Splitting up large prints of a single object

[Declan Shanaghy]

The latest model im working on is too large to fit on the build platform.

I've modeled it in sketchup and I want to split it up to print in pieces

then glue them together.

Of course i could model each piece individually within a single file, or multiple files,

however I'd prefer to design it as a whole then easily split it up and save that

separately. That way i can iterate the design and re-split it somehow.

Are there are any recommended methods for doing this?

Is this even the normal way of doing it?

For large prints do people usually just maintain each piece individually?

--
"An engineer's definition of done is the perfect set of code, and left to his own devices, an engineer will endlessly improve the code on the mythic journey to done."
-- http://www.randsinrepose.com

[The Ruttmeister]

The easiest way is to load the STL into netfabb studio basic and use
the slice tools (using the triangulate setting) to chop the model up.

Its much more effective to design it in 2 parts from the beginning. It
means at the very least you can have matching holes for locating pegs.

[Herón Ordóñez Guillén]

I have used netfabb studio basic. 

It's kind of a pain to work with its license keys, in my mac it just forgets it :S but it's free and it's got a really nice tool for this stuff. It also has some easy to use mesh repair tools.

anyway, if someone else has got another method, I'd also like to know 

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[Jeremy Green]

You could try using openscad.  You can use the intersect or difference to cut out parts.

It takes a little fiddling around but it works pretty well.

-Jeremy

[Zip Zap]

I'm using a hacked version of Autodesk 3ds Max 2010.  I cut up large STL objects all the time.  The main tool is the "ProCutter".  You can view it on YouTube.  Basically you create a flat plane and use that as a knife and just slice the object in any angle you want.  Then select each piece to export it out as an individual STL file.  You can use other shapes like a cylinder and punch holes into your objects.  But for straight up slicing, the plane is used more often. 

---

From: Jeremy Green <jeremya...@gmail.com>
To: make...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2011 8:30 PM
Subject: Re: [MakerBot] Splitting up large prints of a single object

[Matt Smollinger]

+1 to netfabb basic. I occasionally then wash my STLs through the
cloud-print repair service from netfabb if it looks like the STL file
has issues in RepG.

--Matt--

On Sep 29, 11:40 pm, Zip Zap <zzap...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I'm using a hacked version of Autodesk 3ds Max 2010.  I cut up large STL objects all the time.  The main tool is the "ProCutter".  You can view it on YouTube.  Basically you create a flat plane and use that as a knife and just slice the object in any angle you want.  Then select each piece to export it out as an individual STL file.  You can use other shapes like a cylinder and punch holes into your objects.  But for straight up slicing, the plane is used more often. 
>
> ________________________________

> From: Jeremy Green <jeremyalangr...@gmail.com>

> To: make...@googlegroups.com
> Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2011 8:30 PM
> Subject: Re: [MakerBot] Splitting up large prints of a single object
>
> You could try using openscad.  You can use the intersect or difference to cut out parts.
> It takes a little fiddling around but it works pretty well.
>
> -Jeremy
>
> On Sep 29, 2011, at 9:10 PM, Declan Shanaghy wrote:
>
> The latest model im working on is too large to fit on the build platform.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >I've modeled it in sketchup and I want to split it up to print in pieces
> >then glue them together.
>
> >Of course i could model each piece individually within a single file, or multiple files,
> >however I'd prefer to design it as a whole then easily split it up and save that
> >separately. That way i can iterate the design and re-split it somehow.
>
> >Are there are any recommended methods for doing this?
>
> >Is this even the normal way of doing it?
> >For large prints do people usually just maintain each piece individually?
>
> >--
> >"An engineer's definition of done is the perfect set of code, and left to his own devices, an engineer will endlessly improve the code on the mythic journey to done."

> >--http://www.randsinrepose.com

>
> --
> >You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MakerBot Operators" group.
> >To post to this group, send email to make...@googlegroups.com.
> >To unsubscribe from this group, send email to makerbot+u...@googlegroups.com.

> >For more options, visit this group athttp://groups.google.com/group/makerbot?hl=en.

[dec...@shanaghy.com]

Cool, thanks for all the suggestions. I just discovered the plane
cutting method and used that in Sketchup too.

I've been avoiding OpenSCAD for now, since i write code all day, its
nice to get outta that realm in the evenings! :-)

[makerman]

In your design program make a sheet (cuboid with a thickness of .5 mm
or less) and subtract it from your model. Then you have two parts,
save them separately. If the clue layer is .5 mm then it will be
perfect.