RE: 3D Printing a Yoda Star Wars Bust
As I have mentioned in a comment before everything that needs to be printed horizontally over thin air does not work fine for printing without adding support material from the base of the print plate to hold it. Most 3D printing software (these are usually called slicers) can automatically calculate where it needs to add support. This however does not always work well and sometime it misses some areas, so having a slicer that also allows you to add custom support structures is a good idea... that is if you already have the experience to know when and where you need to add them.
The Yoda bust does not have very challenging areas, so it can easily print without support material. Though some slicing software can still suggest adding support structures at some possibly problematic zones, you can go without them. These include zones around the eyes and maybe the chin of Yoda, even the ears could be considered possibly problematic, but as they are angled printing them without support material is usually not a problem.
When you have something moving sideways at an angle and not directly horizontal over thin air it usually prints fine as the previous layer acts like support for the next one that is extending just a bit to the side - the ears of Yoda are a good example of this.
I'll be writing a detailed post explaining this...
Okay, thanks for the insight, still have to visualize things to grasp it. But I think this design does not fit the description. Will have a go at it, using your guidelines.
Based on the original at RoboHash:
STL file: CLICK HERE
Here the eyes on top of the head will be problematic to print without support material if you try to print it this way. Depending on the 3D model there are times that you might be able to overcome the issue by just rotating it around and not have it 3D printed the way it should normally be used.
With the 3D model on the photo if the stand at the bottom was not extending to the back you could just rotate it on its back and print just fine without support materials. You can still do it now, but support material will be required for proper printing.
Yes, you got the idea of having it 3D printed rotated on a flat back for example and thus going without the need to use support materials. When you are 3D printing on your home 3D printer you usually do not go for solid insides of the object as it is taking up more material and time to print and is rarely beneficial. Instead you use about 10-20% of infill and the 3D printing software uses a hexagonal or round pattern to fill the inside, so you get enough strength without having it 100% solid.
That will be the next step to do, hollow it, add hex structure.
But that will be at a later stage. Time flies when you're having fun. ;-)
If I get a bit a grip of this, then this would at least work a bit better...
Designed it to be flat:
And here is the STL file to download: CLICK HERE
Did not optimize anything yet. Think some material could be saved by making it hollow inside.