Going tutorial blind to add textures to 3d print

[bootcamp]

Hi.

Over the last four or more weeks I have tried loads of programs and read/watched dozens of hours of tutorials. I  think 3dcoat will do what I want but I am struggling to see the wood for the trees.

 

1. I have an stl mesh of a wall. it started in sketchup as a face with no thickness
2. I have extruded it to make it printable.
3. Exported it as a stl
4. Have imported it to multiple programs to try to add a brick and sometimes a slate texture 
5. the actual appearence does not matter or need to "look" realistic so the rendering/lights/animation parts are all "extras" i do not need.
6. One tutorial about 3dcoat I found makes it look as if it would be perfect but within the tutorial there are loads of complexities that are not relevant to my finished result.

What I want to end up with is something like this. (attached) or 

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5866941/blendimage.JPG

 

but with a more accurate stone/slate/brick texture.

 

Is there a "basics" tutorial out there or an easily described series of steps anybody can help me with?

 

Have spent hours on blender and similar progs.

 

Thanks

D

 

 

[GeneralAce55]

This is what I would do, first, find a good reference image that looks pretty much exactly like what you want, check to make sure it has a suitable license for what you need (I personally recommend cgtextures.com ) and then take that image into gimp or photoshop, whichever you use, apply a desaturation to the image, then adjust the brightness/contrast to essentially make a bump map, import this image into the masks section in 3d-coat and either sculpt that detail in using the draw tool in combination with the mask or paint it using normal mode in the paint room. Hope that helps!

[bootcamp]

Hi.

Thanks for the response.

I have the reference image - produced using "crazybump" which is really easy. Had previously imported this and had managed to "paint" the material onto my imported stl file. 

Have tried again and this is where I am getting stuck, it looks as if it has done what I want but my final exported file is still a "flat" stl file.

I am missing something very very basic but just can't find the step I am missing out.

Have been watching tutorials since reading your response - at least I am now going in the right direction and it was nice to see my ref image was along the right lines.

It's just that final step of getting it to "deform the mesh".

Thanks

D

 

 

[AbnRanger]

About halfway through this video, he goes over sculpting some rocky textures with a normal map, in the Paint Room.

 

 

This one might help a bit, as well:

 

[bootcamp]

Hi.

Had seen those tutorials (multiple times) but still missing something.

When I export my model, my stl still has flat side. I have merged the layers (understand layers from photoshop layers) - One clue is that when I choose the brush and material I am getting the rectangle of texture over my "wall"  as per pic

 

I have tried to replicate the screen as  in the video to make sure my options are as close as I can get them.

 

but my stl export is still coming out as per second image.

 

I am sure it's something really stupid and basic im missing as I think it has got to the point where I can't see the wood for the trees!

 

D

 

 

[AbnRanger]

Don't work on Layer 0. Create a new layer (first icon at the bottom of the Layer Panel). Also, you could try and use CUBE mapping in the Material Preview Panel. On the left-hand side of the panel, you can see a drop list with "From Camera" chosen as the default mode. Click the little toggle to pick CUBE mapping. You wont see anything initially, but when you attempt to adjust the zoom level or transform icons, you can see a preview on the object as you are making adjustments.

[AbnRanger]

Also, it looks like a strange brush alpha you are working with. In the Brushes Pallet, choose one of the solid (circular) brush alpha's in the top right part of the Pallet. Check the Depth level, too (toolbar at the top of the UI). For small scale extrusions, it should be between a value of 2-10.

[AbnRanger]

One last thing you want to check is your UV's. Go to the UV Room and see in the Preview panel if there are any, and if they are setup correctly

[bootcamp]

You will be sick of me.

I think I have done as you said but my stl is still coming out as a flat cube???

Even wondering if it is a restriction on the trial 3d-coat.

I have watched the tutorials again.

Tried with a different stl file to start with etc.

Changed the brush to the top right one, changed depth 2% 5% 10% etc 

Tried built in materials in case there was something wrong with my file.

Historically, I am a manual reader, - friends call me "3x" as that's the number of times I read manuals before I load software, the daily Mail newspaper once described me as a "computer genius"  (though that;s probably no recommendation!......This one has got me beaten though!

Out of all the programs I have tried, this seems to be the closest I have got so I would like to stick with this if I can.

Thanks

 

 

Just noticed the other reply, will try that now as well.

Thanks

D

[Tony Nemo]

It looks like you are still in Layer 0, a no-no which seems to beg it be inaccessible.

[digman]

"2. have extruded it to make it printable." Which I take it to mean 3D printable since you are exporting as a STL file.

 

If the above is true then using Per Pixel Painting in the Paint Room is the incorrect method as no real geometry is created but just a normal map.

 

Also if you plan on 3D color printing then the VRML2 format is the prefer file format.

 

I need better information to provide real answers to your questions, like are you going to 3D print in color?

Edited May 14, 2014 by digman

[bootcamp]

Hi Digman.

No, no colour needed. The picture in the first post is almost what I need but a a "better brick or slate texture.".

If I make, in sketchup a 10 metre x 10 metre wall with about 250mm thickness and export to a scaled  stl file, I then need a texture similar to the one above on one surface.

Then re-export that either as obj, dae or stl to print.

3dcoat is just an intermediate step to add the texture. In blender everything came out as huge spikes and was a pig to even get to that stage, 3d coat (as in post 5 is what I want it to look like (the shape isn't relevant) - it's just proving difficult to get what is on screen to translate to a saveable, printable mesh.

I am ok on getting the brush to get it to look like it should - It just isnt translating to the final "shape"

Hope that is clear.

Thanks

D

Edited May 14, 2014 by bootcamp

[Gyps]

Just a thought you have UV unwrapped the object ?

[bootcamp]

Somehow ended up with double post. See below.

Edited May 14, 2014 by bootcamp

[bootcamp]

OK. Now completely lost! 

I am wondering if I explained myself badly at the start and so will try and illustrate what I want  with the parts I have.

1. Pic 1 shows an stl file (a wall) with thickness
2. I want to "deform" the mesh with the texture in pic 2
3. Colour etc is immaterial as it will end up as an stl file for single colour printing.
4. This is a similar texture to what I want to end up with (pic 3)

It is possible that 3D-Coat will not do it but it seems the closest to "getting there"

 

As I will only ever have about 3 textures I will ever need a)Brick b)sandstone c)slate I am hoping that there is a relatively simple process to work through.

 

Thanks

D

Edited May 14, 2014 by bootcamp

[digman]

The only reason you are lost is that you do not understand which workflow to use for the task at hand which is sculpting \ detailing a model for 3D printing.

 

Do not use the Paint Room for your specific task.

 

Import the STL model into the voxel room either as a voxel object or surface model object.

Use your material image or a mask image to create your real depth in the model surface.

Export the model as a STL model file. The model will be exported with the real depth created by polygons.

ShapeWays has a limit on the amount of polygons than can be 3D printed which is one million.  I do not know the polygon limit for other 3D printing websites.

When exporting you can reduce the amount of polygons or in other words polygon reduction through a smart decimation routine which keeps the details as much as possible.

 

It is not in the scope of this answer to tell you in detail how to do the above but these are the correct steps. Also I am not including information about preparing your model for 3D printing.

 

Sorry to port you off to tutorial land again for this...

 

3DCoat official YouTube Channel.

https://www.youtube.com/user/pilgway3dcoat

 

For 3D printing.

http://www.shapeways.com/tutorials?li=nav

 

The model in the image is 950,000 polygons. I used the low quality image as the material image file from your post to create the depth.

Not shown for quality.

Viewed in 3DC and viewing the STL model as real polygons in Blender's viewport.

Edited May 14, 2014 by digman

[bootcamp]

Thank you - thank you - thank you....

I thought there must be an easy way. - and you got it for me. 

Within 2 minutes I had the stl I wanted, within 9 minutes, it was printed out.

Can't believe I had gone down so many routes to get there.

Thank you again. Here it is with an SD card for scale.

D

[Athruz]

Okay I am really so new to trying this but this thread is exactly what I am trying to do. Does anyone have a video or screen shot of this process I can follow?

 

All I want to learn (at the moment) is how to add a wood grain texture to this model and export it as a STL with the texture for FDM printing on a standard machine. For the life of me I can not seem to figure it out. I read the above post (quoted below) from digman but I don't even understand what is meant by the two lines.

Seems like a 2-3 step process but I guess I need some visual references. I am using 4.8.25 and I don't guess I see the same menus here or I just don;t follow. Any visual help would be greatly appreciated since I ca't seem to follow the written info. I use Fusion 360 for CAD design however I have little to no experience with these types of programs. 

TIA-

 

JG

"Posted May 14, 2014 (edited)

The only reason you are lost is that you do not understand which workflow to use for the task at hand which is sculpting \ detailing a model for 3D printing.

Do not use the Paint Room for your specific task.

Import the STL model into the voxel room either as a voxel object or surface model object. (How exactly lol?)

Use your material image or a mask image to create your real depth in the model surface." (How exactly again)

Wall Base.stl

[xrok1]

On 12/28/2018 at 2:47 PM, Athruz said:

The only reason you are lost is that you do not understand which workflow to use for the task at hand which is sculpting \ detailing a model for 3D printing.

Do not use the Paint Room for your specific task.

Import the STL model into the voxel room either as a voxel object or surface model object. (How exactly lol?)

Use your material image or a mask image to create your real depth in the model surface." (How exactly again)

Please can someone explain this for use in 3DC printing?

[xrok1]

I am still looking for an answer?? 

Edited February 8, 2022 by xrok1

[Carlosan]

Hello

Hope it help