1

I've pored over forums, youtube videos, anything to help me learn this feature. So please don't immediately smite me if you feel this is a duplicate question. Every video I've tried to learn from only solidifies the faces (ex: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcBtvpwmcuQ) as opposed to an even fill throughout the mesh.

Basically, I am modeling for 3D printing. The objects I am trying to print are small enough to where they should and need to be solid. I was working on a token/disc and couldn't accomplish that so I went back to the drawing board with a basic cube to make a dice. When I apply the solidify modifier to the cube, I put it right on the threshold to where the next increment will break the visible/outer surface. I assume this means it is completely solid. However when I slice it in chitubox the layers are showing that the object is not completely solid. I feel that I've tried all settings, complex and simple versions of the solidify modifier. I am still getting incorrect results. Picture of a layer in chitubox and picture of another cube with the same modifier applied (scaling might be slightly different, I haven't yet figured out a way to view parameters of applied modifiers again once they've been applied). Again, if you feel this is a duplicate, pointing me to a forum that is attempting to accomplish the same thing is extremely appreciated. I have yet to find a correct source to learn a way to apply this feature in a way that accomplishes my goal. Thank you to any helpful replies in advance.

Edit: I've worked out that at least in this case it has something to do with the beveled edges. A regular cube mesh solidifies fine. Am I missing a boolean modifier somewhere? The token/disc I assume is having the same issue due to the geometry of the faces. I would attach a picture of that however I'm so deep into that project that I've forgotten what I've applied, in what order, etc.

enter image description here


Chitubox layer around the middle of the dice

kris10
  • 11
  • 2
  • I dont think a solidify modifier is needed in this case. If the mesh has no holes it should be solid. Have you tried directly exporting your dice without adding a solidify modifier? – dunnowhattocallmyself Dec 10 '21 at 02:00
  • A humbling experience to say the least... I knew it was simple but dang. So as a follow-up... why does solidify exist? To create a hollowed model where you just add thickness to the geometry of the faces? I'm fairly certain I tried this on the disc file I was working on and also had this problem, however I'm retracing my steps to confirm – kris10 Dec 10 '21 at 02:35
  • solidify is often used for objects with no thickness at all(for example if you add a plane). I think you would have a better understanding of solidify if you 1. added a cube 2. added a solidify modifier 3. deleted the top face of the cube. This way you could see what the solidify modifier does – dunnowhattocallmyself Dec 10 '21 at 02:58
  • I had been doing that to test the solidify modifier in the first place, which initially led me to believe that the meshes are hollow. I understand it's 3D modeling which should inherently mean the objects should be solid but that wasn't what my testing was showing. However, when an SVG is imported and converted to mesh, I'm not finding that it is inherently solid. Do you agree or disagree with that? – kris10 Dec 10 '21 at 03:15
  • an imported svg has no thickness. I agree with that. Adding a solidify modifier in this case would give it thickness and therefore you would be able to print it then. – dunnowhattocallmyself Dec 10 '21 at 03:49

1 Answers1

3

I think your question stems from not understanding 3D-modelling in general. In your case you don't apply solidify modifier to a set of faces to physically fill it. That does not make any sense since your geometry is described mathematically by a set of faces.

As a simple example: You want to model a cube with just 6 faces. Manually you could just create 8 vertices for 6 properly aligned faces. With face-normal direction you have your cube. There is nothing inside the cube. No need to fill/solidify anything. A closed 6 face-cube-object is solid per definition.

I haven't yet figured out a way to view parameters of applied modifiers again once >they've been applied

I don't see why you need to apply them in your case.

Miro
  • 31
  • 1
  • When I exported other "solid" objects to STL for printing, they sliced as hollow. Your down talking and inability to address the actual question is just as dumb as you perceive this question to be. Whether or not I need to apply modifiers in this specific example doesn't mean that it still couldn't be met with useful help. – kris10 Dec 10 '21 at 03:13
  • 1
    Considering what you wrote: You don't understand 3D-modelling in general and don't have understanding of the math that is underlying blender. That was not meant as downtalking but just stating that you are misunderstanding something. I even adressed your question when I wrote two times that you don't need to solidify.

    Even what you commented to the other guy shows that you misunderstand "3D". Actually just tried to give advice (+ Im not native English speaker).

     – Miro Dec 10 '21 at 03:17
  • It's almost as if this is a forum designed to learn. I've been working on this problem for 3 days and exhausted all other resources knowing I would receive feedback like this regardless. Currently working through a 7 day course of learning blender to understand functionality of the software, but trying to work on other projects in the meantime. However, learning the basic functionality of blender still doesn't add up to suddenly understanding 3D modeling. Again-have read extensively on the solidify modifier & all forums said it would add depth which I clearly wasn't getting in initial testing. – kris10 Dec 10 '21 at 03:34
  • Additionally - I have an SVG extruded and converted to a solid mesh. A 3D, closed, mesh, that is slicing with no volume. The solidify modifier, as I understand it, would be needed here but is not accomplishing what I am aiming for. – kris10 Dec 10 '21 at 03:38
  • 3
    I'm sorry but it really seems you don't understand solid objects. I create objects for friends to print them and I never needed to "fill" them in any way. If the mesh is closed, i.e. no open sides, everything connected properly (I mean, where there is an edge between two faces, this edge should be a single one belonging to both faces, not two edges lying on top of each other so that it only appears to be closed, same goes for vertices) and the face normals are pointing outwards so that outside and inside are correctly defined, this mesh is solid in 3D. – Gordon Brinkmann Dec 10 '21 at 08:08
  • Not enough space in the comments, sorry for adding a second one. So I export this closed mesh as STL and give it a friend. In his slicer program he then sets parameters how the inside of the object is filled, for example fully if he wants to make it heavy and waste a lot of material or filled with some structure, deciding on how high the percentage of filled volume should be, so it will be filled with a more or less dense structure. – Gordon Brinkmann Dec 10 '21 at 08:11
  • 2
    Oh, and about this forum: it's not exactly a forum, it's more a Q&A site, not exactly designed to learn (of course you can learn things here, but there are no tutorials for example), it's more like when you have a specific problem you want to solve, you can ask if someone has a solution for that. Insulting people who try to explain to you where you might be wrong in comprehending the software or 3D objects in order to help you will not increase your chances of getting a solution. – Gordon Brinkmann Dec 10 '21 at 08:24