Intersecting Silhouettes

pinshape

These are just a few of the models I've created using a Boolean intersection of different silhouettes extruded in multiple views. It typically takes about a minute to create a virtual model of someone's first + last name or the name of a couple. Start by creating an extruded silhouette in one view, like solid text in the top view that reads "Ball" using a font thick enough to work. Then create other extruded shapes in a different view, like solid text in the front that reads "State." The depth of extrusion should exceed the height of the characters. Back in the top view, if necessary, align the letters to a common baseline and move them closer together so they overlap enough to give the model sufficient strength before performing a Boolean union. Do the same in the front view. Next, move the objects so they align on the left using a scale (1D or 2D) to stretch or shrink an object so they align on both the left and right. Move the objects so they appear to intersect in all three views, cross your fingers, and perform a Boolean intersection. Then click on the result and move it to see if there are any non-contiguous pieces that should be deleted prior to saving as an STL for 3D printing (with supports). Be sure to inspect the virtual model to see if it will likely have sufficient structural integrity. I've described this more fully in Flowers, J. (2016). Intersecting silhouettes. Technology & Engineering Teacher, Electronic Supplement, 75(8), 1-8. Beyond the basic top/front intersection, I've tried left/right intersections, changing the angle to something other than 90 degrees, vertical text, diagonal text, text wrapped to a circle, stencil text subtracted from extruded text in a different orientation, perspective foreshortening of the object, stacked lines of text, non-text images, surface mapping and color solid object printing of these objects, three-way intersections of single letters (i.e., a shadow block) or of names, and lots more. I use this in one of the rapid prototyping courses I teach at Ball State University in Muncie, IN. We build objects like these and more on our uPrints, uPrint SE Plus, Formlabs Form2, RoVa3D, Creator Pro, Replicator 2 and 2X, ZCorp Spectrum Z510, and Stratasys 1650. I also teach Green Prototyping and Upcycling where students extrude their own 3D printer filament from post-consumer plastic and then 3D print with it (Grad and Undergrad).