My first 3d printer...

Hello everyone.

I´ve been reading various topics in these forums for a couple of months now, ever since I saw the Ormerod printer the first time. I´ve purchased one and I am now finished building it.

I am very pleased with the quality of the materials and the building instructions and I´m very excited to start printing!

Now I need to download the 6 programs needed for running it, and then teach myself how to use a 3d drawing program

In that regard, is there any update on or hints to use the programs I must have for the printer, or should I just follow the instructions on the ormerod "documentation" site?

Thank you in advance!

Steffen.

Welcome Steffan...
Ian from Rep-Rap has done a great job of updating all the info Here.

As for 3D software, then it depends on personal choice... I like FreeCad myself, but others like Designsparks.... They are Open scource so free to use,
and every bit as good as the paid for software.

Kim

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Please send me a PM if you have suggestions, or problems with Big Blue 360.
I won't see comments in threads, as I move around to much.
Working Link to Big Blue 360 Complete

i dont know freecad but i like to use sketchup - it is very easy to use and u will get fast results as long as you dont want to design complex organic things

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Steffen Thorsen
...I am very pleased with the quality of the materials and the building instructions and I´m very excited to start printing!

Congrats! - yes now go print something, see the result of your hard work!

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Now I need to download the 6 programs needed for running it, and then teach myself how to use a 3d drawing program

In that regard, is there any update on or hints to use the programs I must have for the printer, or should I just follow the instructions on the ormerod "documentation" site?..

For me (after printing the from sd-card snowmen and coathangers)...the most important thing was the help I got setting up the slicer program as to be able to slice and print something myself - I installed dc42's Slic3r ini files he so kindly shared and that got me printing in no time, yes I have made some fine tuning since then but it was very important for me to get printing at that time

Erik

I found OpenScad to be an excellent 3D CAD design tool, though many might be dissuaded due to the text-based input method rather than a GUI. Text based inputs do however have many significant advantages over a GUI based method, so it's worth persevering to understand. I am finding it a lot faster to enter a design than by GUI, and tweaks and changes are a lot easier to make, especially if you are sensible about describing dimensions in terms of major variables instead of entering raw figures for each shape.

For a VDU case design, for example, if I need to change it to suit a display module that has different dimensions, I will usually need to start pretty much from scratch if using even an expensive top-end GUI CAD tool. But with free OpenScad, I simply change the values of the variables that define the screen size, and because other dimensions in my design are defined in terms of those dimensions, everything else magically adjusts itself to suit, so the change takes seconds rather than hours. Plus I can create my own libraries and modules to perform design features that I do frequently.

Dave
(#106)

I Like Daves VDU case idea... You can alter the sizes easily in FreeCad to...Tis just numbers.... Different horses for different people me thinks.....

I wonder if we should ALL send our CoatHooks to Rep-Rap, so they could send them to a charitable cause for us.......

As they say in Wales..... "Who Coat is this Jacket?"

---

Please send me a PM if you have suggestions, or problems with Big Blue 360.
I won't see comments in threads, as I move around to much.
Working Link to Big Blue 360 Complete

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KimBrown
I Like Daves VDU case idea... You can alter the sizes easily in FreeCad to...Tis just numbers.... Different horses for different people me thinks.....

Sure, it's all to do with personal preference and the use - different tools are suited to different designs. My point however was that in OpenScad you don't only work with numbers, you also work with variable names you assign yourself. So with most CAD packages you would need to locate and alter the figures in numerous places, in OpenScad, provided you have defined all dimensions in terms of the same or derived variables, you can change the figure assigned to just one or two variables and all the other dependent variables change completely automatically, everywhere in the design. The relationships between variables can be complex mathematical and trigonometric functions, or looked up in a table. You have some of that functionality by the use of constraints in GUI CAD packages, but it is far more limited. Most GUI CAD packages won't let you alter many of the dimensions post-render anyway, you have to delete the section and go back to 2D sketch mode. For example, if you have a finished complex design where you have rounded off most of the square edges using "fillet" with a radius of 2mm, how easy is it to change the radius of all edges to 3mm? With OpenScad it can be a question of simply changing a single figure - you don't even have to locate all the rounded edges - though creating the fillets in the first place was a bit more involved.

Dave
(#106)

Thank you for your comments on the subject.

I will take a look at the different programs you have mentioned