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Greetings all!

I've been fiddling around with Blender, trying to learn the ropes, but I haven't actually got a printer (yet) to test out my first design practically (A shield with some simple motifs and handle).

My main concern in creating designs relates to the level of detail printers can manage. Obviously, printers have a minimum layer size - with the Photon (The one I'm looking at) being 0.01mm. And I assume that the XY resolution (0.051mm) is the minimum detail that can be reproduced horizontally.

I guess my question is - how do you design for maximum detail? Is it a case of simply designing so nothing is finer than the XY resolution (0.051mm), or can you be 'clever' and design down to 0.01mm but orientate the model so that the finer details print in the Z axis instead of the XY axis?

For example, my shield features some embossed flames on an oval surface - would it be better to print horizontally and live with the flames tapering to no more than 0.051, or would it work to orientate it vertically ('stood up') to get the flame tips down to 0.01mm? What impact would this have on the oval shape, which would switch from having the curvature printed in the Z axis instead of layer by layer in the XY axis?

I hope this makes sense. I have a use for a printer anyway, but it would be nice if I could also get to grips with some of my own ideas. Any help would be most appreciated.

Hi Warpig!

In the industry, we call that minimum feature thickness and does not always depend on your layer height but also the resolution of your printer or the laser diameter on some big boi machines. This can vary with machine and material and it's worth noting that a better resolution does not always yield better results. More detail and smoother prints can be achieved through orientation alone and there's a toss up to be had between print time and detail as you'll get diminishing returns which you'll probably solve in postpro or painting anyway.

For example, on your character, you may want the finest detail possible as he is going to be looked at by many people and a centrepiece to your army however, you do not need the finest detail on every termagant or guardsman because you need to print hundreds for an army and the time cost can quickly add up!

It's best to design with these thicknesses in mind and be aware that CAD can distort reality somewhat and it's worth just looking at your models from GW and seeing what the smallest features they have are (usually around 0.5mm) to get an idea of what's necessary and what's not. You don't want to design a spear down to 0.05mm only for it to be the thickness of a human hair and snap to a stiff breeze!

Thanks,

Ben, 3DPrintDirect

I strongly suggest looking at a life-size model of a space marine to look at while you're sculpting. And comparing the same life-size model to space marine miniature figures helmet. You then get a good idea of the min feature thickness. Your best bet is to experiment with 3D printing to get the best results.

Make a group of cylinders and rectangles then print them to see what's thick enough use those as a guide.

Developing a workflow that allows you to measure min feature thickness with your tools as you work. If the limited detail is 0.5mm then make sure your software can measure mm accurately. And every line is above that min feature within reason.