äÉ~êåáåÖ=~åÇ=íê~áåáåÖ=

êÉÖáëíÉêÉÇ=^f^L`bp=éêçîáÇÉê=

1

ãáÅêçsolsolsolsol=êÉëçìêÅÉë=Åçêéçê~íáçå==ONQ=ïÉëí=OVíÜ=ëíêÉÉí=åÉï=óçêâI=åó=NMMMN=íÉäW===ONOKQSRKUTPQ==Ñ~ñW==ONOKVSTKMVNM==çåÉ=éÉåå=ÅÉåíÉê==NSNTgch=ÄçìäÉî~êÇ==ëìáíÉ=NNNN=éÜáä~ÇÉäéÜá~I=é~=NVNMP=qÉäW==ONRKRRTKMTTM=c~ñW=ONRKRRTKMTTO==ïïïKãáÅêçsolsolsolsolêÉëçìêÅÉëKÅçã=

3D PRINT REVIT MODELS WITH ZCORP PRINTER TECHNOLOGY By Dolly L. Haardt, LEED AP, Architectural BIM Specialist, Microsol Resources Corporation

OBJECTIVE Learn how to 3D print Revit models on a ZCorp printer using the Revit Add-In:

“STL Exporter” from Autodesk LABS: http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/revit_stl/.

SETTING UP THE REVIT MODEL

It’s important to set up the Revit Model properly to avoid technical issues that may arise

during printing. The model that is used for Construction Documents is not necessarily the

model that will be printed. Similar to rendering, one branches off models for various

reasons, for example: DOB submissions, Energy Analysis or 3D Printing. See Figure 1.0 for

more examples:

Figure 1.0 - Image courtesy of Autodesk

2

= =

Creating a successful model

There are technical requirements for every model. Plan ahead by creating an organized Revit

project; this means views, worksets, design options, and phasing. The following are required

for a successful print regardless of what software used to create the final .stl:

• Minimum thickness: Every element in the model must meet the correct thickness

depending on the final scale of the model. Use the thickness calculator by

cadspan.com/tools for guidance.

• Watertight: The model must be solid, no open or unconnected seams,

meaning “a closed volume”.

• No inverted normals: All surfaces must be correctly oriented. An inverted normal

can be confused with a hole in the object. Building the model properly will avoid this

common mistake.

Establish coordinates using Revit and Google Earth

In Figure 1.0, there are six different examples of how a model can be used. Typically an

architectural model goes through various phases from concept design to custom fabrication.

3D printing plays a part in every one of these steps. Therefore when working in Revit, setting

up coordinates from the beginning can make this process smoother. Google Earth is a simple

way to do this and the model can be viewed in context with surrounding buildings. The

following steps are recommended for initial concept design:

1. Open Revit and create a New>Project.

2. Double click on the Site plan in the Project Browser.

3. Open Google Earth and locate your project site.

3

= =

4. In Revit, make sure the Site plan is the active view. Go to the Add-In tab and click on

External Tools>*Acquire from Google Earth [GE]. *Note: The GE Add-In can be downloaded from:

subscription.autodesk.com

5. Now that the Site plan from GE is linked to your Revit project, you can begin massing

out the project.

CONCEPTUAL DESIGN MASSING IN REVIT

There are a couple of methods for massing within Revit: the Conceptual Mass family tool

and the project level Massing tool. Either technique will work for exporting an .stl. For the

purpose of this demonstration, the project level Massing tool is used.

1. In Revit, Go to the Massing & Site tab and in the Conceptual Mass panel, click on In-

Place Mass.

4

= =

2. Always give the massing a descriptive name because Revit’s database will keep track

of all information associated with the mass.

3. Use the Draw tools [1] to sketch the mass and be sure to click Finish Mass [2] to see

the 3D form.

4. Click on the Default 3D View to review your mass before uploading it to GE.

5. Go to the Add-In tab and click on External Tools>Publish to Google Earth.

5

= =

6. Indicate the elements that should be published to GE.

7. Toggle to GE and the mass should now appear in the correct location.

6

= =

WORKING WITH THE MODEL IN ZPRINT AND ZEDIT

Once the model has been located in Revit and the three most important technical

requirements have been met: minimum thickness, watertight, and no inverted normals than

it can be exported as an .stl file.

1. In Revit, open a 3D view and confirm that only what should be printed is visible. It is

helpful to make dedicated views for 3D printing.

2. Go to the Add-In tab and click on External Tools>STLExport.

3. In the Export STL dialog box click on the Binary radio button. Note the Categories

tab, it indicates which Revit categories should or should not export to .stl.

4. Save the project file to your job folder.

7

= =

WORKING WITH THE MODEL IN ZPRINT AND ZEDIT

How do you know if the model will print successfully? ZPrint and ZEdit are applications

created by ZCorporation that have various tools to help check the model before they are

sent to the printer, including the ability to compare cost of printing monochrome versus

color. ZPrint will also calculate the total materials required to print. The following steps are

recommended prior to printing:

1. Open ZPrint and locate the .stl file.

2. Choose the correct units for the part.

3. Scale the model to ensure it will fit on the ZPrinter bed. This will depend on

which printer the model will be printed on.

8

= =

4. Rotate the model to orient it for the most ideal position during printing.

5. Justify the model for ideal printing.

6. Click on 2D to step through the section cuts of the model to confirm that the

thickness of the elements are sufficient.

7. Select the model and click the ZEdit icon .

9

= =

8. Click Fix Model.

9. If the model does not have any problems and is ready to print, the following dialog

box will appear.

10. Click on the Clipping tool and move view plane back to show that the massing

is solid.

11. Click on the Print Preparation drop down menu OR try using the Print Preparation

Panel to Hollow and add Drain Holes.

12. Click on Z the icon to jump back to ZPrint.

10

= =

13. Click on the File drop down menu and select 3D Print Time Estimator to calculate

how long it will take the model to complete printing and notice the amount of

materials required to print.

14. Click on the File drop down menu and select 3D Print Setup to confirm that the

computer is connected to the printer.

11

= =

15. Click on the File drop down menu and select 3D Print…The software will confirm that

there is ample materials to print.

CONCLUSION There are many benefits to maximizing your Revit model. 3D printing will help

communicate design concepts to owners and consultants. Keep in mind that these are just a

couple of the latest tools out there to enhance your workflow. This process has been

documented as a video on the Microsol Resources’ channel at Vimeo:

http://vimeo.com/15459255