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  • Home
  • Printing Techniques
  • Design Considerations
    • General
    • Ultimaker
    • FormLabs
  • CAD Software
    • Onshape >
      • Basics
      • Sketching
      • Constraints
      • Extrude
      • Revolve
      • Fillet & Chamfer
      • Shell & Draft
      • Direct Editing
    • FreeCAD >
      • Turner's Cube
      • Whiffle Ball
      • Casino Dice
      • Bearing Bracket
      • Fork Bearing
      • Compression Spring
      • Propeller
      • Inner Threads
      • Outer Threads
      • Heart Shaped Ashtray
      • Bird Feeder
      • Ball Bearing
  • Image to STL
    • Medical Images
    • Segmentation
    • Refinement
    • Worked Example: 3D Slicer (Lung)
    • Worked Example: Seg3D (Rib)
    • Completed Examples >
      • Ribs
      • Kidney
      • Brain
  • STL to Print
    • Cura (Ultimaker)
    • Preform (Formlabs)

Preform Tutorial

Overview

  • For a printer to understand a STL file, it needs to be prepared using a "Slicer" - software, which converts the geometry into a long series of coordinates, which the printer can understand.
  • Formlabs provides their own, open-source software called PreFrom.
  • Download from: http://formlabs.com/products/preform/
  • In the following, we will introduce the features that we use and find useful.

Introduction

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  • PreForm can import models in .stl and .obj file formats. 
  • Launch PreForm and setup your printer.
  • Select the model of your Printer.
  • Specify your Material, the type and the version of the resin. (There is an active link in blue at the bottom that can help you identify your resin type.)
  • Select Layer Thickness (in mm) with the slider. The default value is 0.05 mm, but you can adjust it to 0.1 mm for a faster print or 0.025 mm for a print with the highest resolution.
  • Click Apply to save the settings and proceed to the next level to modify your model.
  • Click Print Settings on the bottom bar in the main workspace (see image below) to the change the above settings.

View Menu

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  • The View Menu is located on the right top corner of the screen.
  • Zoom in/out using the +/- buttons or the scroll wheel of the mouse.
  • Rotate the view 90 degrees to the top, left, right and bottom using the arrows.
  • Click the centre icon to return back to the initial view.
  • Alternatively: Rotate the view around the model with Right click + drag and Right click + Shift to pan.

Size Menu

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  • Before you start processing, click the model to enable it. It will become blue.
  • Click the Size icon to resize your model.
  • You can specify each dimension (X,Y,Z) seperately or change the Scale factor to
    resize your model by a certain factor.
  • Be careful with the units! PreForm assumes they are always in millimeters.
    To change them in inches: Edit -> Model units -> in
  • Alternatively: Click anywhere on your screen and drag to resize the model directly.

One Click Print Option

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  • Select One-Click Print option and PreForm will complete automatically all the following steps, Orientation, Supports, and Layout.
  • Then, you have to confirm and send the job to your FormLabs printer from the Print popup window. Check you specified the correct printer and type of resin.
  • Quite useful if you are not very familiar with 3D printing.

Orientation Menu

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  • Click the Orientation icon to rotate your model.
  • PreForm will compute the optimum orientation for a successful print automatically.
  • Rotate your model in a specific angle in each X,Y,Z axis.
  • Use the shaded cube icons to flip your model along each axis.
  • Click the Select Base icon to place a face pointing toward the build platform.
  • Alternatively: Click anywhere on your screen and drag to rotate the model directly.
  • It is recommended to allow the PreForm software to compute the model's orientation.

Supports Menu

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  • Click the Supports icon to generate supports for your model.
  • Supports are essential to ensure a successful printing and can become quite valuable in models with complex geometries.
  • Support structures consist of the following parts: Base, Scaffolding and Tip.
  • Click Generate All and PreForm will generate supports automatically.
  • Use the Edit All icon to add and remove supports after auto-generating.
    This can be become quite important for complex models.
  • Density: defines how closely placed is the support scaffolding and the number of touch-points on your part.
  • Touch-point size: supports connect to the part at the touch-point. Larger touch-points make stronger supports but they are more difficult to be removed after the printing.
  • Internal supports: You can control whether you prefer automatically generated internal supports or not.

         Advanced submenu settings:
  • Flat spacing: changes the density of supports, being similar to adjusting the density slider.
  • Slope multiplier: sets the steepest slope value at which the software will start adding support structures to your model. Its value should be increased to add more supports to sloped surfaces.
  • Base thickness: crucial factor since the base adheres to the building platform and the support structures with the actual model itself are built on top of this.
  • Height above the base: sets the minimum height of support structures. It can be lowered to reduce the resin usage but it can’t go lower than 2 mm. If it’s too low it may cause support deformation of failure. PreForm recommends a default height value of 5 mm.

Layouts Menu

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  • Click the Layout icon to move your model to different locations on the build platform.
  • Your view will be reoriented as you look down on the build platform from above.
  • Use the duplicates option to make one or more copies of your model.

Final model checking before printing

  • Before printing use the Slicer in the right part of the screen for a last check on your model.
  • Check for Overlapping Models, Internal supports, unsupported parts and correct shelling (where it is applicable).
Information from FormLabs Set up your print.

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