Use Tinkercad or 3d tin!

You need an STL output plugin for sketchup. I'm mobile or I'd link.

Sounds fun!

Luis E. Rodriguez

On Sep 1, 2012, at 11:40 AM, Howie <howieperso...@gmail.com> wrote:

I bought my kids a Makerbot . . . I want them to experience 3D printing at
a young age since I believe this is the future and I wanted to give them a
head start.

We completed some test prints off the SD card shipped.

My kids can use Sketchup (they are making really simple objects)
I need help / advice on the easiest way to go from Sketchup to SD cart
ready to print

Something an 8 year old can do / steps to follow . . ..

thanks!

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or give 123D a shot, but either way, you need something that can output to
STL, and as Luis said, you need a plugin for Sketchup (i've never gotten it
to work for some reason)

Next step once you have the STL is to load it up in ReplicatorG, and slice
it (use the defaults for now) and build to SD.

Once you're a bit more comfortable with RepG, you'll want to start playing
with Skeinforge and tweaking it to get better quality.

-Zeno LeHericy

//((=:Z:=))\\
INVENTIONS
Technologies
zinventions.com

On Sat, Sep 1, 2012 at 9:45 AM, Luis E. Rodriguez
<lrodriguezm...@gmail.com>wrote:

I've heard really good things about tinkercad (https://tinkercad.com/home/),
which I believe can make STL files directly

thanks guys!

"Next step once you have the STL is to load it up in ReplicatorG, and slice
it (use the defaults for now) and build to SD."

is there a plugin or something that will enable me to skip the above steps
and go straight from Sketchup to something I can copy to SD and just print
from ?

The current steps seem to require multiple installations / scripts
(I need to make it kid friendly)

thanks!
Howie

Nope, unfortunately. Once you have ReplicatorG installed though, it's
really not a super hard/confusing process. It's certainly less complicated
than designing a 3D object to begin with.

thanks!  Is there a reason why a plugin direct from within Sketchup would
not work / could not be developed that produced a file ready to print ?

On 1 Sep 2012 , at 11:16 AM, Howie wrote:

Sure, one could be written.  But it would still have all the pitfalls of installing
RepG since, at the end of the day, the plugin would require RepG.  Put differently,
to write such a plugin, you'd start with the STL export plugin and extend it to
launch RepG and point it at the STL file.   So, you'd still have to install a
Sketchup plugin and still have to install RepG along with any dependencies of
the two which weren't bundled in.

What does this save someone from doing manually?  Essentially

0. Launching RepG
1. Drag and dropping the STL to RepG

or, equivalently,

0. double clicking the STL to launch RepG with STL loaded

I understand the desire to streamline things for children.  I have two of them
myself, one of whom is quite fond of OpenSCAD and the other Blender.  But, the
effort of writing and maintaining a plugin to ease what is generally a simple
desktop task isn't too compelling IMO (as someone who has the know-how and ability
to write what you are asking for).

So, that's my long answer to your question, "Is there a reason why a plugin direct
from within Sketchup would not work / cound not be developed …?"

Dan

It's also worth noting that RepG is essentially a wrapper for Skeinforge,
so it would make more sense to me to make a Skeinforge plugin that
integrates into Sketchup. But I do agree wholeheartedly with Dan here -
opening RepG, loading an STL and hitting "Generate GCode" is really not too
strenuous as to need streamlining. In fact, I think it would be beneficial
for kids to learn how to use TWO very simple pieces of software to make a
3D print - it may help them to grasp the concept that a 3D model is
different than a 3D print, and that you need to convert a 3D model into a
bunch of commands to make the machine do what you want!

Thanks everyone - I appreciate the feedback.  

My opinion (as an early stage technology investor - not an engineer)

For 3D printing to become truly "main street - opening up even one other
program is one step too much.

What would Steve Jobs do with 3D printing if he was still alive?  You would
go to the file menu and click print (and select your Makerbot) from
whatever software you were in.
(no other steps required)

3D printing will only become mainstream when you can walk into Best Buy -
pick one up off the shelf, go home plug it in and press 'print' from
whatever simple 3D software you are using.

Its a bit sad that I have had my Makerbot for 5 days and I  can't even
print something from Thingverse directly forget about my own designs . . .

If you want to sell 1 Million or 10 Million Makerbots the above needs to be
solved.

take care
Howie

I understand the point about it being a bit frustrating to set up, but keep in mind that we are at the starting stages of low cost "personal" 3d printing.  

Steve Job's first computer offerings were not so polished, either... :-)

---

On Sep 1, 2012 6:58 PM, Howie <howiepersonal@gmail.com> wrote:
Thanks everyone - I appreciate the feedback. 

My opinion (as an early stage technology investor - not an engineer)

For 3D printing to become truly "main street - opening up even one other program is one step too much.

What would Steve Jobs do with 3D printing if he was still alive?  You would go to the file menu and click print (and select your Makerbot) from whatever software you were in.
(no other steps required)

3D printing will only become mainstream when you can walk into Best Buy - pick one up off the shelf, go home plug it in and press 'print' from whatever simple 3D software you are using.

Its a bit sad that I have had my Makerbot for 5 days and I  can't even print something from Thingverse directly forget about my own designs . . .

If you want to sell 1 Million or 10 Million Makerbots the above needs to be solved.

take care
Howie


On Saturday, September 1, 2012 12:45:55 PM UTC-4, Luis E. Rodriguez wrote:

Use Tinkercad or 3d tin!

You need an STL output plugin for sketchup. I'm mobile or I'd link.

Sounds fun!

Luis E. Rodriguez

On Sep 1, 2012, at 11:40 AM, Howie <howiep...@gmail.com> wrote:

I bought my kids a Makerbot . . . I want them to experience 3D printing at a young age since I believe this is the future and I wanted to give them a head start.

We completed some test prints off the SD card shipped.

My kids can use Sketchup (they are making really simple objects)

I need help / advice on the easiest way to go from Sketchup to SD cart ready to print

Something an 8 year old can do / steps to follow . . ..

thanks!

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thanks guys - don't take my comments the wrong way - I am very excited
about the future of 3D printing - I am just approaching this as a
'consumer'.

I got RepG working - and had my 8 yr old son design a skateboard ramp in
Tinkercad (thanks for the suggestion) its printing now - there goes my Sat
night now I am going to watch my Makerbot print for the next 2 hours

Use Tinkercad or 3d tin!

What would Steve Jobs do? He'd lock everything down so you can't do
anything with it without his permission! If the 3D model didn't
conform to his moral code you wouldn't be able to print it. If it
resembled something that was copyrighted the software would detect it,
and prevent you from making it unless you paid a fee. Sure, you could
"click print", but what if you wanted to do something else? I'll take
the frustrations and extra steps of open source any day. Where would
computers be today if IBM followed the Apple model, and not opened it
up for everybody? How many software and hardware projects do you find
on the Internet for Apple computers vs IBM compatible computers? Why
not teach your kids how to use the computer, not just blindly click
buttons?

Sketchup has been my 3D software of choice for a while.
There are a few reasons

   - It's easy for kids to learn
   - Many kids have already tried it out
   - It's already on a lot of computers at home and school
   - There are free plugins that extend it
   - You can make some pretty complex designs before you bump into
   Sketchup's real limitations

When working with Sketchup, I suggest you keep a few things in mind:

   - Design small things (initially) for 3D printing
   - Use the tape measure to create guidelines for the max size of your
   design envelope before you start designing
      - With the tape measure tool, click on the red and green axis lines
      and drag it out to 2" or so, then keep your design inside
   - Make the design close to the origin where the three axes come together
   - Use relatively simple geometry without zillions of faces
   - Check your designs to see if you are missing faces
      - Orbit around and find places where you can see the inside geometry
      of the shape
   - Check the design to see if you have reversed faces, which usually show
   up as purple in the default Sketchup configuration
      - Fill the missing faces by drawing a line along the edge, or adding
      a rectangle that heals the hole
   - Make only one design in a document
   - Name each document with a descriptive title so you can find it later
   - These steps have helped me to consistently create objects that can be
   printed

As to the What Would Steve Jobs Do With A 3D Printer thread, you should
keep this in mind: http://www.cedmagic.com/history/apple-1-2-steves.html
In the mid 1970's, personal computers were unlikely to have much more than
switches, lights and a power cord. Keyboards were an exciting innovation.
As this latest nascent technology we call 3D printing evolves, the
workflows are getting both easier and more diverse.
Printing on paper as a seamless set of steps didn't come until nearly a
decade later, in the mid 1980's. Nowadays, you don't even need a cable to
connect the 'computer' to the printer. Give it time. If you want some
aspect of the technology to improve faster, you can start working on that
problem. At some point, somebody else may pick up your cause, and add the
feature.

Let me know if you can use any help on the Sketchup workflow.
Chris

I'll second Chris' reasons and "things to keep in mind".

I'd add that it is good to learn about turning items into components sooner
than later. Components make it easy to just jump in, put some pieces
together, and get a working object.

Think of them like building blocks; you can make a bunch of common pieces
and add, arrange, resize, rotate, etc to make many new things. Pretty much
the way Tinkercad works (but without the "hole" objects, which are awesome
in Tinkercad). You can even modify one component, and it will update all of
the same components in the object. Alternatively you can make added
components "unique" so you can change that one without affecting the rest.

Besides allowing reuse of common objects, working with components will save
some major frustration when, after you've edited something you realize you
need to modify some base part but can't really get to it and you don't want
to undo the last 50 steps. If pieces are components, you can keep parts
separate until you want to join them (if you want/need to join them).

And, you're not wrong for wanting more "consumer friendly" 3D printers and
software. This is an area where others are going to innovate and eventually
take the lead (see: Cube 3D printer's form-factor, materials, spools,
instruction manual, software, etc...). Apple became what it is because they
saw that creative people wanted to be creative (and later consumers just
wanted to consume), and not have to be engineers, so they put together a
complete package (hardware/software) that made creation easy and simple.
IBM didn't care about that until too late (OS2 Warp) and you see where that
got them (no longer relevant in the consumer PC space).

Some people buy a chainsaw to turn logs into eagles, some people buy a
chainsaw to take it apart and see how engines work. ;-)

g.

Howie,

This is Kai form Tinkercad. We have been talking with the Makerbot guys
about direct to SD integration. The idea is to give you single click
download from Tinkercad to your SD card. Our main concern has been the
speed of Skeinforge, we strive to have all operations in Tinkercad take
just seconds instead of tens of minutes. That said, this is something that
we want happening sooner rather than later, we have several Makerbots at
the office so this is a concrete problem for us as well.

  Kai

--
Kai Backman, CEO
http://tinkercad.com - Mind to design in minutes

That sounds like a fantastic idea! Could you use Slicer instead?
Thank you
Ward Elder
Eldersoft
(204) 791-7754

From: Kai Backman [mailto:k...@tinkercad.com]
Sent: Sunday, September 02, 2012 10:59 AM
To: makerbot@googlegroups.com <makerbot@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [MakerBot] Help for the YOUNGEST MakerBot owners (how to print from Sketchup)

Howie,

This is Kai form Tinkercad. We have been talking with the Makerbot guys about direct to SD integration. The idea is to give you single click download from Tinkercad to your SD card. Our main concern has been the speed of Skeinforge, we strive to have all operations in Tinkercad take just seconds instead of tens of minutes. That said, this is something that we want happening sooner rather than later, we have several Makerbots at the office so this is a concrete problem for us as well.

  Kai

        thanks guys - don't take my comments the wrong way - I am very excited about the future of 3D printing - I am just approaching this as a 'consumer'.

        I got RepG working - and had my 8 yr old son design a skateboard ramp in Tinkercad (thanks for the suggestion) its printing now - there goes my Sat night now I am going to watch my Makerbot print for the next 2 hours

        On Saturday, September 1, 2012 12:45:55 PM UTC-4, Luis E. Rodriguez wrote:
        Use Tinkercad or 3d tin!

        On Saturday, September 1, 2012 12:45:55 PM UTC-4, Luis E. Rodriguez wrote:

                Use Tinkercad or 3d tin!

                You need an STL output plugin for sketchup. I'm mobile or I'd link.

                Sounds fun!

                Luis E. Rodriguez

                On Sep 1, 2012, at 11:40 AM, Howie <howiep...@gmail.com> wrote:

                        I bought my kids a Makerbot . . . I want them to experience 3D printing at a young age since I believe this is the future and I wanted to give them a head start.

                        We completed some test prints off the SD card shipped.

                        My kids can use Sketchup (they are making really simple objects)
                        I need help / advice on the easiest way to go from Sketchup to SD cart ready to print

                        Something an 8 year old can do / steps to follow . . ..

                        thanks!

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--
Kai Backman, CEO
http://tinkercad.com - Mind to design in minutes

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Well, there you go!  'Somebody else' is taking up your cause and adding the feature. Thanks Kain.

Tinkercad is great, and has a very important feature: there's no software installation.
Most of us haven't endured the joys of cajoling the it staff into installing an experimental software onto the school's computers. Getting all 25 installs done correctly is a challenge that most people wouldn't enjoy.
I'd be excited to try it out.

We have been eyeing Slicer as well. I think the key question is finding
something that is fast and produces toolpaths that are reliable on the
printer. It's easy to produce toolpaths quickly in our cluster environment,
we just don't know how to measure fidelity yet.

Obviously with a group of friendly testers willing to do a lot of prints we
could probably iterate on this pretty quickly.. :-)

Take care,

  Kai

--
Kai Backman, CEO
http://tinkercad.com - Mind to design in minutes

I am more than willing to test. I have a TOM and a Replicator running on Win7 x64.
Thank you
Ward Elder
Eldersoft
(204) 791-7754

From: Kai Backman [mailto:k...@tinkercad.com]
Sent: Sunday, September 02, 2012 10:47 PM
To: makerbot@googlegroups.com <makerbot@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [MakerBot] Help for the YOUNGEST MakerBot owners (how to print from Sketchup)

We have been eyeing Slicer as well. I think the key question is finding something that is fast and produces toolpaths that are reliable on the printer. It's easy to produce toolpaths quickly in our cluster environment, we just don't know how to measure fidelity yet.

Obviously with a group of friendly testers willing to do a lot of prints we could probably iterate on this pretty quickly.. :-)

Take care,

  Kai

        That sounds like a fantastic idea! Could you use Slicer instead?
        Thank you
        Ward Elder
        Eldersoft
        (204) 791-7754 <tel:%28204%29%20791-7754>

        From: Kai Backman [mailto:k...@tinkercad.com]
        Sent: Sunday, September 02, 2012 10:59 AM
        To: makerbot@googlegroups.com <makerbot@googlegroups.com>
        Subject: Re: [MakerBot] Help for the YOUNGEST MakerBot owners (how to print from Sketchup)

        Howie,

        This is Kai form Tinkercad. We have been talking with the Makerbot guys about direct to SD integration. The idea is to give you single click download from Tinkercad to your SD card. Our main concern has been the speed of Skeinforge, we strive to have all operations in Tinkercad take just seconds instead of tens of minutes. That said, this is something that we want happening sooner rather than later, we have several Makerbots at the office so this is a concrete problem for us as well.

          Kai

        On Sat, Sep 1, 2012 at 8:34 PM, Howie <howieperso...@gmail.com> wrote:

                thanks guys - don't take my comments the wrong way - I am very excited about the future of 3D printing - I am just approaching this as a 'consumer'.

                I got RepG working - and had my 8 yr old son design a skateboard ramp in Tinkercad (thanks for the suggestion) its printing now - there goes my Sat night now I am going to watch my Makerbot print for the next 2 hours

                On Saturday, September 1, 2012 12:45:55 PM UTC-4, Luis E. Rodriguez wrote:
                Use Tinkercad or 3d tin!

                On Saturday, September 1, 2012 12:45:55 PM UTC-4, Luis E. Rodriguez wrote:

                        Use Tinkercad or 3d tin!

                        You need an STL output plugin for sketchup. I'm mobile or I'd link.

                        Sounds fun!

                        Luis E. Rodriguez

                        On Sep 1, 2012, at 11:40 AM, Howie <howiep...@gmail.com> wrote:

                                I bought my kids a Makerbot . . . I want them to experience 3D printing at a young age since I believe this is the future and I wanted to give them a head start.

                                We completed some test prints off the SD card shipped.

                                My kids can use Sketchup (they are making really simple objects)
                                I need help / advice on the easiest way to go from Sketchup to SD cart ready to print

                                Something an 8 year old can do / steps to follow . . ..

                                thanks!

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Steve Wozniak's first offerings were not so polished. Pedantic but
important difference.

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack the thread. As you were.

My kids 8 and 10 years old are loving Sculptris it's pretty easy to make
very cool things with it.  After they make something that is remotely
printable I export their model as an *.obj file then import it into Netfabb
and slice it in half then export that as an *.stl which is printable.

See http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:27536 for a pic of my daughter with
her dragon head she designed.