CAD3D Project

SketchUp - Project• Create a new SketchUp project called InitialsXX where the XX are your first and last initial.• Use the Rectangle tool to create a box 4” by 6”. The box should look like this.

Use the Tape Measure tool to add guidelines 1” from each of the sides of the rectangle. Also place a guideline in the center of the 6” direction.

Using the 3D Text tool, enter the following:• font “Comic Sans MS”• Bold• set the Extruded value to 1/4.• Align : center• Height 2.5”• Extrude ¼”• enter your initials in capital letters• Select “Place”

• Now press the Place button to put your initials on the rectangle with the guide lines on it. • Your initials will not be positioned correctly, but that is okay. • Go ahead and position them as close to the center of the rectangle as possible. • Use the Move tool to move your initials• Use the Rotate tool to “turn your initials” • Try and do this so they are in the center of the guidelines. • The exact position of your initials is not important.

• Note* try and insert the following toolbar: View>Toolbars>Views

It should like this.

Use the Push/Pull tool to pull the rectangle down so its thickness is ¼”. This will mean your initials should just be barely be showing in the top surface.

Add dimensions to the figure using the Dimensions Tool .

Check your dimensions to make sure everything is correctly done.

Go into Edit > Delete guide lines. Erase all dimension.

Your figure should look like this and we are ready :• to print our project for fabrication and • convert it to files needed to print a 3D copy.

Preparing your CAD file

for fabrication.

• Save your file.• Next, you need to print the drawing so you can use it in the shop to cut out your initials. There are

several steps to printing the file at 100% size. • Select the Camera > Standard Views. The Standard views submenu is displayed. Select the Top option.

The drawing area changes to the view on the left.• Select the Camera > Parallel Projection. • Now enlarge your drawing so that it pretty much takes up your whole viewing area and it is located in

the upper right hand corner (see right figure).

• Select File > Print Setup. A Print Setup dialog box appears.

• Select “Landscape” and then click “OK”

• Select the File > Print. The Print dialog box appears.

• Uncheck the 'Fit to page' checkbox. The Page size fields

appear active.

• Uncheck the “Use model extents” checkbox.

• Set the scale using the Scale fields to be a 1 to 1 scale.

• Go to File>Print Preview and check to make sure your

model now fits a standard sheet of paper (11” x 8.5”)

• Click the OK button.

• It should look like the figure to the right .

• Ask one of the instructors or mentors to check your work.

Using your CAD File for 3D Printing

SketchUp – Exporting to STL

• After printing, click on the “Select” tool and then triple click the

box around your initials to select it.

• Then use the Edit->Hide menu option to hide the box. This will

leave just your initials showing.

• Use the File->Export STL and adjust the window so that it looks like the following:

• Now select Export to export your file

• In the next window, add the abbreviation “.stl” at the end of the file name

and then navigate to where you want to save the file and press the

Save button. This will put a file called InitialXX.stl in the directory you

selected.

• Use the Edit->Unhide->All to display everything in your SketchUp model.

• Save your file.

3D Print - Preparation

Note to teachers: Here is a link to set up Cura on your machine (https://airwolf3d.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/5000626357-cura-installing-and-setup)Once you have Cura loaded, you will need to load the ABS profile. Here is the ABS profile for our dual head printers (https://www.dropbox.com/sh/48itfsw2taexafj/AABPKrog3bOIJWVbNxNfgsqOa/SLICING%20CONFIGURATIONS/CURA%20NATIVE%20CONFIGURATIONS/2-%20Dual%20Head/Older%20Settings/DUAL%20ABS.ini?dl=0) and here is the ABS profile for our single head printers (https://www.dropbox.com/sh/48itfsw2taexafj/AABNYK4t3U3qA9Ucmk7ndz1ga/SLICING%20CONFIGURATIONS/CURA%20NATIVE%20CONFIGURATIONS/1-%20Single%20Head/Older%20Settings/HD%20SINGLE%20ABS%20PRECISE.ini?dl=0)

• The first step in 3D printing is to build a model of what you want to print. The steps above have done that. The second step is to convert the STL file you created from your model into a format the 3D printer will understand.

• Open the Cura program.

Select the Load icon to load the InitialXX file.

Your display will now look something like this. You may need to rotate the letters 90 degrees to get them positioned in this direction. You can select your initials and use the rotate icon near the bottom of the window to rotate as needed.

Next you want to confirm your print setting are correct. To do this you will need to be in the “full settings” profile. You can confirm you are in the “full settings” mode by using the Expert menu option as shown below.

Your Basic Tab Parameters should look like this:

Your Advance Tab parameters should look like this:

Your machine settings should look like this:

Next use the Save Toolpath icon to export the .gcode file. The .gcode file is what the printer uses to print your initials. This icon will ask you where you want to save the file. The default is to save the file in the same folder as your .stl file and to use the same file name. The default folder and name will work fine.

It is also possible load multiple STL file when using the Load icon. Here is an example of 4 sets of initials loaded at one time.

3D Print - Printing• After the .gcode file is created, you need to put it on an SD card and take it to the

printer for printing.• The printers take a microSD card but comes with a microSD card to SD card adapter.

Use this adapter and either place the SD card in you computer or use a USB stick to SD card adapter.

• After you can see the SD card on your computer, copy the InitialXX.gcode file from the computer to the SD card.

• Go to the 3D printer and put the micro SD card in the slot.• Make sure you have WolfBite on the printer glass.• Preheat the printer.• Use the menu to select Print from SD. Sometimes the printer does not read the SD

card. If this happens, turn the printer off for a few seconds and then turn it back on. You should now be able to read the SD card.

• Navigate to your InitialXX.gcode file and select the file to start it printing. Note the printer will go through a warm up sequence again, but this time should be much faster since you went through the preheat cycle.

• There is a tendency to want to reach into the print area to clean up different pieces of filament. Don’t do this as thing are very hot in the print area. The extruder is running at about 480 degrees fahrenheit.

• After the print has finished, let the bed cool down before trying to remove the print. The WolfBite will hold the part on the bed while the bed is hot, but after the bed cools down, the part is easy to remove.

That’s It!!!!!