.craft to 3D model?

[iDan122]

So I was sitting around and reading about www.shapeways.com when an idea hit me in the head.

Wouldn't it be cool to make a ship in KSP(a little orbiter for example) and then hold it in your hands? Wouldn't that be cool?

So I starting thinking of how to convert your ship into a model file.

You could use 3d modeling software and mimic the ship with your eye, but that int close enough.

So here is my way:

Take your ship, use part welding plugin and weld all parts together to form 1 part. Then

go to files and get model and texture from your new part(your ship) and there you go!

A model of your ship with a texture too!

I don't know if this will work so I ask modelers if this is possible.

This could come in handy to make a model of your ship to upload to sketch fab and show a 3d model here

On the forum.

[numerobis]

It's straightforward to get an obj or stl file from your vessel via a KSP plugin. What's not so easy is getting it ready to print; the models have lots of fine detail that would break.

[iDan122]

I know they have a minimal wall thickness rule, but I think it is enough even for those KSP antennas.

A spaceplane shouldn't be so hard to print out, would be cool to edit landing gear to make them retractable(possible but we need a modeling expert here)

I wonder if someone tries the above, I'll try getting that model too, gonna start learning blender or 3d max

[electronicfox]

It's straightforward to get an obj or stl file from your vessel via a KSP plugin. What's not so easy is getting it ready to print; the models have lots of fine detail that would break.

I'm actually interested in this plugin, would you happen to have a link on your person?

(Note: I AM currently searching the forums myself, but if you could provide a link before I find it the thats just fantabulous).

Edit: I have discovered the method now.

Edited December 9, 2013 by electronicfox

[Dusty44]

If you look on http://www.thingiverse.com/newest and search kerbal some ppl have already done this with minmus and the Mun.

Edited December 9, 2013 by Dusty44

[Decho]

I'm actually interested in this plugin, would you happen to have a link on your person?

I too would be interested in this.

[iDan122]

If you look on http://www.thingiverse.com/newest and search kerbal some ppl have already done this with minmus and the Mun.

Makerbots use these "hoses" to push out the material. Shapeways printers are better since they actually print layers including the supporting material which is then removed an recycled and this method is of much better quality, so only shapeways for good quality prints. Makerbots Is good for making simple spare parts and stuff with low detail.

[Dusty44]

I'm not on about the printer being of a higher quality I'm just saying people are putting the 3d files up. You could easily take the Mun or minmus file and get shapeways to print it.

[Lazro]

I wonder how 3d printers will handle floating parts?

[numerobis]

In my experience, people who claim to be able to just print arbitrary things are in for a surprise when they print geometries not intended for printers. The models I've made would have required a lot of cleanup work to print. 3d printers work well for gnomes and vases. You can print Jeb pretty well, he's pretty much like a gnome. However, rockets are not like vases -- they have generally lots of weak joints, fiddly bits, large voids with stuff on top, not to mention floating parts.

I've written a plugin for my own use (and lost it when my laptop bricked itself) and various others have too, but indeed, doesn't seem like there's a nicely packaged and published one. I don't have time right now to package one. The basic code you can get online from threads like this one, it's the packaging that takes time.

Edited December 9, 2013 by numerobis

[electronicfox]

Depending on how large you'll want to print the craft, you may come up with a lot of issues with thin/small fiddly parts. Floating parts will often just be printed seperate, so you'll end up with some random tiny pieces. Wings may be too thin to print properly, especially some of the stock wings. Most detail will be lost since it was normal mapping, not geometry, and shallow geometry will be almost completely lost. In all honesty, unless you remodel the craft yourself (perhaps using the ripped model as a template), you arent likely to get the desired result.

Planets can be done because they use (I think) displacement maps that can be applied to any old sphere, and you'll have a lovely defined shape. Kerbals can be done because they're just damn lucky (although I dont know if they were edited to be printable, since the visors are gone I'd say yes).

[Dusty44]

I've bought all the planets from shapeways and would love to 3d print some orrery parts and build a ksp orrery but I don't know where to start.

[paleorob]

I am actually going to run an experiment on this very thing in about an hour using no plugins to rip code. I'll let you know how/if it works.

[electronicfox]

I've bought all the planets from shapeways and would love to 3d print some orrery parts and build a ksp orrery but I don't know where to start.

If you can find someone who can measure the gears and clockworky stuff required to make a full KSP orrery, you could then model that very structure to printing standards and violla.

[Smidge204]

Makerbots use these "hoses" to push out the material. Shapeways printers are better since they actually print layers including the supporting material which is then removed an recycled and this method is of much better quality, so only shapeways for good quality prints. Makerbots Is good for making simple spare parts and stuff with low detail.

Hi.

As a 3D printer owner/operator let me clarify this point a little.

Most home users, myself included, have a "fused deposition modeling" machine. These are glorified glue guns, melting a continuous plastic filament (I'm guessing that's the "hose" referred to in the quoted post) and extrude the molten plastic through a small nozzle, leaving a tract of plastic that eventually builds into layers.

Shapeways uses a selective powder bonding technology. These machines use a bed of powder (which can be of various materials, including metals, ceramics, plastics etc) onto which a binder of some kind of sprayed exactly like a traditional inkjet printer sprays ink onto a sheet of paper. A new coating of powder is then spread on top of the previous layer and the process repeats to build a 3D shape which then has to be dug out of the unused media, cleaned and often "hardened" by infusing it with another compound. as an extra bonus you get full color capability by simply using dyed binder like you would colored ink.

Powder based methods typically have the same resolution as inkjet printers, since they use exactly the same fundamental technology (You can even build your own using a re-purposed inkjet cartridge... it's been done). FDM machines have a theoretical resolution of twice that of powder printers or even better, but in practice are limited by nozzle orifice size so the "sharpest" corner you'll get is no better than 0.5mm or so. That's still impressively detailed, though!

But the big difference is you can build a FDM machine for ~US$700. The machines Shapeways use easily cost over US$15,000.

Also, Makerbot is "meh." Lots of better alternatives if you're looking to get into that hobby.

I wonder how 3d printers will handle floating parts?

Powder based printers get support "for free" since the finished print is embedded in a block of unused powder which can be vacuumed away and reused. FDM machines need to use additional material to print a support scaffold that has to be broken away (not that hard if done right) or a scaffold of a different material that can be chemically dissolved away, and is waste.

=Smidge=

[numerobis]

OK the powder is for free, but your rocket is now disconnected. Faithfully reproducing the model as exported from Unity isn't necessarily what users want.

[paleorob]

65 screenshots plus Autodesk's 123D Capture online app have produced a point cloud. I have edited the point cloud down to be just the rocket (no terrain). I was able to then fix any holes and download a .stl file. It is in the process of printing on my Printrbot Simple right now. Only question is if the LV909 has too much of an overhang to print easily...

[paleorob]

Of course, if this works, it would be silly easy to make .stl files of each part, print what you need, and actually assemble to rocket. It might even be possible to make one fly...I may have to look into this.

[deadshot462]

It would be nice to get 3D models of the capsules at least.

[paleorob]

Here's the in-game craft (not very exciting, I know). The .stl looks kind of phallic since it lacks any of the textures from the skins. I'll post a pic of my print when its done (about 20 minutes from now) so you can compare. I'm printing in black, though, so it won't look super hot. I need to get some filament that shows contrast better.

Edited December 10, 2013 by paleorob
Forgot the image.

[JBM12G]

You can use Ninja Ripper to extract 3d Models from the game.

[RocketTurtle]

Ninja Ripper only works with 3DS Max and even then it's not very easy and 3D Ripper DX just doesn't work. I'm curious to see how that turns out paleorob.

I just realized this could be awesome. I could make model rockets of KSP rockets!!

Edited December 10, 2013 by RocketTurtle

[paleorob]

I didn't match the angles between my pose and the screenshot but this gives you some idea. Again, with black PLA it is hard to make out many details. I might try and print it larger to make things like the decoupler knobs more obvious.

[iDan122]

I didn't match the angles between my pose and the screenshot but this gives you some idea. Again, with black PLA it is hard to make out many details. I might try and print it larger to make things like the decoupler knobs more obvious.

Wow not bad for a Makerbot! We need someone to try it out with another type of 3D printer, something like 15k dollars.

I'll try sending a model to shapeways some time during the holidays.

[Highlad]

Could someone please explain to me how you actually do this. In a simple way. Is there a plugin? also, how do you export planets into Cinema 4D or blender? I have seen some awesome renders of kerbin along with the rest of the planets and I would love to give it a try.

Examples:

ta.