Overhangs present a challenge to 3D printers without support material. I assume that you have some ability to do basic 3D design, and am only providing tips for optimizing designs for 3D printing. I will, however, share my source files for every step. It's much easier to make non-manifold objects with a mesh modeler than with a CSG modeler.Ī final note: Although I will be using OpenSCAD, this is not an OpenSCAD tutorial. In the interest of time, I refer you to this excellent article on the subject. One important thing to keep in the back of your mind is making sure your designs are manifold. Being able to assign dimensions to a variable and then generate the object from those allows you to make parametric designs. OpenSCAD has one especially powerful feature: variables. If you like to design mathematical forms, or really like writing code, OpenSCAD is for you (it has for loops). It uses a code-like design process, much like POV-RAY or other ray tracing programs. This means that you make your object by combining primitive forms. OpenSCAD is a CSG (constructive solid geometry) modeler. A tool like blender is a good option if you like to sculpt or 'feel' out designs as you work. You can then shape these meshes into your designs.

Blender is also a mesh modeler, meaning your designs are made of triangle meshes. Blender is a very powerful modeling and animation tool. One popular option for 3D work is Blender. For this article, I'll only use open-source cross-platform tools. Your choice of software affects your design process, and to an extent the way you think about design.

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