SketchUp 3d printing - Graphic Design Courses

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Very patient training & easy to understand – we could also get help when needed. Very good – tutor was very patient & extremely helpful. Learnt a lot more than I thought & all the extra resources will be extremely helpful. Thank you.

SophiaIllustrator Course

Trainer was clear & concise with excellent knowledge in the area. Pace was just perfect, easy to keep up. The trainer went out of his way to ensure our understanding of each topic. An excellent trainer, patient & knows his field well. He answers all questions & gave excellent tips & additional resources. Truly impressed – great standard! I would definitely do a future course with Design Workshop Sydney.

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MichaelPhotoshop Course

Fantastic trainer – very accommodating to our individual objectives. The small class size was incredibly beneficial to learning. We focused on the things we were interested in, with the instructor able to modify the course agenda so that we all learned what was important in the first day!

SketchUp 3d printing

by Design Workshop Sydney

Oct5

Creating 3d models in SketchUp on your screen is one thing – sending them to a 3d printer and holding your creation in your hands is another! We show you how in our SketchUp courses.
Once you’ve created your masterpiece, explode all groups first. Then you need to save the file as an OBJ file – you can only do this with the Pro version of SketchUp however.
Next do a Google search for Mesh Lab – this is a freeware download – and takes only 30 seconds to download and install. Then open Meshlab, and go to File > New. Then File > Import Mesh > and browse to your OBJ file. Next go to File > Export Mesh and choose the STL file format (or MTL).
Your file is now ready to email off to your 3d print shop – there are several in most cities. And the cost is very reasonable – it goes by weight, so the above example, for instance, cost only $10 to print.
Things to keep in mind are: make the model as a solid object – hollow objects can be difficult to print, depending on the sophistication of the printer. The printer will work out the internal mesh needed to create the object efficiently. Also try not to have any undercuts – the printer has trouble figuring out how to print those. And a good size for the base is nothing smaller than 100 x 100mm. A choice of colours is usually available.
Many useful tips and techniques can also be found at the SketchUp website. And see many examples of our own clients’ work on our Facebook page.
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