Adding Stippling into Fusion Body that will 3d print?

[ianhughes7UFVF]

Hi

As part of a present project that is being 3d printed, I created parts that are smooth. The original prop has a lot of stippling and dents, but I wasn't sure how to create them in fusion so that it would 3d print properly.

Here is the original prop:

Here is my version of the body:

It would improve the project no end if I could add in the wear and stippling. The guy printing it will add it manually with a dremel, but it would be better if its done in the 3d work.

Any help would be great.

Regards

Ian

[TrippyLighting]

I would check out if this can be done with Meshmixer. Trying to do this in Fusion 360 would be a very tough uphill battle.

For 3D printing you'll have to export it as a .stl file anyway.

Maybe @Anonymous cab provide some insight to this.

[chrisplyler]

The Dremel will be less work that doing it in F360 would be.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

@TrippyLighting and @ianhughes7UFVF :

Based on a Fusion mesh export one can apply such surface noise using SCULPT/SurfaceBrushes by using a Stencil mask. 

You can import any supported image file as such a Stencil (although it is recommended to use an image cropped to a square at 512X512 pixels.

Here I used a snippet from the posted photo:

resized it to 512x512 and smoothed out the pixels (due to the poor resolution of the source):

Using a stencil a surface brush displaces vertices in the brush's radius depending on the grey value of the stencil (white = max displacement while black is no displacement).

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Stencils work best if you prepare your Fusion export concerning density (you'll need a real high res mesh) and regularity of triangles.

Basic steps:

- EDIT/GenerateFaceGroups to define partial surfaces which can act as a filter to apply such noise only to a certain region

- SELECT/Modify/SelectAll and do Edit/Remesh at RemeshMode = RelativeDensity and Density = 50% to get nice regularity

- SELECT/Modify/SelectAll and do Edit/Remesh at RemeshMode = LinearSubdivision and Density = 50% to get a high density

- In SCULPT switch to the Surface brushes and use the DrawMax brush.

- Import your Stencil image via the plus icon

- On a dense enough mesh disable EnableRefinement for a better performance

- Enable RestrictToGroup to apply the noise only to the face group (see above) below the center of the cursor.

- Do/Undo some test strokes to set Strength and Spacing.

- Keep the strokes as long as possible.

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This is the Meshmixer way to do something like this. As an alternative one may look into other applications allowing displacement maps which can be baked to real geometry later on.

[ianhughes7UFVF]

Hi

I will have a good look at what you have explained when I get home from work.

Does the effect you made on the body remain there so when I convert the part to a stl for 3d printing it will stay put.

Regards

Ian

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Yep, that's already mesh geometry. So there's no conversion issue exporting to STL. It will be in your print as long as the printer's quality and resolution can handle it.

BTW: In your case you want to emboss the pattern:

You'll need a negative version of the stencil and press Ctrl (Cmd on Mac) to invert the direction of the brush.