I have extracted an STL file of the Change Up Ball from the Field CAD and uploaded a complete and half-ball to Thingiverse for those of you that would like to 3D print the new game object. Enjoy!
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@AidenPyle
How do I extract the other game elements? Thanks so much! Started Printing now!
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Also do i need supports?
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Do you need supports to print the halfs?
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The best way to do this is to import or open the STEP file provided by VEX in a CAD software of your choice (I used SolidWorks). From there you can select the body (or bodies) of the object you would like to export and you can go to “save as”, change the file type to STL, and when the option comes up, select “only selected bodies” so you don’t save the entire field. If that doesn’t work, you can save the specific body (or bodies) as a part file for the specific CAD software you are using, and then open that part up and you can save as an STL from there. I hope that helps. Let me know if it isn’t working or you need help.
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I would recommend supports for the center part of the half that has a large overhang. I have not printed this myself, and I have no plans to, so please let me know if you run into any issues or if you have suggestions for how to improve print quality and success rate.
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I have a version that can be printed without supports:
If you print the simplified version it should be able to be printed without supports as it has a conical interior.
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I figured out how to create a solid ball using the files from VEX. I have added it to the STL files on the original Thingiverse post. Let me know if there is anything else I can do to help you all print it successfully.
I’m still unsure how to select only the game objects and export them as an stl
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Can we use this in regular CAD files or do these only work in 3D printing softwares?
Here are detailed steps on how to export a specific part from the Field CAD files (this has to be done in CAD, not a slicer software). It is pretty straightforward and can be done in a few minutes if you know what you are doing. These steps really only apply to SolidWorks, but it is possible to do the same thing in other CAD Softwares, the steps might be slightly different, but the overall idea is the same. These steps cover one object to be printed, but if you want to print an assembly of parts (not individually) you would do the same thing here, but instead of hiding all parts, you would keep the ones you want to be printed together visible. I hope this is helpful. Let me know if you need further clarification.
STEP File Opened
Clicked on the object that I am interested in exporting (notice that it highlighted a part on the left menu)
Now select all other parts in the drop-down that are not highlighted and hide them (right-click, hide elements) so that the only object you want to export is visible. This can be done in bulk so you don’t have to do it one by one. This step seems silly, but it is important if you don’t want SW to accidentally export everything. Now you can see that all that remains is the ball.
Save As STL file type (if a pop up appears after, select yes)
Import the STL file into your slicing software to 3D print
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The STL files I provided can really only be used in 3D printing slicers. If you intend to alter the object, you do not want to use the STL file in CAD software as it is no longer a solid body. If you are wanting to alter the part in CAD, go get the STEP file and export the object using the steps above into a part file (instead of STL file), and from there you should be able to make modifications to the part. I hope this helps and answers your question.
I’m printing the second half of mine right now using the original files from the top of the thread and it seems to be working well. Although I would recommend a good amount of infill (15-30%) because I had a spot where it split a little. I used 0 infill to save time
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Also, if anyone is curious about how I made the half ball solid, these were the steps that I did to make that happen, so that you can do it too in the future. I hope this helps and was informative.
Using the steps above, export the object as a part file
Create a plane at the halfway point of the ball if there isn’t already an intersecting plane
Insert the Split feature that will use the plane to cut the two parts in half (select consume cut bodies)
Next create a revolved extrude sketch to fill in the interior of the ball
Next, we will utilize the Intersect feature to remove the unwanted pieces. Select all parts to be excluded except the interior part. This may take some time to figure out which parts you want excluded to get the shape you want by trial and error.
Now you can see in this section view that I have a solid object that conforms to the original shape of the hollow ball.
An extra step you can take is to create a sketch that will make a revolved cut extrude to remove a portion of the interior as to cut down on print material when 3D printing.
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What layer height, material, and print temperature are you using? It is possible that your layer height is too large compared to your nozzle diameter. For instance, if you have a 0.4mm nozzle, avoid going larger than 0.3mm. Another reason for splitting is that the print temperature is too low. Infill shouldn’t have a huge effect on layer splitting, but it may help.
thanks so much
20 chars
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Here are my print results with unsupported prints of two different models - all good.
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What about the weight?
If hollow the weight would be less than solid.
Wondering which half to print for correct weight?
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Use the accurate version from this thread:
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The most hollow model will result in the closest mass to the original. At 100% infill, my slicing software says that the mass of that model will be about 144 grams compared to the actual mass of the real ball being 168 grams. (This is due to a difference in density between the PLA I use to print and the ABS the balls are manufactured with). If you print in ABS, you will have the exact same mass as the real thing. You could also print the solid models and adjust the infill % until you reach the correct mass. Each section should have a mass of 84 grams to be accurate. Hope this helps.
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