You Won’t Believe What This 3D Printer Can Do - Learn How To Make Stunning Voronoi Patterns!

3D printing technology has revolutionized the manufacturing industry in recent years. It allows designers and manufacturers to create complex designs and structures that were previously impossible to achieve with traditional manufacturing methods. One of the most exciting applications of 3D printing is the ability to create intricate Voronoi patterns.

Voronoi patterns are complex geometric shapes that are often found in nature, such as the cell structure in plant leaves or the structure of honeycombs. These patterns are characterized by a series of interconnected polygons that create a repeating structure. This structure is not only visually stunning but also incredibly strong and efficient.

Creating Voronoi patterns using traditional manufacturing methods can be a difficult and time-consuming process. However, with 3D printing, it is now possible to create these patterns quickly and with a high degree of accuracy. In this guide, we will show you how to create stunning Voronoi patterns using a 3D printer.

Step 1: Choose Your Design Software

To create Voronoi patterns, you will need a design software that can generate this type of structure. There are several free and paid options available, such as Grasshopper for Rhino, Autodesk Fusion 360, and Blender.

Step 2: Create Your Voronoi Design

Once you have chosen your design software, you can start creating your Voronoi pattern. There are several ways to generate Voronoi structures, including using plugins, scripts, and algorithms. However, the most straightforward method is to use the built-in Voronoi function in your design software.

Begin by creating a base shape that will serve as the foundation for your Voronoi pattern. This could be any shape, such as a cube, sphere, or cylinder.

Next, select the Voronoi function in your design software and apply it to your base shape. You can adjust the parameters of the Voronoi function to control the density, size, and distribution of the polygons.

Step 3: Export Your Design

Once you have created your Voronoi pattern, you can export it as an STL file. This is the standard file format for 3D printing, and it can be read by most 3D printing software.

Step 4: Print Your Voronoi Pattern

To print your Voronoi pattern, you will need a 3D printer. There are several types of 3D printers available, including FDM, SLA, and SLS. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it’s essential to choose the right printer for your needs.

Once you have your 3D printer, you can load your STL file into the slicing software. This software will prepare your design for printing by creating a series of layers and generating a G-code file.

Finally, you can start the printing process. Depending on the size and complexity of your design, this can take anywhere from a few hours to several days.

Conclusion

Voronoi patterns are beautiful and fascinating structures that can be created using a 3D printer. With the right design software and a good 3D printer, you can generate these patterns quickly and easily. Whether you are a designer or a hobbyist, Voronoi patterns are an exciting way to explore the possibilities of 3D printing. So why not give it a try and see what stunning structures you can create?

This article explains how to make a Voronoi pattern with a 3D Printer. The instructions apply to Autodesk Meshmixer.

What to Know

  • Import the model into Meshmixer, select the entire model, and go to Edit > Reduce.Increase the slider to lower the polygon count > select Accept > Edit > Make Pattern.Next, change the first drop down to Dual Edges or Mesh+Delaunay Dual Edges. Go to File > export .STL.

Import the Model and Reduce Polygons

  • Import model into Meshmixer. Go to Import icon or file > Import.Select the entire model using keyboard Ctrl+a or use the select tool to click-drag certain parts you want to edit.Click Edit > Reduce (Menu appears at the top after selecting).Increase the percentage slider or change drop down to lower the triangle/polygon count. Less polygons result in larger openings in your final model. It may help to try a very low polygon count.Click accept.

Apply and modify the Pattern

  • Click Edit menu icon > Make PatternChange the first drop down to Dual Edges (pattern using exterior only) or Mesh + Delaunay Dual Edges (generates pattern inside model). Changing element dimensions will make thicker or narrower tubes.To save model: File > export .STL

What’s a Voronoi Pattern?

You hear people talking about interconnected triangles, about mesh models, about NURBS models, and making the model “watertight” before trying to print it. Every hobby or path in life takes time to learn the basics and intricacies. Then you see someone do something really creative with a 3D model by turning it into a Voronoi Pattern. Huh?

Adjusting certain pattern settings may require intensive CPU usage.

After clicking accept, you may want to reduce the new mesh polygons slightly for easier 3D printing or importing into other programs.

We found this little squirrel on Thingiverse and it reminded us of the dog in Up!, the animated movie, so we downloaded it to print. As you can see, it has an unusual design – those swiss cheese holes are known as the Voronoi Patterns. The image shown is from the Cura slicer program, but the original Squirrel Voronoi-Style is on Thingiverse, by Roman Hegglin, so you can download it yourself. Roman is a very active designer and has a lot of terrific 3D models that he shares with others. We enjoy his work. 

After 3D printing the squirrel, on the very trusty LulzBot Mini (media loaner unit), we decided to go looking for more about these designs. Like many 3D print enthusiasts, we simply downloaded a model from Thingiverse without really thinking about how to do it ourselves. Naturally, we ran into our buddy, Marshall Peck, from ProtoBuilds, who readers will remember is the guy who shared how building your first 3D printer is easier than ever.

Marshall explains a ton in his blog and also on Instructables, complete with screenshots, so you will want to head there to check it out: How to Make Voronoi Patterns with Autodesk® Meshmixer.

These patterns can provide consistent horizontal cross-sections for slices that might be helpful when using SLA / resin 3D printers. Voronoi models can print well on most Fused Filament 3D printers. As mentioned, we tried it on the LulzBot Mini.

Our first go, through no fault of the printer, left us with a half-headed squirrel. On the second go, we let Cura build support for us, which was a good and a bad thing. It uses a ton of material and then you have to break it, cut it, melt it all off of your final 3D print.

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