Anim8or Community
General Category => General Anim8or Forum => Topic started by: KAWoodward on February 08, 2009, 07:04:17 pm
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I am working with a teacher who is using anim8tor in his classroom and we would like to be able to print the parts from the animations on a rapid prototyping machine (3 D printer) so that the kids can see their animations in another medium than the computer screen. The files either have to be .stl files to print directly or would have to be able to be saved in Autodesk Inventor or Autocadd. Has anyone tried to do this before or does anyone know how to save these files in something other than a jpeg/bmp or anim8tor file? I have tried to import the part file both ways without success.
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Often times you can export the files as either .obj's or .3ds files. You'd have to check exactly what inventor or autocadd can import, but those are very common file types that you could try.
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The CarveWright System may be another way for your students to realize their designs in an actual physical model.
The CW Project Designer Software now has advanced software available that allows the import of 3d STL files created through 3rd party 3d graphics software packages such as Anim8or. The STL Importer allows the import of these files that are then changed into patterns for carving. If the 3d model is large, the STL Importer allows you to "slice" the 3d model at various angles and depths. Each "slice" is then saved as a pattern in the CarveWright Project Designer Software pattern library. The patterns are then placed (or laid out) on a project board. They can be arranged to maximize the use of the medium that will be carved (wood, certain foams like HDU or polystyrene, and maybe in some instances hard acrylics). Once placed, the medium is placed into the CarveWright where it is carved and cut. After completion, the 3d model can be reassembled into a full physical 3d model.
There is also a new DXF Importer for 2d vector designs.