Space Pod from 2001 - A Space Odyssey

thingiverse

This was an experiment to attempt to directly print 3D files that are used for special effects models and such like. I tried the space pod from http://www.2001-3d-archive.info/, in 3D Studio Max format. I opened it in Meshlab, applied some repairs and simplifications, and scaled it. It does have some funky stuff, there are weird voids and hollows inside, so you have to print with full support, not just external. The experiment was a qualified success. The Thing-O-Matic actually printed everything correctly, but extracting it from the support material was a challenge, especially the very thin and delicate arms. I needed to repair the arms afterwards with Krazy Glue, and they are really super delicate still. I should really just edit the file and print the arms separately. Also worth going over the original file and fixing up a lot of the strangeness. Instructions Don't print it, it's a pain. Much better to actually print the arms separately, and maybe slice the model up so that it can be printed without support material. This might be a good start: http://panocamera.com/blog/?p=290 However, if you do insist on printing it as a single piece, try: small layer height (eg. 0.25mm) for greater resolution use support material make your support material close to the structure (eg. 0.6 filament width)