Preparing an object for 3D printing
IceSL
IceSL [5] is probably the most intimidating of the applications you are seeing today. It also has the steepest learning curve. However, it is worth getting to know this slicer, because it comes with some features that make it unique.
You make all the adjustments for your print in the column on the left. You can define the type of printer you have in the Printer model drop-down and the size and orientation of your object under the Orientation and scale fold-down. Click on Settings (Figure 8) to see all the options that let you fine-tune every aspect of the print.
There are no toolbars, so you reach all the options from the menus at the top left of the window. Speaking of which, some of the most obvious features that makes IceSL different are the options hiding under the Effects menu. Among tools that are nifty but of dubious use (such as melting bits away from your object or adding "snow" or bumps), you'll find one that lets you paint different colors onto your model: the Paint brushes effect. This means that, if you have a 3D printer with multiple extruders, each extruder loaded with different types of filaments, you can actually print multicolored objects.
Pressing the Slice! button in the column on the right starts the slicing process and saves a G-code file to your system. When the process is over, IceSL will show the preview of the sliced object in the main window, along with a box with information on the print and sliders that let you see a cross section of the sliced object superimposed on your model (Figure 9).
You can also create objects with two or more materials by loading STL files into different brushes. Click on File | Load stl on… | Brush 0. Navigate to the STL file containing the parts that needed printing in one material and load that. Then do the same choosing Brush 1 and loading a second STL containing the parts that need to be printed using the second material (Figure 10).
This allows you to not only print in a variety of colors, but also use filaments with different properties, like rigid and flexible filaments, or conducting and non-conducting materials. You can also assign different densities and shapes of the infill for each part.
We're going to stop here, but IceSL has much more going for it. In fact, to cover even a tenth of the features that IceSL brings to the game, we would probably need another couple of articles. Did you know, for example, that you could model your 3D objects directly in IceSL using scripts similar to those of OpenSCAD, but written in Lua? Well, you can. You can also configure the printing options in obsessive detail using the same language.
However, at this stage and at the end of the day, what you are trying to achieve is to get the object sliced and into a G-code file that won't collapse during the print. With what you have learned about IceSL here, you have enough to do that.
Conclusion
We are not totally done yet! Next time, we will look at the final steps in the printing process and what tools you can use to control the print while it is happening.
Until then, happy printing!
Infos
- "Using OpenSCAD to build custom 3D pieces" by Paul Brown, Linux Magazine, issue 223, June 2019, pp. 90-94, http://www.linux-magazine.com/Issues/2019/223/Tutorials-OpenSCAD
- "Technical 3D design using FreeCAD" by Paul Brown, Linux Magazine, issue 224, July 2019, pp. 90-95, http://www.linux-magazine.com/Issues/2019/224/Mother-of-Invention
- Cura: https://ultimaker.com/en/products/ultimaker-cura-software
- Slic3r: https://slic3r.org/
- IceSL: https://icesl.loria.fr/
« Previous 1 2
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Direct Download
Read full article as PDF:
Price $2.95
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Find SysAdmin Jobs
News
-
MNT Seeks Financial Backing for New Seven-Inch Linux Laptop
MNT Pocket Reform is a tiny laptop that is modular, upgradable, recyclable, reusable, and ships with Debian Linux.
-
Ubuntu Flatpak Remix Adds Flatpak Support Preinstalled
If you're looking for a version of Ubuntu that includes Flatpak support out of the box, there's one clear option.
-
Gnome 44 Release Candidate Now Available
The Gnome 44 release candidate has officially arrived and adds a few changes into the mix.
-
Flathub Vying to Become the Standard Linux App Store
If the Flathub team has any say in the matter, their product will become the default tool for installing Linux apps in 2023.
-
Debian 12 to Ship with KDE Plasma 5.27
The Debian development team has shifted to the latest version of KDE for their testing branch.
-
Planet Computers Launches ARM-based Linux Desktop PCs
The firm that originally released a line of mobile keyboards has taken a different direction and has developed a new line of out-of-the-box mini Linux desktop computers.
-
Ubuntu No Longer Shipping with Flatpak
In a move that probably won’t come as a shock to many, Ubuntu and all of its official spins will no longer ship with Flatpak installed.
-
openSUSE Leap 15.5 Beta Now Available
The final version of the Leap 15 series of openSUSE is available for beta testing and offers only new software versions.
-
Linux Kernel 6.2 Released with New Hardware Support
Find out what's new in the most recent release from Linus Torvalds and the Linux kernel team.
-
Kubuntu Focus Team Releases New Mini Desktop
The team behind Kubuntu Focus has released a new NX GEN 2 mini desktop PC powered by Linux.