In fact, here's a little-known tip: Even if your base units are metric, you can still use notation for inches in your sizes. For that reason, I recommend setting your units in Blender to use millimeters as a base.ĭon't worry if you-ahem-happen to be in a part of the world that hasn't fully converted to the metric system. Most of the specifications for 3D printers (or commercial 3D printing services) are in metric units. You change this value by going to the Units panel in Scene Settings. Instead, it uses the nebulously sized Blender Unit. By default, Blender doesn't use real-world units. To that end, you need to use real-world units. Your 3D model is destined for the real world. However, assuming you know your way around Blender a little bit, there are a few setup tasks you should go through when starting a project meant for 3D printing. There are great video tutorials and books (shameless plug) out there that are more thorough and better suited for that particular task. There's not enough room in this article to walk you through all of the basics of getting started with Blender. Hopefully, this two-part article can help bridge that gap. Likewise, for our non-digital counterparts, powerful 3D art tools such as Blender can prove to be daunting and unfamiliar territory. Of course, 3D artists aren't always used to working in real-world units and the constraints of meatspace materials (which may or may not, in fact, be made of meat). Traditional sculptors, jewelry designers, makers, and backyard tinkerers understand the incredible amount of freedom and power that 3D printing brings to their work. Not only that, 3D printing also brought digital tools to people outside of the typical 3D art community. 3D printing has changed that.ģD printing has given 3D artists the ability to bring their work into the real world where it can be seen, held, and used. Even in a virtual reality (VR) environment, the result is, at best, an illusionary representation of your three-dimensional work. The result of your work was destined to be seen only in print or on screens. Welcome to the communityīeing a 3D artist used to mean that you were exclusively a digital artist-you worked in a virtual environment with intangible materials.

From blender to 3d printer