Color 3D printing

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1

Hi everyone.

We have acquired a color powder 3D printer and I work with Solidworks.

Problem : the colors.
The result between what I define in Solidworks and what comes out of the printer is random. Sometimes very well, sometimes almost, sometimes frankly anything.
I suspect a color definition problem in Solidworks exports.

The only format offered by Solid that is compatible with the printer is VRML (.wrl), but the printer supports other STL, PLY, 3DS, FBX, ZPR formats . Apparently, Solidworks also knows how to export other color files for 3D printing.

My questions : how to check the colors of the exported file, and are there any solutions for converting and retouching the color of the files exported from Solidworks ?

Thank you.

2

Hello

Didn't you have a software with your printer that would allow you to check the file before printing?

2 Likes
3

Thanks for the lead.
The software that starts the prints gives a preview of the print, which is usually what appears in Solidworks.
However, the result does not always correspond to what it displays either...

4

a test with the different format versions is I think necessary

to choose what the best result is

Also going through a rendering log is I think also more efficient

http://www.cobright.fr/maxwell-render/

http://www.cobright.fr/keyshot/

http://www.commentcamarche.net/faq/28471-moteurs-de-rendu-3d

Also have real colors on your PC screen

so calibrate his screen 

http://windows.microsoft.com/fr-fr/windows7/calibrate-your-display

Calibrator

http://www.guide-gestion-des-couleurs.com/sondes-calibrage-ou-calibration-ecran-du-marche.html

http://www.cadstudio.fr/118-calibration-d-ecrans

FYI

@+ ;-)

1 Like
5

thank you gt22, it can be useful

I would like to point out that my problem is not in the nuance, but in a completely different result, like pink instead of gray, or all in white...

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6

Having the true color already allows you to know what is the real color requested

big surprise sometimes ;-(

what do you have as a 3D printer?

they must have done some tests

and your printer must have a feature preference via these tests

I think so?

7

Yes, for sure, that's why I took the info with pleasure :-)

The printer is a ProJet 460Plus from 3DSystem, its preferred format is ZPR. Hence my idea of looking for retouching and conversion solutions.

8

beautiful beast your machine I understand your distress 

See this link

http://docs.mcneel.com/rhino/5/help/en-us/fileio/_index_of_import_export_file_types.htm

With Rhino you can import

SW .sldprt;. SLDASM

and export to

Zcorp .zpr

free download link from rhino that I haven't tried ;-)

http://vfr.telechargerillimiter.fr/rhinoceros-5-0-1/

do a test to see and give new

@+ ;-)

 

9

@GT22, would you suggest a Pirate software on the forum? ;)

1 Like
10

Hi @ Aurelien

a NO, in no way do I propose what you say, I

just give a link for testing

shame on me and despair ;-)

1 Like
11

Thanks for the info, but I'm not going to have fun with this from work...

1 Like
12

A little up, sometimes someone has solutions...

I take this opportunity to give you the results of my investigations :

To open a VRML and see the head it has :
https://www.projet-plume.org/fiche/freewrl
http://meshlab.sourceforge.net/

Solidworks' VRMLs are rather of poor quality, there is a program to clean up the lines of code : http://www2.hrp.no/vr/tools/chisel/install.htm
He seems to be efficient.

For editing VRML files, Meshlab also seems to be very powerful, but I haven't tried too hard yet.