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Smooth 3D Prints

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Hi,

I print some 3D objects modeled in COMSOL by means of a 3D printer. However they are not so smooth. I added a 3D print photo to this post, which is produced from a sphere by using some simple boolean operations. I expected that its surface is smooth but it is kind of polygon which consists 28 plane surfaces. I know it cannot have perfect smooth curves but I think it would be better.

What should I do before exporting my model into STL file to get a smooth curved surfaces?

Thanks.



2 Replies Last Post 02.10.2020, 08:51 GMT-4

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Posted: 4 years ago 02.10.2020, 05:03 GMT-4

Hi,

Comsol does not provide any settings for STL export. However, offers a lot of tools for mesh geometries when imported. Therefore an easiest shortcut would be to export your finalized geometry as .STL (binary preferabbly) and then import using mesh part branch under global definitions (as seen in "meshrefinement.png"). There, you will have refinement operations which may help you increase polygon count. Still this may not reflect on exported parts.

Useful way to follow is to use a CAD software that has mesh manipulation tools. In such softwares you may increase polygon count permenantly.

Attached is an example sphere geometry drawn in COMSOL and exported as STL (sphere_comsol.stl). In comparison with its being imported to CAD software and smoothed with respective tools (sphere_comsol_smoothed.stl). Also a screenshot is included for both operations in a slicer of a 3D printer software (meshcomparison.png)

Hi, Comsol does not provide any settings for STL export. However, offers a lot of tools for mesh geometries when imported. Therefore an easiest shortcut would be to export your finalized geometry as .STL (binary preferabbly) and then import using mesh part branch under global definitions (as seen in "meshrefinement.png"). There, you will have refinement operations which may help you increase polygon count. *Still this may not reflect on exported parts.* Useful way to follow is to use a CAD software that has mesh manipulation tools. In such softwares you may increase polygon count permenantly. Attached is an example sphere geometry drawn in COMSOL and exported as STL (sphere_comsol.stl). In comparison with its being imported to CAD software and smoothed with respective tools (sphere_comsol_smoothed.stl). Also a screenshot is included for both operations in a slicer of a 3D printer software (meshcomparison.png)


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Posted: 4 years ago 02.10.2020, 08:51 GMT-4

Thank you so much for the detailed explanation.

Teşekkürler ;)

Thank you so much for the detailed explanation. Teşekkürler ;)

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