Chapter 9

3D Printing with SketchUp Models

In This Chapter

arrow Dividing your model into layers

arrow Using SketchUp files for 3D printing

arrow Preparing a SketchUp model for 3D printing

arrow Knowing your 3D printers

arrow Going beyond basics with joints and motion

Seeing your masterpiece in SketchUp is cool. You can twist and turn and view it from every angle. But wouldn’t the world be so much cooler if you could hold your creation in your hands?

This chapter talks about using SketchUp with a 3D printer.

In organizing the chapter, I am dangerously assuming that you didn’t just skip all the way forward to get here, and have a working understanding of SketchUp and its tools. I’m also assuming you’ve heard about 3D printers and are curious to learn more. The focus is on desktop 3D printers, the most common class of 3D printers on earth. You get a look at 3D printing technology in general, and touch briefly on a few types of professional machines.

Most of this chapter discusses guidelines, methods, and tools ...

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