Maya: 3D Printing with Shapeways

Prepare your models in Maya and then send them for 3D printing on Shapeways, an online service that ships reproductions straight to your door.

3D printing allows your digital creations to emerge in the real world, but you don't need a 3D printer to bring them to life. Learn how to prepare your models in Maya and then send them for 3D printing on Shapeways, an online service that ships reproductions straight to your door. Author Ryan Kittleson shows how to hollow out models, define an object's thickness, and work with texture maps for full-color prints. He shows you how to export the model, upload it to Shapeways, and view the finished result. Once you have mastered the basics, Ryan invites you to test your skills in a series of challenge videos.

Introduction

• Welcome
• Using the exercise files
• Using challenges

1. Understanding the Basics of 3D Printing

• What is 3D printing through Shapeways all about?
• Understanding modeling for 3D printing
• Understanding material options on Shapeways

2. Setting Up a Maya Scene for 3D Printing

• Setting up the scene units
• Setting up the grid
• Installing necessary plugins and additional software

3. Getting Models to Work with Shapeways

• Acquiring existing models
• Checking model scale
• Fixing any problems with a model

4. Dealing with Model Thickness

• Understanding why thickness matters
• Preparing to add thickness
• Thickening individual parts of a model
• Extruding thickness
• Cleaning up problem areas
• Smoothing out the bad spots
• Deleting unwanted internal parts
• Reattaching the inside and outside surfaces
• Challenge: Add thickness to a model
• Solution: Add thickness to a model

5. Publishing to Shapeways

• Exporting the model
• Uploading the model to Shapeways
• Editing the product page on Shapeways

6. Working with Textured Models

• Examining a textured model
• Exporting models with texture maps
• Converting an exported model for Shapeways
• Challenge: Prepare a textured model for printing
• Solution: Prepare a textured model for printing

7. Making a Wireframe Model

• Reducing the polygon count
• Creating wireframe lines
• Finishing the wireframe
• Challenge: Prepare a wireframe model for printing
• Solution: Prepare a wireframe model for printing

Conclusion

• Next steps