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Cover image for AI Generating a 3d Print
Ryan Lanciaux
Ryan Lanciaux

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AI Generating a 3d Print

Quickly take an AI generated image and make it a 3d print with the following steps.

  1. Generate an image
  2. Make the image a 3d model
  3. Translate the model to something 3d printer software understands
  4. Print (after coloring the model optional)

Generate an image

Use Flux or some other image generator to create an image. Be sure to include something like "Video game concept art pure white background" or "bright green background" to have the ability to remove the background easily.

Generated image

Use Convert the image to a 3d model

I used TRELLIS to generate a 3d model from my image.

TRELLIS

Translate the model to something a 3d printer can understand

Most slicer software needs stl or 3mf (although many can import from other file types). You can use a tool like Image-to-STL or open in Blender and export as STL/3mf.

Print the Model

Now you should be ready to print your model. I re-colored it in Bambu Studio, as I wasn't able to figure out a way to keep the colors intact through the filetype translation process.

Penguin in Bambu Studio

And the result
Printed result

Let me know what you think.

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Top comments (6)

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ben profile image
Ben Halpern

I am very curious about how this space will evolve. It's definitely an interesting pipeline.

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ryanlanciaux profile image
Ryan Lanciaux

Yea! I think even just having the ability to import the colors would go a long way BUT I think we'll have a day in the near future where we can prototype machinery and stuff.

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ben profile image
Ben Halpern

I imagine it makes sense to also have a 3D-object-native AI generation technology to directly generate the actual 3d files natively with the intelligence baked into that process vs first doing an image then generating to 3d — or at least that makes sense to me. But you understand this area more than me (I'm a newbie with 3d printing), do you think that's where it will go?

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ryanlanciaux profile image
Ryan Lanciaux

Not sure that I would necessarily understand more than you, however, I do wonder if we're a little ways off before we would have the ability to say "Make this thing that has many moving pieces" I think there would need to be almost like a LangChain type thing for orchestrating the various parts and establishing the types of connections that are made like "This type of bolt goes here to hold __ and __ together." That said, as fast as this is moving in other areas I wouldn't be surprised if this is already solved or solved soon (BUT I'm not an expert at that in any sense)

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aaronre16397861 profile image
Aaron Reese • Edited

All the way back to GPT-3, I asked it to give me the STL file content for a hexagonal bolt 12mm head, 6mm wide by 20mm long shaft with 30 degrees anti clockwise thread at 2mm spacing and 1mm depth and it did it.
Not difficult to design but still probably 1/2 hour work in blender for experienced CAD designer.

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Clinton Gallagher

I am a Bamboozled X1C owner and operator myself. I think the results Ryan shows leave a lot to be said about fidelity of the finished model. Hopefully we'll see compute improve this over the next year so unquestionable quality can be generated.

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