Learn Blender for 3D Printing – Complete Quick and Easy Guide (Beginner)

In this comprehensive beginner’s guide, you will learn how to use Blender, a powerful 3D modeling software that is free and open source, to design objects for 3D printing. The tutorial provides a step-by-step guide on how to navigate the Blender interface, manipulate objects, and change the units to millimeters for 3D printing. You will also learn how to edit objects using different modes, create custom containers, and add text to objects. The tutorial recommends supporting 3D Printer Academy for more free lessons. Overall, this guide will equip you with the necessary skills to create amazing 3D designs for your 3D printer.

When you open Blender for the first time, you’ll see a camera, a light, and the default cube, which is the main object. This guide will teach you how to navigate and interact with these objects. You can move the screen by holding the middle mouse button and moving your mouse, and to select and delete an item, you simply click on it and press the X key. In Blender, you can manipulate objects using tools such as the move, rotate, and scale tools. You can also change the units to millimeters for 3D printing and edit objects using different modes like object mode and edit mode. This guide will walk you through the process of creating a custom container and adding text to objects, ultimately allowing you to export your designs as STL files for 3D printing.

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Getting Started

Downloading and Installing Blender

To get started with Blender, the first thing you need to do is download and install the software. Blender is a free and open-source 3D modeling software, which means you can easily find the latest version of Blender online.

To download Blender, go to the official Blender website and click on the “Download” button. Choose the version of Blender that is compatible with your operating system, whether it’s Windows, macOS, or Linux. Once the download is complete, run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to install Blender on your computer.

Overview of Blender Interface

After successfully installing Blender, you’ll be greeted with the Blender interface. This interface may look overwhelming at first, but don’t worry, we’ll guide you through it.

When you open Blender, you’ll see three items on the screen: a camera, a light, and the default cube. These items are part of the default scene in Blender. You can use the middle mouse button to move around the screen and the shift key in combination with the middle mouse button to pan the view.

To select an item, simply click on it. If you want to delete an item, press the “X” key on the keyboard and then click on “Delete” in the pop-up menu. In the beginning, you can delete the camera and the light since we won’t be needing them for our 3D printing project.

To move an object, select it and use the move tool located on the left side of the screen. You can also rotate and scale objects using the corresponding tools. To exit any of these tools, simply go back to the select box tool.

If you want to see the details of an object, press the “N” key on the keyboard. This will bring up the properties panel, where you can view and modify various properties of the selected object, such as its location, rotation, scale, and dimensions.

Navigating and Manipulating Objects

Navigating the 3D View

In Blender, the 3D view is where you’ll be working on your objects. To navigate the 3D view, you can use a combination of mouse movements and keyboard shortcuts.

To rotate the view, hold down the middle mouse button and move your mouse. This allows you to view your object from different angles. If you want to pan the view, hold down the Shift key while pressing the middle mouse button and move your mouse. This allows you to move the view from side to side and up and down.

To zoom in and out, use the scroll wheel on your mouse. Alternatively, you can press the “+” and “-” keys on the keyboard. This allows you to zoom in for a closer look or zoom out for a broader view of your scene.

Transforming Objects

In Blender, you can transform objects by moving, rotating, and scaling them. These transformations can be done in both object mode and edit mode.

To move an object, select it and use the move tool located on the left side of the screen. You can click and drag the arrow to move the object along a specific axis or grab the center circle to move the object freely in any direction.

To rotate an object, use the rotate tool. Click and drag the corresponding circle to rotate the object around a specific axis. You can also rotate the object freely by grabbing the center circle.

To scale an object, use the scale tool. Click and drag the corresponding arrow to scale the object along a specific axis. You can also grab the center circle to scale the object uniformly in all directions.

Remember that these transformations are done in object mode. If you want to edit the vertices, edges, or faces of an object, you’ll need to switch to edit mode. We’ll cover more about edit mode in the next section.

Changing Units for 3D Printing

Accessing the Scene Properties

When designing objects for 3D printing, it’s important to work with the correct units. By default, Blender works with the metric system and uses meters as the unit of measurement. However, most 3D printers use millimeters as their unit of measurement.

To change the units in Blender, you need to access the scene properties. To do this, go to the top menu and click on the “Scene” tab. This will open the scene properties panel on the right side of the screen.

Setting Units to Millimeters

In the scene properties panel, you’ll find a section called “Units”. Here, you can change the length unit from meters to millimeters. Click on the drop-down menu next to “Length” and choose “Millimeters” as the unit.

After selecting millimeters, you’ll notice that the grid in the 3D view disappears. This is because the default grid is scaled for meters. To adjust the grid to match the new unit of measurement, go to the viewport overlays menu at the top right of the 3D view. Open the drop-down menu and adjust the grid scale to 0.001.

Now you have successfully changed the units in Blender to millimeters. You can manually set the dimensions of your objects by changing the values in the object properties panel or by using the transform tools we discussed earlier.

Editing Objects in Blender

Object Mode vs. Edit Mode

In Blender, there are two main modes for editing objects: object mode and edit mode. Object mode allows you to move, rotate, and scale entire objects, while edit mode allows you to edit the vertices, edges, and faces of an object in more detail.

To switch between object mode and edit mode, you can use the drop-down menu located at the top left of the screen. By default, Blender opens in object mode. To switch to edit mode, select the object you want to edit and choose edit mode from the drop-down menu.

Selecting and Deselecting Objects

In edit mode, you can select and deselect individual vertices, edges, and faces of an object.

To select a single vertex, edge, or face, simply click on it. You can also select multiple vertices, edges, or faces by holding down the Shift key and clicking on each element you want to select.

To deselect elements, click outside of the object or hold down the Shift key and click on the elements you want to deselect.

Modifying Vertices, Edges, and Faces

Once you have selected vertices, edges, or faces in edit mode, you can modify them using various tools and operations.

In the left panel of the Blender interface, you’ll find a range of tools for editing objects, such as extrusion, beveling, and inset. These tools allow you to manipulate the shape and form of your object by adding or modifying its geometry.

For example, you can use the extrude tool to create new geometry by pulling selected vertices, edges, or faces in a particular direction. The bevel tool allows you to round or chamfer the edges of an object, while the inset tool lets you create inset faces within the object.

Experiment with these tools and explore their different settings to achieve the desired shape and form for your object.

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Creating Custom Containers

Adding a Box Object

To create custom containers in Blender, you can start by adding a box object. In object mode, go to the top menu and click on “Add” and then “Mesh” to open a menu of different mesh objects. From the menu, select “Cube” to add a cube object to your scene.

The cube object will appear at the origin point of the scene. To move the cube to a desired location, select it and use the move tool to drag it to the desired position.

Resizing and Positioning the Box Object

With the cube object selected, you can resize it to the desired dimensions. In the object properties panel, you can manually set the dimensions of the cube or use the scale tool to resize it interactively.

To resize the cube using the scale tool, select the scale tool on the left side of the screen. Click and drag the arrow or circle corresponding to the axis along which you want to scale the cube.

You can also rotate the cube using the rotate tool and position it using the move tool. Experiment with these different transformations to create a custom container shape that suits your needs.

Adding Text to Objects

Creating Text in Blender

To add text to your objects in Blender, you can use the text tool. In object mode, go to the top menu and click on “Add” and then “Text” to add a text object to your scene.

The text object will appear at the origin point of the scene. To move the text to a desired location, select it and use the move tool to drag it to the desired position.

Converting Text to Mesh

By default, the text in Blender is a 2D object. To convert it into a 3D object, you need to convert the text to a mesh object.

With the text object selected, go to the top menu and click on “Object” and then “Convert to” and choose “Mesh from Curve/Meta/Surf/Text”. This will convert the text into a mesh object.

Extruding the Text to Create a 3D Effect

Once the text is converted into a mesh object, you can give it a 3D effect by extruding it. In edit mode, select the vertices, edges, or faces that you want to extrude and use the extrude tool to pull them out.

The extrude tool allows you to create depth and volume in your text by pulling selected elements along a specific axis. Experiment with different extrusion techniques to achieve the desired 3D effect for your text.

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Combining Objects with Boolean Modifier

Adding a Boolean Modifier

The Boolean modifier in Blender allows you to combine objects by performing operations such as union, difference, and intersection. This can be useful when you want to create connected objects or cut holes into existing objects.

To add a Boolean modifier to an object, select the object you want to modify and go to the properties panel. Click on the wrench icon to open the modifiers menu, and then click on the “Add Modifier” button. From the list of modifiers, choose the “Boolean” modifier.

Applying the Boolean Operation

Once you have added the Boolean modifier to an object, you can choose the operation you want to perform. The operation options include union, difference, and intersection.

To perform the Boolean operation, you need to select the object that will act as the target and the object that will be modified. The target object is the one on which the Boolean operation will be applied, while the modified object is the one that will be used as the source for the modification.

Experiment with different Boolean operations and combinations to create complex shapes and structures by combining multiple objects.

Refining the Object Shape with Bevels

Selecting Edges for Beveling

In Blender, you can use the bevel tool to add rounded edges or chamfers to the sharp corners of your objects. This can help refine the shape and make the object look more polished.

To apply a bevel to an object, start by selecting the edges that you want to bevel. In edit mode, switch to edge selection mode and click on the edges you want to bevel. You can select multiple edges by holding down the Shift key while clicking.

Adjusting Bevel Settings

Once you have selected the edges for beveling, you can adjust the bevel settings to control the size and shape of the bevel. In the left panel of the Blender interface, you’ll find the bevel tool settings.

Experiment with different bevel sizes, segments, and profiles to achieve the desired effect for your object. Don’t be afraid to try different combinations and iterate until you’re satisfied with the result.

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Exporting as an STL File

Checking for 3D Print Readiness

Before you export your model for 3D printing, it’s important to check if it’s ready for printing. This involves ensuring that the model is airtight, free of errors, and properly scaled.

To check for errors in your model, you can use the built-in tools in Blender. Go to the top menu and click on “Mesh” and then “Cleanup”. This will perform a series of checks on your model and highlight any potential issues that need to be fixed.

To ensure that your model is properly scaled, refer to the specifications of your 3D printer or the 3D printing service you plan to use. Make sure that the dimensions of your model in Blender match the desired dimensions in millimeters.

Exporting as an STL File

To export your model as an STL file, go to the top menu and click on “File” and then “Export”. From the list of file formats, choose “Stl (.stl)”.

In the export settings, make sure to select the appropriate options for your specific needs. These options may include the scale, units, and orientation of the exported STL file. Once you have configured the export settings, choose a location to save the file and click on “Export STL” to save your model as an STL file.

Conclusion

In this comprehensive guide, we have covered the basic steps for using Blender for 3D printing. We began by explaining how to download and install Blender, followed by an overview of the Blender interface.

We then discussed how to navigate and manipulate objects in Blender, including methods for moving, rotating, and scaling objects. We also explored how to change the units in Blender to millimeters, which is important for 3D printing.

Next, we delved into the process of editing objects in Blender, covering both object mode and edit mode. We explained how to select and deselect objects and how to modify vertices, edges, and faces.

We then provided a step-by-step guide on how to create custom containers, add text to objects, combine objects with the Boolean modifier, and refine the object shape with bevels.

Finally, we discussed the process of exporting your models as STL files, including important considerations such as checking for 3D print readiness and configuring the export settings.

By following this guide, you should now have a solid foundation in using Blender for 3D printing. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced user, Blender offers a wide range of tools and features to bring your 3D printing projects to life.

Blender is an incredibly powerful 3D modeling software that is both free and open source. In this complete guide, you will learn how to use Blender to design your own creations for 3D printing, from start to finish.

After mastering the basics, I recommend diving into the next lesson, which will teach you how to use boolean modifiers in Blender. This technique will expand your design capabilities and allow you to create even more complex models.

If you want to become a true Blender pro, I encourage you to watch the entire playlist of tutorials. This comprehensive set of videos will cover everything you need to know about designing for 3D printing using Blender. By the end, you will have gained a wealth of knowledge and skills.

If you find these lessons helpful and would like to support the 3D Printer Academy, consider becoming a patron on Patreon. Your support will enable me to create more free lessons and provide valuable resources to the community.

For additional resources, including STL files, courses, and product recommendations, visit the 3D Printer Academy website. There, you will find a wealth of information to further enhance your learning experience.