I recently learned about the Autodesk 3D Print Utility tool. [Download Here]
It’s supposed to be an all-in-one helper that lets you very simply pop in a model and print it out.
It’ll do all the mesh fixing and support generation for you, much like PreForm.
I scoped it out for its mesh fixing utility.
Loading up is pretty straightforward. You must select a printer and a material from the list. The default is MakerBot Replicator 2 with PLA White as the material.
It auto-orients the mesh and adds supports. You can change orientations with the “Minimize” checkbox, to minimize supports.
Here I loaded up the broken Peppermint Butler. It fixed the model without many problems.
I saved the mesh as an STL and got back a fixed up PP with no support structures. Whoohoo!
Next I loaded up the broken Rakdos model. I’d initially thought the 3D Print Utility broke after 30 minutes of the “processing model” loading bar.
However, after 3 hours, it’s fixed.
It’s like Sculpteo!
Interestingly, the mesh lost a lot of resolution compared to the original.
Summary:
Pros:
- fixes basic meshes and generates support structures
- exports the repaired model without the supports
- connects to printers easily
- loads OBJs and STLs
Cons:
- limited printer choices
- struggles on difficult-to-fix models
- no way to upload another model without restarting the program