Using blender 3d to create stl for CW pattern

[oscarl48]

Just finished this one for my personal library. Building a custom island cabinet for my kitchen and I'll be carving this pattern on the doors.

About a 2 hour modeling exercise.

Big difference between this one and the previous one is that I only had to model 2 elements and for both only half. Mirrored the element and then duplicated and rotated to create the overall model. I then appended previously built model to really speed up the build. Super happy with it.

[oscarl48]

Mirroring and rotating tutorial.

For new blender users created a short video on how I created the flower center. You can literally build a flower in about a 1 to 2 minutes.

The video highlights how mirroring cuts the modeling in half. The elements are duplicated (Shift-D) and rotated (r) at a specific angle (90 degrees and a 45 degree and then back to 90 degrees). The video didn't capture the number pad numbers but I think its self evident where I used 90 degrees and the one 45 degree rotation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-5s2H1UR24

[oscarl48]

Wanted to show off my newest pattern for my personal library. Inspired by neo-classic design but not true to any period design. The center flower rosette is a new model that is going into my library.

For blender users, organize your pattern library by isolating individual elements for importing into future designs. I find I have to go back and do that. I thought I could figure it out but as my library is growing its a complete organizational mess and I am having a hard time finding the exact pattern I want when I want it. Eventually I find it but that is after looking at dozens of different models.

Not sure where I'll be carving this for just yet.

[zan29]

I tried Blender in the past but it was way to complicated and time consuming for me. When I heard about MOI3D by Ed on the forum, I fell in love with it and for me it was
a lot easier than Blender. I always start modeling with that software.

Bravo Oscar, you really mastered that software.

Here's a quick one I did with MOI3D.

[oscarl48]

Suzanne,

You do beautiful work with MOI. That is a very elegant flower rosette.

I am really enjoying learning Blender. It is a bear to learn and I have only mastered a very few basics. If I was on a 1000 foot path to learn the software I am at step 1or 2. It keeps getting better and better as well.

Oscar

[oscarl48]

I have so far been unable to get the new bas relief add-on to work for me since it has to run in blendercam which is a separate program than blender 3d. It is based on blender 3d but is running a separate rendering engine instead of the native and cycles engines.

For CNC pattern creation you really do want to be using blendercam but so far I haven't played enough to figure it out. It has algorithms for optimizing depth maps and also has capability to optimizing 3d printing models and can produce g-code. Having said that I have no clue how to use it.

So been playing around in blender 3d on trying to get passable depth maps to import into designer.

There are several techniques that can be used. They all work but they take different rendering setups.

In the node editor you can use the following node setup (see picture). Its a two step process. Save the resulting image to exr format. Reopen the image, apply as a texture to a plane, subdivide to a high poly plane, apply displacement modifier and then smooth out and tweak until happy.

If you do not plan to expand you artist skills to include creating 3d model art, animation or sculpting, learn blendercam instead of blender 3d. Both are free and both have a huge learning curve.

P.S. I changed the direction of the cup for the pattern vs the picture. It kept looking funny to me until I figured out what was wrong. I am a rightee and the cup handle was on the left. Completely wrong! lol

[bergerud]

I do not think you need to run BlenderCam. I have the bas-relief working in Blender. I remember it saying you need blenderCam but you can get it to work in just Blender. (Do not ask me how I did it. I cannot remember!)

[oscarl48]

Dan, too funny. I think I got it to work once but I immediately broke it. I have been trying to figure it out for 6 months without luck. Thanks for letting me know its at least possible and that it works. I'll have to try again. That algorithm does magic on the depth maps. All the other techniques are okay but don't really compare.

[SteveNelson46]

(Do not ask me how I did it. I cannot remember!)

Dan,

It's the second thing to go!

[oscarl48]

Steve,

I am not going to ask what's first since it probably applies to me too.