Egilman

I believe the best FDM resolution is currently 120 microns? (someone correct me if I'm wrong) The standard for SLA is 50 microns... (and I believe 35 microns is right around the corner) So yeah, for larger models it's ok but you still have to deal with surface roughness after the print... My personal belief is that SLA will overtake FDM as the 3D printing standard within the next year and a half. the guys posting to the STL file download sites are already creating models with the option for SLA printing over FDM... The changeover is already happening....

Well, there are probably some here that will give it a shot, me I'm heavily invested in SLA at this point.. (I completely bypassed FDM printing) so software devoted to FDM printing is probably not going to work for me... But there are some that are invested in FDM and working out their workflow for incredible models already... It's a good idea and probably the best course is to develop it for FDM and when it is up, stable and functional then add in SLA printing to it... Me, I need SLA for it's precision and fine detail capabilities when I get finished learning, I'm going to be building something in the 6' long range at 1/72nd scale... the ability to print fine detail is a must... FDM isn't capable of that fine a level of detail... I hope it works for ya, if I can help in any way be sure to post....

Excellent... There is an easier way to design the mating surfaces as well which will use less resin and give you more gluing surface for a much cleaner look.... The look doesn't really matter cause it will be inside I know... but it will also make your design simpler and faster to execute... Let me know how it turns out my friend...

I do have a question, why are you printing the side pieces flat? if you printed them vertical you will need fewer supports... these are the side galleries correct? since they taper off to the hull going forward, print the aft side against the build plate and let the exterior just form itself in free space... The only thing you will have to clean up is the mating surface and interior which is very easily done...... Just a suggestion off the top of my head..

That final pic looks perfect..... Just the right amount of sag..... The adjustment you made fits the subject so it is completely hidden... Excellent work, much easier than doing it on a tank..... Sometimes getting the pitch of the tracks right (distance between pins) is the most difficult part of building tracks cause any error is cumulative...

Taming the teenager and their rough edges... {chuckle} If I had the answer for that I would be a billionaire. Seriously though, what is making the edge rough? shouldn't there be a way to arrange the print so both edges are smooth?

Ok, the pins become locators for the side parts as well as attachment points... Mechanically complex with little room for adjustment... Why not a simple ledge structure inset along the edge, on either part, where the side part is simply laid along the edge and glued in place? would look like a square trim block in the corner when standing vertical and would be hardly noticed? Mechanically simple, easily adjustable and will work as locaters much better than pins....

Thanks for responding Rick... Actually, 3D capability has been around for over 40 years, well known in the engineering fields as is additive manufacturing which has been around over 70 years.... It's only natural for the "normal" cad software creators/builders to start adding it to their repertoire's... The real thing is creating a straight workflow from 3D cad to 3D print in small scale to suit the burgeoning 3D printer market... They all want a piece of that market.... And a software designed specifically to create a model and then print to 3D would be a kinda revolution in process, don't be surprised if the larger cad houses take the idea and incorporate it into their software... It is the next logical step.... That being said, we need to get to the crux of what we are doing cause model building, although a large market is still only a niche market... we deal in design with a lot of the same things full sized builders have to in general but there are specifics that only apply to modeling... Most ship models, and models in general, deal with scale... much smaller than real life objects... A 1" plate in RL will only be .005" in scale in some of the scales we work in so compromises in design have to be factored in... Interiors although desirable in some models, are not in many others... (what the point of internal compartmentalization in a 1/350th scale warship for example or at 1/700 scale?) A 1/24th or 48th scale model would easily benefit from it depending on the model, but for most modern type ship models it doesn't... Also, 3D printing has certain requirements, a model has to be a solid body to be accurately printed on the better 3D printers... It doesn't matter what the object being printed is for... (even if it is compartmentalized the compartment walls have to be what is called watertight solid) No edge gaps at all... And this is the biggest issue with 3D software at the present... As long as it was just FDM printing it really wasn't an issue but with the advent of Resin printing it does become an issue. many of the models on the download sites can't be printed on an SLA printer because of this... Not trying to tell you not to proceed nor that it has no value, quite the contrary, your idea has great value and for modeling is to me the next logical step in creating a good workflow... But it has to be based upon real world material/modeling requirements. Some things are just plain too small to be modeled accurately.... (and computer cad can accurately draw/measure down to the fractional mil) Any software that is designed for modeling has to take that into account when considering 3D printing... Resin when fully cured is very brittle and parts that are thin enough to represent say splinter shields on a battleship in 1/350th scale a lot of times get broken before they are even removed from their island bases so that has to be accounted for as well... I will follow with great interest as you proceed, sounds like a great project.... I'm sure there are lots of modelers here with a lot of modeling experience as well as engineering experience that can help with getting the base requirements of a good design software for 3D printing for modeling...

It's coming along, I've had a few RL episodes I've had to deal with so it forced a break in the progress but I'll be ready....

Olive drab will work as long as it is on the greenish side.. the American Mk V's were delivered painted British army green, which dulled down fairly quickly... and they were liberally splattered with brown mud from the moment they hit the field.. (sometimes deliberately) The mud was usually a very rich brown when fresh, and a dark khaki when dry.... They were also usually covered with dust cause they kicked up huge clouds of it in dry conditions...

Yes it's a HUGE shame.... (also another little detail, the collection has been reduced substantially) Many of the vehicles have been sold off to other museums around the world.... Like the Sd kfz 254, one of only three known to exist, it was sold to the Heers museum in Germany.... (the second is in one of the British museums and the third is in a private collection) They kept only what they consider historically significant, or of interest in the history of the US army.... and a few of the only examples available.... It's a real shame, it used to be one of the worlds premier collections....

Currently the only software that directly addresses this is Autodesk's Raster Design.... It is capable of doing exactly what your showing.... Hopefully you can develop it into a very useable piece of software....

Hi Rick, Welcome to the thread... You might want to pop over to the MSW new users thread and introduce yourself... Yes this thread is about modeling a ships hull in 3D software, ostensibly for the purpose of modeling said hull on a 3D printer... It wasn't intended to rate one software over another or really compare them but I can see where one can make judgments based upon what is being posted here... Soon I'm going to be posting about my test hull done in Rhino.... So far it's the best I've tried... Someone might take a look at your software, they are sure welcome to try, and I hope they report back here about it..... Again welcome to the Forum and thread... EG

Aberdeen Proving Ground Museum in Aberdeen, Maryland was closed in September 2010, the museum is now located at Ft Lee... and is still impressive, but nothing like the original.... Currently, the collection is used exclusively for training and not available for public viewing. Currently, only soldiers with an 89, 91, or 94 series MOS are authorized entry.

The MK VII tank, there were only three of them built, none of them survive... essentially a MK V with a new drive system.... They were cancelled in 1918 with the end of the war and the choice to go with the International MK VIII.... The Last Crusade Tank was actually a production prop... Built on an old excavator chassis, namely a HYMAC 590 and was powered by two rover V8 engines, drive gear installed and modified by a specialist engineer from Chertsey in Surrey, Diablo (Victor) Donnelly It was based on the real-world Tank Mark VIII which possessed no main top turret. The replica measured 36 feet (11 m) long and weighed 28 short tons. (25 t) On the MGM lot... It has since been repainted.....

As long as you don't call it a US Navy Yangtze river gunboat I think your good to go.... (although the designer, Boris Leven, loosely based it upon the USS Panay PG-45) It was a real ship built in Hong Kong and motored, (diesel powered not steam) it's way across the Formosa Strait to get to the shooting site... For the engine room scenes they acquired a 1926 triple expansion steam engine from an old trawler on the way to the scrap yards... Two of the largest movie props ever constructed.... She was eventually broken up in 1975 as the "Nola D" in Singapore. There are models of her around.....

.95 meter, 37 inches wingspan at 1/50th

I'm here brother...

It won't loosen them, it just makes the glue more brittle than the plastic....

That's the way soft feather edge camo is done brother... WELL DONE!!

It is... I am becoming very attached to the Adjustable Curve Blend..... It is a VERY impressive tool for making drawing compound variable curves as easy as drawing a straight line....

That's inflation for ya....

Agreed! Understatement of the year as well! Best example of scratch building and modelers vision I've seen in a long time.... That should be on someone's magazine cover....

Yes, doing it this way also humanizes the instructor and provides many opportunities to show how it works in a real environment.... The details, it's all in the details.... Thank you my friend for the linkage, I can't wait to see how you do it.... (but I will have a solid basis of understanding when you start) I guess he also offers them on Udemy (scroll down), at a higher price point but with full course materials... (he is also the highest rated Rhino instructor on Udemy, well deserved judging from the user commentary on his courses) Certainly is much superior to Linked-In Learnings offerings on Rhino... Again Thank You Richard, this is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow on Rhino for me.... The Authors Webpage.... And his Facebook Page....

I've paid for two already, the first was the ship course that Richard vouched for and after binge watching the whole thing, (and archiving it) I took the middle one of the six ... (it's exactly same as the one with the watch image) Yeah, the one that starts you out from nothing... 70+ lessons long.... (and I keep eyeballin' that Spit tut) Looks like he's got the basics covered....