Solidify two thin walls in object

[Stealthargus1989]

Hi all,

the task is simple but I simply do not know how to solve this problem

I have an object made out of two thin walls, these walls need to be filled to create a solid.

How can I do this? in 3ds max?
Or is there a possiility to export the file in such a way that the gap is filled?

more detail: immagine its a beer glass made out of two thin walls.

[Steve_Curley]

Objects in Max are a volume of space (nothingness, emptyness) surrounded by an infinitely thin continuous surface. As such there's no such thing as a "solid" object in Max. Provided you can follow the inside of the glass and end up on the outside (and vice-versa) it's probably OK. Apply an STLCheck and see what it says, also play with the XView feature. If they show no problems then you should be good to go.

[PROH]

Hi. First, make sure that the "walls" are one object and not two objects. Then convert it to an editable poly, weld all vertices, select the open edges that needs to be connected, and connect them with the "bridge" tool.

Hope it helps

Edit: Beaten by Steve once again. But at least this time we doesn't have the same understanding of the question/problem.. 😉

[Stealthargus1989]

Hi, well I understand what you mean and ill test it right away. Just to clarify even more, is that I want to export the 3ds max file to a STL file to be printed with a 3d printer. IF the STL file contains two infinite thin walls, the printer will not lay any lines. Ill post a screenshot what i mean. The red circle indicates the hollow glass which needs to be 'filled'

[Steve_Curley]

That is precisely why I suggested applying an STLCheck Modifier. It verifies that that the object, when exported as a .stl file, will be valid and should work with your 3D printer.

[PROH]

Agree with Steve. Use the STL Check modifier. It won't fix your mesh, but it will show you if and where the problems are.

[Stealthargus1989]

Alright, I tried and found some errors that I managed to fix.

Now there still remains the problem that the objects remains hollow.

Is there a possibility that someone can look at the object which helps visiualising the problem?
The thing is that I spend alot and alot of hours in this object and now it seems there is no way of exporting or filling up this hollow surface for 3d printing purposes?
The helix and stairs were also not printed by the STL printer...

It is NOT my intention to dump my file here and let someone else solve it, just desperate that I cannot find the solution and hoping there is a solution here that someone can see within the file mayby?

Best regards,

Bas

[Steve_Curley]

No, that is NOT an issue. If you clean it up (I'm talking the Line001 object only here) by sorting out the problems around the letter "a" then you have a model which would pass the STLCheck and should therefore work. One thing which IS wrong, very wrong, is the size of it. That object is (roughly) 50*50*86 INCHES. Find me a 3D printer cabable of creating an object that big (for less than a couple of million bucks) and you'll be doing well. You need to address that before you do much else.
Which 3D printer will you be using? Some take standard STL files, some require their own format

[Stealthargus1989]

The 3D printer we are using is a STL printer Stereo Lithographic (liquid). The size in 3dsmax does not matter as the 3D printer software can scale the STL file with a push on a button. 

With the first model as it is now, we first did a test run and figured out that not only the walls were to thin (maby due to the letter 'a'), but also the helix and stairs were missing in the final print

[Steve_Curley]

The walls might be too thin but they did exist thus proving the object doesn't need to be "solid". There's still a couple of small objects way outside the main one which might need removing, and the other parts may need to be attached to the main one so there's just one object. No 3D printer here so I can't prove or test this.