3D Printing with SketchUp

SketchUp is known for being an easy-to-use 3D modeling software. Let's see exactly how to use SketchUp to generate print-ready models created specifically for 3D printing

Key Features

• Create print-ready models in SketchUp Free, Go, or Pro
• Learn to generate quick 3D models and assure that they are printable
• Model multiple pieces that can be assembled post-print

Book Description

3D printing is an amazing technology and printing hardware is easier to own than ever before. While there are many other resources that cover the general process of 3D printing, this book is the ultimate guide to creating models for 3D printing from SketchUp.

Once we have established a basic understanding of how SketchUp is used in the 3D printing workflow, we will go through the steps to create a print-ready model using only SketchUp. Following that, we will cover how to use SketchUp to modify existing 3D files, and discover some additional tools that can be used to make SketchUp an even more powerful modeling tool. Learn how to transform 2D images into 3D printable solids, how to create multi-part prints that can be assembled without the use of fasteners or glue, and how to make sure your model, whether designed from scratch or assembled from pre-existing geometry is ready to be made real via your own 3D printer.

By the end of this book, you should be able to generate 3D print-ready models from SketchUp.

What you will learn

• Understand SketchUp's place in the 3D printing workflow
• Generate print-ready geometry using SketchUp
• Learn to import existing files for editing in SketchUp
• Verify if a model is ready to be printed or not
• Export a file from SketchUp
• Realize the options available for adding onto SketchUp for the purpose of 3D printing

Who This Book Is For

If you own or have access to a 3D printer and are tired of downloading and printing other people's 3D models, this book is for you! Learn how to use SketchUp to create your own custom pieces or modify existing files so you can print exactly what you need. Whether you are an architect hoping to print buildings, a designer needing quick physical prototypes, or a hobbyist wanting to print a tchotchke, this book is for you. Readers should have completed some training in fundamentals in SketchUp and be able to create and edit basic geometry.

Table of Contents

1. Getting Started with 3D Printing and SketchUp
2. Setting Up your SketchUp environment for 3D Printing
3. Importing and Exporting .stl File
4. Print-ready Modelling and Scaling for Export
5. Modelling from Scratch using Native Editing Tools
6. Modeling using Solid tools
7. Importing and Modifying Existing 3D Models
8. Assembling the pieces Post Printing