. I'm disappointed because when I buy a 3d printer with two colors, I don't want to have to be a CAD expert in order to produce these models and then align them properly.


Any help is appreciated!
Jon

Hi Jon,

I wish I could help! in this case you are the guinea pig so to speak, not many of us have used or seen the Dreamer yet as we have older models - so as far as 2 colour printing with it, well I really don't know, I don't think makerware would work with the dreamer.

As for the 2 colour model, well that's the easy part. Just give it to me and I'll do it for you in about 5 minutes.

Not sure about Solidworks, but I know that I can extrude anything I well please in blender and I would not need to align anything. I would edit the vertices manually and seperate them then make them solid for printing. If you want to send me a PM and attach the file or give me a link that's fine, don't post it publicly if it's a 'professionally' made file, but to be honest he doesn't sound very professional. What you are asking is a very very easy task.

[-Joe-]

t to be honest he doesn't sound very professional. What you are asking is a very very easy task.

Exactly this, this sounds like a very easy task in solidworks or any cad software.

And you are correct in thinking you have to use two separate models and combine them in Flashprint and then assign individual colours.

The reality of 3D printing is you do have to be a CAD expert in order to produce quality designs... otherwise you're stuck with taking things of off thingiverse or having a "professional" produce them for you.

Update to the latest version of flashprint - there are options to cut models embedded in the newest software and many other parameters that will help you greatly.

[Geoff]

Exactly this, this sounds like a very easy task in solidworks or any cad software.

And you are correct in thinking you have to use two separate models and combine them in Flashprint and then assign individual colours.

The reality of 3D printing is you do have to be a CAD expert in order to produce quality designs... otherwise you're stuck with taking things of off thingiverse or having a "professional" produce them for you.

Update to the latest version of flashprint - there are options to cut models embedded in the newest software and many other parameters that will help you greatly.

You don't necessarily need to be a CAD expert I don't think. I am not an expert in any way, and I seem to be able to make whatever I need, and only because I took the time (yes, years) to learn the software and not just tinker with it, that's the key I think. Youtube tutorials, alot of them.

Quality designs come over time - and you have to be mindful of what you are modelling for. If I was modelling for a game, making assets, I would be making it low poly, adding shaders, textures, edge splitting etc etc, But if you are making something specifically to 3D print, and you know that at the start.. then you model it accordingly.You don't want ugly polygons showing in the print, You make sure you are joining all your edges, no doubling up and leaving holes, you are making it watertight as you go and you are also being mindful of the printing process, that part is just down to experience. Once you print alot of things, you start getting a feel for how the model should be exported, what orientation works best, are the angles too harsh etc, all without really thinking about it.

[JonC]

Hi Jon,

I wish I could help! in this case you are the guinea pig so to speak, not many of us have used or seen the Dreamer yet as we have older models - so as far as 2 colour printing with it, well I really don't know, I don't think makerware would work with the dreamer.

As for the 2 colour model, well that's the easy part. Just give it to me and I'll do it for you in about 5 minutes.

Not sure about Solidworks, but I know that I can extrude anything I well please in blender and I would not need to align anything. I would edit the vertices manually and seperate them then make them solid for printing. If you want to send me a PM and attach the file or give me a link that's fine, don't post it publicly if it's a 'professionally' made file, but to be honest he doesn't sound very professional. What you are asking is a very very easy task.

I thank everyone for their input.

@Geoff - So, I have the STL file which has been dumped from SW. I would like to import this into Blender(Now installed) and basically cut it in half along one of the axis', this should be fairly easy then yes? What would blender call the function to do this?

I will jump on YouTube and start learning, but it could be a slow process with the time I have on hand over this holiday weekend. If you could give me the head start and at least provide the terms for me I can google the specific terms/functions of blender required to cut this thing in half...

Thanks again,
Jon

[Geoff]

I thank everyone for their input.

@Geoff - So, I have the STL file which has been dumped from SW. I would like to import this into Blender(Now installed) and basically cut it in half along one of the axis', this should be fairly easy then yes? What would blender call the function to do this?

I will jump on YouTube and start learning, but it could be a slow process with the time I have on hand over this holiday weekend. If you could give me the head start and at least provide the terms for me I can google the specific terms/functions of blender required to cut this thing in half...

Thanks again,
Jon

In Blender..
Press TAB to into Edit mode, Select the part of the model you want to cut off, press P, seperate selection