Over 80 fast-paced recipes to help you create and print 3D models Overview Master the most difficult printing techniques Create models with easy solutions for 3D printing Know how to choose the best slicer for the right job Easy-to-use recipes for optimizing 3D models for 3D printing and printing process In Detail Do-it-yourself 3D printing is a new and exciting technology that gives you the power to make extraordinary things that were previously impossible. 3D printing provides great savings on assembly costs as it offers the capability of printing already assembled products. This book is a concise guide to creating 3D models and for mastering the skills of 3D printing through a series of easy-to-follow recipes. It covers the detailed process of 3D printing using RepRap machines along with some fundamental 3D printing techniques such as 3D scanning, parametric modeling, and digital fabrication. What you will learn from this book Use the 123D Catch program to 3D scan common objects of almost any size for 3D printing Manipulate the surface mesh of a 3D model using Meshmixer v9001, the 3D modeling program Clean up your scans and stitch them together to make a solid model using MeshLab v1.3.2 Calibrate 3D models using SketchUp v13, a 3D CAD program for precision fabrication Master the controls of the two most popular slicers, Skeinforge and Slic3r Learn how to add textures to your models and avoid undesirable texture through calibration Approach A systematic guide consisting of over 100 recipes which focus on helping you understand the process of 3D printing using RepRap machines. The book aims at providing professionals with a series of working recipes to help make their fuzzy notions into real, saleable projects/objects using 3D printing technology. Who this book is written for This book is for novice designers and artists who own a RepRap-based 3D printer, have fundamental knowledge of its working, and who desire to gain better mastery of the printing process. For the more experienced user, it will provide a handy visual resource, with side-by-side comparisons of the two most popular slicers, Skeinforge and Slic3r. A basic understanding of designing and modeling principles and elementary knowledge of digital modeling would be a plus.