How to Use an Image to Make a Phone Holder for 3D Printing in SelfCAD
One of the main reasons to use reference images in 3D design is to ensure accuracy. When creating complex designs, especially those that need to look like real-world objects or characters, being precise is essential. Reference images serve as a visual guide, helping you match the proportions, shapes, and details of your 3D model to the original subject.
SelfCAD, is a user-friendly 3D modeling software that is ideal for beginners and professionals alike. It has a range of tools for importing and working with reference images, making it a great choice for creating detailed 3D models. In this section, we are looking at how to design the phone holder using the reference image. You can check out the interactive tutorial to learn how to design it. In summary, start by launching SelfCAD and opening the workspace:
On the toolbar, click on the Image to 3D. Click Select Image to load the image from the files, and select the image as follows:
Set Tolerance to 0.9 and Precision to 1. Set Flip Background and Simplify to true:
Tick the check mark to finalize Image to 3D:
The next step is scaling the object. Select the Scale tool, and set Keep Proportion to true. Set Y to 100:
Click “X” to close the transformation panel:
Select the Move tool and set Y to 10 and Z to 30:
Click on the Copy button to make one copy of the object. Activate the Move tool and set Z to -30:
Click “X” to close the transformation panel. Select the Cylinder from the 3D Shapes:
Set the parameters of the cylinder as shown below and tick the check mark to finalize the cylinder:
Select all the objects then select Stitch and Scoop> Union. The next step is giving the object color. Click on the Color picker and select the Black button to select the black color, then click ok to confirm the color:
There you go, you have finished creating the T-Rex - Chrome Phone Holder in SelfCAD:
Using reference image makes the design process easier. Creating a 3D model from scratch without any visual aids can be challenging, especially for beginners. With a reference image, you can simplify the modeling process into smaller, manageable steps. Instead of trying to imagine the whole model in your mind, you can concentrate on tracing and building each part of the model according to the image. After creating the 3D model, you can use the in-built online slicer of SelfCAD to slice your designs. The video below shows how to slice STL files in SelfCAD.
Enjoy powerful modeling, rendering, and 3D printing tools without the steep learning curve.
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