How to Move from Designing SLA-Printable Models to FDM-Printable Models

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1

I have spent the last 7 years designing models for resin printing. And while I’m quite late to the “party”, I’m finally moving towards FDM. This transition is what this post is about.

TL;DR

Coming from years of designing models for resin printing, I would love some advice on approaching FDM and re-learning (in a way) the model creation to make it fully suitable for FDM.

Full Post

For those of you who spent years in it either as a hobby or even more so if making FDM models is part of what you do, it probably became second nature by now how easy it is to make models FDM-compatible (provided you already know how to design models in 3D, or even just adapting an already existing design for FDM).

And it is probably easier to actually start by making FDM-models before previously making them for SLA because your brain is not so much set on all the specifics of SLA printing (almost wired the wrong way, to be honest) that quite regular, normal FDM-related issues with models appear to you as something bizarre as to why that is even happening, when you are just so used to making literally any shapes and having them printed without problems in resin (provided you pre-support those models first, of course).

I find it extremely hard to get adjusted to this new way of printing (in the sense of designing models for it, not actually printing what others created, which is not a problem).

While the comparative ease of it, combined with the ease of cleaning, handling the prints and troubleshooting the actual failures, as well as all the added features that were never available to me when printing in resin makes me absolutely love FDM, I keep on experiencing things that make me stuck for days trying to understand what exactly went wrong with seemingly easy models.

(I am not talking here about the actual, existing models published on MakerWorld, but about making your own models for FDM instead of resin printing.

So this topic is not about the recognizable failures or troubleshooting when printing something in FDM for new users but about the way to actually make models that would print well. Because just because something is printable doesn’t mean it prints well, and I want my models to be as close to perfectly utilizing FDM as possible rather than just “printing without failures”.)

Helpful Resources?

And while it is absolutely true that there are so many resources already available that help me learn FDM printing, it sometimes feels like there is a whole internet filled with them, and yet no matter how many more I read, watch and learn, there is just an endless amount of them that I somehow still need to find.

In a way, it feels that it’s surprisingly harder to learn FDM now compared to years ago when there were less resources and tutorials available, as this ocean of things to select from wasn’t that big… yet. :sweat_smile:

Most of them are also focused on teaching new users how to print with FDM, not how to make models specifically for FDM (compared to making a general 3D file). And now we’ve even entered an era where instead of being suggested resources to learn 3D you are continuously pushed all these: “Have an idea? Turn it into a 3D model with our newest AI software,” which is a completely different issue. :smiling_face_with_tear:

So, and I hope I’m not imposing by creating a dedicated new topic for it here:

Is there anything you personally can recommend to help me understand exactly how to transition into FDM-model creation after all these years of making SLA-only models?

I do understand the basics of it, and the differences between the two printing methods, but just understanding how it works is not nearly enough to be able to actually successfully make the models for it.

There is also a whole new category of actually choosing all the parameters right in Bambu Studio when setting up a print profile for your models, which adds even more difficulty to it all.

The hardest part of making models print for SLA is mainly in the need to correctly attach supports to your models (and auto-supports are rather a band-aid here than a solution), while FDM printing is rather focused on all the individual parameters instead, with the added issue of some things just inherently not working unless done in a very specific way.

Sticking to SLA vs Expanding into FDM

There are a lot of established FDM creators and many have started in FDM. And almost every single SLA creator that I either personally know or heard of is sticking to resin printing, with very, very rare exceptions.

You can, of course, argue that resin printing has its uses, and it is true, and I’m not trying to claim here that for those uses FDM printing would be superior or they should abandon SLA, but rather that there is a beauty in expanding into a new category alongside it, especially when it has reached these current heights and how widespread it is these days, especially among those who explore 3D printing for the first time, significantly increasing the amount of people who could potentially enjoy your creations.

It is probably partially comparable to how many 3D artists stick to their very first software they started with and spent years creating in (i.e. Maya), and not touching other potentially good ones as they get developed (for example, Blender). Not because either one of them is better than the other, but there is a big learning curve in approaching something that is inherently different than the workflow you are already accustomed to.

So while it is me asking this question now, I can imagine many other SLA creators now or in the future could also be interested in how they could bridge the gap of the unknown and get closer to making models for FDM.

Thank you all, in advance, for your time and thoughts.

Example of SLA to FDM Incompatibility

P.S. If you would like an example to demonstrate what I mean, take a regular 3D-shaped heart (stylized, not a human heart).

Approaching it from a 3D perspective, it is an easy and simple shape.

Resin printing? No problems at all.

FDM printing?.. Unless this heart is partially flat (say, kind of 2.5D, when it’s rather “extruded” than fully shaped), the amount of possible issues with it turn a seemingly easy 3D model into a very difficult FDM one.

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If you’re feeling overwhelmed by too much information, especially when it comes to FDM miniatures, respectively move from designing SLA models to FDM, I can totally understand that. Sometimes it’s much easier to learn by looking at how the pros do it. For example, with supportless miniatures that are specifically designed and optimized for FDM printing.

Learn from the best, and ignore too much noise from left and right:

  • Brite Minis - support-free miniatures
  • FatDragonGames - He’s one of the pioneers in this field and one of the most well-known advocates of FDM miniatures, if not the most influential person pushing the topic forward.
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Is it figures, vehicles, or terrain? Kinda important.

Most SLA studios I know are digital sculptors from video game background, and just outsource the support engineering that you found the hardest thing.

For FDM figures you can pretty much just sculpt, if you avoid problematic shapes and overhangs. You will notice most figures designed for FDM have very smooth edges and lack steep overhangs. They look like they are starting to melt.

The thing you should be aware of is that the FDM people who want gaming figures or table sculptures HATE supports and HATE having to glue models together (the engineers doing functional prints are of course OK with drills and screws and supports). One thing very common in SLA is modular figures with swappable hands and weapons. First if you make parts this small for FDM, they should be on frames (often incorrectly called “sprues”) to make them printable. Secondly, people will hate it.

I like the space craft by Second Dynasty (on their own site, and MyMiniFactory). These have configurable modular interiors that clip together to make giant dolls houses for all your toy soldiers. (Basically it’s an empty hull (thats clips together) into which you place clip-togethjer tiles to make the interior). There is nothing like it on Maker World. You would be the first.

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Simple answer is put it on an integrated stand, base, or tactical rock.

Complex answer is fiddle with the geometry. If it’s tabletop scale it’s so small who will notice?

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Thank you! I do know Fat Dragon Games. Brite Minis was an interesting discovery.

I am checking what other FDM artists already make, but there is only so much you can learn by just seeing the final result. In most cases, apart from the specific supportless style of creating miniatures, it’s really hard to understand exactly what makes such models print well or not.

6

I’m a hard-surface designer. I never received professional training and learned 3D on my own, so my strength lies in geometry and engineering and not in organic sculpting. I do know how to sculpt, and I do use it from time to time, but mainly when there is just no way for me to recreate that specific detail with regular modelling. The most I ever used scultping for was creating my own wooden texture style, so each of those hundreds of wooden planks was additionally sculpted after it was modelled.

I mainly created scenery models, modular terrain (albeit never the traditional dungeon tiles), and even jewelry. No characters/figures/monsters as I admit, I’m pretty bad at those, so I just stick to hard-surface :joy:

I did say the supports are the hardest part to make SLA models printable, but I do also outsource mine to professionals because they can do a much better job at it than I can. It’s what they specialize in, after all.

And since I make models not in the most “creative” way (sculpting) but rather in a technical way (modelling), with most of my models being made from dozens if not sometimes hundreds of separate parts merged into one object, it’s the technical things that I need to be aware of that I so desperately seem to miss :confused:

That being said, while I previously made rather fantasy medieval tabletop scenery only (which was mainly used by others for dioramas and even doll houses), I just want to put my skills to a broader use. I kept making scenery before because I released it once and then kept having people (subscribers/customers/etc) who were only needing scenery, they wanted me to keep making it and it’s like an endless cycle in a way. Hard to get out of.

My personal life did get very hard to the point where I simply had to take a break from constant releases to put it on track, and to no surprise, coming back to it all after 2 years, you don’t have many subscribers left.

But I consider it being fortunate in a way, as it presented me with a clean slate to start over. To be able to choose what I make next, how to make it, even being able to finally choose a proper artist name, and so on. It’s not something you can do when you are locked into releasing models to hundreds of subscribers each month, like a conveyor line. It never ends.

So while I will still make some scenery for those subscribers that are left, it is finally the right time to choose what I actually want to make in my life.

7

I did play around with modularity and interactivity a lot when releasing models for SLA, so this time I want to take it to the next level for things that can actually function.

I do want to start with some FDM-specific terrain/diorama/scenery models, especially after I was absolutely impressed with the things you can achieve using the Inductive Coil + LEDs which is something I already ordered and will definitely be experimenting with, hopefully already this month (as soon as I “upgrade” to H3C), but also make things with motors (which would require much more practice) as well as some clocks, lamps and other decorative home items.

But I also want to make fully functional objects and not just aestetic ones. Like modular storage systems, desk upgrades, and so on. Not to mention wearables using the new 75A TPU, which I cannot wait for.

So pretty much a large variety of things.

But to me, the beauty of 3D printing is exactly in being able to make whatever comes to mind. Not being locked to one particular tiny niche, but being free to experiment and improve your life and the lives of people around you. Coming up with something that could help solve a problem you might have and not being afraid to release it just because “I used to make tabletop scenery so I can only release tabletop scenery and never anything else” :grin:

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If you’re going into functional object design, I recommend learning mechanical engineering (edit which in the modern age now includes basic electronics, motors, and computer control systems) and then specializing in either industrial design (to make appliances that look great) or machine design (to make machinery that works great).

You mentioned sculpting wood texture. While this is not a wrong thing to do, and sometimes necessary, I presume you are aware that you can take a bitmap photo of wood and then turn it into a stamp to apply to a model?