3D printing is taking the world by storm, and it is incumbent for designers to know how to utilize the technology. SketchUp is a popular 3D modelling tool and is among the easiest programs to work with as a beginner. Whether printing on your desktop, or outsourcing to a commercial 3D print service, this is a skill you'll want in your portfolio.
Starting with an overview of 3D printing technologies, you will learn how to design 3D models in SketchUp, set up a template for 3D printing, explore the specific requirements for a 3D printable model, and look at the essential SketchUp extensions for 3D printing. You will start by printing a simple 3D model, progress on to importing images that can be used to make 3D models, and move on to tweaking the model for specific 3D printers.
This book delves into the most important concepts for designing 3D printable models, from wall thickness and modelling solids, to using available models and adapting them to your needs.
You will also learn where to access, and more importantly, how to adapt existing 3D models available online for your own use. Finally, this book will show how it's possible to use Google Earth terrain and modify existing architectural SketchUp models before printing.