Realistic rendering of FDM 3D prints in Fusion 360

Spoiler alert: This cannot be done from Bambu Studio, you need a slicer that can export “Toolpaths” as OBJ-file, for instance Prusa slicer.

I have stumbled over a method for making photo realistic rendering of 3D prints, so that the layer lines are shown in a realistic way. This can be used to for instance simulate text inlays in a contrasting color (which has become easy with multi color printers), in a way that gives a far better visualization than the slicer preview; like this:

image

The process goes like this (using Prusa 2.8.0 and Fusion 360):

Single color object

  • Import the file into Prusa and slice it using the settings you would use in Bambu Studio for

    • Layer height (including variable layer height)
    • Line width
  • Slice the object in Prusa Slicer

  • Optional step: To reduce the file size, you can open the “Feature type” panel and disable (click the line you want to disable) all features except Perimeter and External Perimeter:
    image

  • Export the file: Menu > File > Export > “Export Toolpaths as OBJ…”

  • Open a new design in Fusion 360.

  • Insert > Insert Mesh > Select from my computer

  • Select the saved OBJ file (disregard the *.mtl file that Prusa slicer saved with the OBJ file, you do not need it).

  • The OBJ file can be large, so the import will take some time.

  • The result is a mesh object, like this:

  • Do NOT attempt to convert the mesh object to a solid (it will take a very long time due to all the geometry details, and is not needed).

  • Assign appearance to the mesh object

    • Modify > Appearance (or keyboard shortcut A)

    • Search for (for instance) plastic glossy
      image

    • Download the appearance if needed (red dot).

    • Pull the selected color (here Yellow) to “In This Design”, and make sure “Apply to” has “Bodies/Components” selected.
      image

    • Pull and drop the color onto the object.

    • Notice that the mesh object does not change color to the one you assigned. This is normal behavior for a Mesh object.

  • Go to the Render workspace, and start an in-canvas render.

  • Using the “Fast” method, I get this after only a minute calculation:

  • You can now play with the lighting and camera settings to better highlight the rendering, I think the following works good:

    • Scene settings > Settings > Background: Environment
    • Scene settings > Settings > Focal length: 45 mm
    • Scene settings > Environment Library: Sharp Highlights

Doing something similar with a multi color object requires some careful manipulations of objects in Prusa Slicer, and exporting separate OBJ files for each color, that are imported individually to Fusion 360 using the described method. I’m confident those who are interested will find out how!

Better rendering results can be obtained by using the “Advanced” method in Fusion 360, at the expense of far longer processing time.

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I can make this work for multicolor prints with fill-in text, as described in the writeup above. I do this by placing the fill-in face down on the print bed and slicing / exporting separate OBJ files for each color.

However, I cannot figure out a way to do it for general multi-color prints, like this example:
image

. I can split the object to parts (not objects!), then remove the “bulk” part, which results in the letters hanging in mid-air over the print plate. But Prusa refuses to slice this:
image

If anyone figures out a way to get around this limitation, please speak out!

Correction to my previous message:
You can get a visual impression of the print lines, by exporting the multicolor OBJ file. But you will only be able to assign the same appearance to the entire print, not show the two colors.
Like this:

Thanks for sharing this technique. I already knew it and used it in the past but I’m sure it will interest a lot of people :wink:

The main reason why I spot using it, it because it takes longer to render and because materials reacts differently on the mesh versus a solid body.

But it definitely super neat to be able to render the toolpath ^^

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Looks interesting.

I’ve done some renders of simulated prints using Blender rather than Fusion - based on an addon that can read gcode directly. I enhanced it a bit to handle multi colour and create timelapses. Could share it if there is any interest,

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That’s really really cool :slight_smile:

You’re right. Basic rendering in F360 is done on the host computer, so a relatively performant computer is a big advantage.

Beautiful render!

I have installed Blender, but have so far concluded that this is a tool it will take time to learn!

Great video, impressive!

Thanks :wink:
Yup, the problem is that I’m using a MacBook Air M1 8gb XD

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Yes Blender is quite tricky to learn - but for Rendering it is a lot more flexible and a fair bit faster than f360 - especially if you are happy with the eevee engine.

I usually do my modelling in f360 and simple static renders in f360. But large complex multi file models or animated models for me work a lot better in blender.

Might try the toolpath obj approach you suggested with blender too - to see if it handles colour.

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Very cool. I wonder if the render could be used to compare “expected” vs “actual” print results with a better camera and some processing done on an SBC (e.g. depth-anything) to get a better idea what errors are happening, how close to your expected print it seems to be, and in the long run, integrating real-time compensation to try and save a print that seems to be failing, or on the verge of failing.

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Stratasys most probably has a patent for that ^^

The tricky part of multi color is not the rendering in F360, but the slicing.

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Definitely could be used to compare actual print with expected. When you use blender cycles you can get the ‘fish eye’ effect that comes from the x1c built in camera - see this video as a demo of a real timelapse compared to simulation.

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Sigh. Every possibility they do, but hopefully it’ll be invalidated if so due to prior art, insufficient differentiation from prior patents, etc.

Bloody cool! Even if I needed to buy a dedicated RPi or Jetson Nano, etc. to run it, it would be cool. So many side projects, so little time!

I hope so. And/or at least it reduce the lifetime of some of those patents. 20 years for a flex plate that’s insane IMHO.

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I’d be interested in trying the addon. Still learning the render portion of Blender though, so if it is complicated it may take a while for me.

Ok will package it up and DM you with details at some point in the next few weeks.

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I’d be interested in trying the addon as well.

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