Introduction: 3D Render Phone Case

Therein instructable I'll show you how to take a 2d image, turn it into a 3D grade-constructed, and then use it to make a custom headphone case. I'm using an iPhone 7 Hera, simply I'll tell you where you might look to regain a case for a different phone.

Step 1: Tools + Materials

  • Fusion 360
  • 3D Printer

    • I utilise a Prusa I3Mk3S for around everything. It's the go-to-meeting bang for your buck, in my public opinion- very well made, 3D printable replacement parts, accurate and reliable.

  • 3D Black and white Filament
    • I used Matte White PLA from Type A Machines for this propose, but pretty much any filament will work. I like this squeeze because the finish looks really good, but IT makes many feel to use a filament with better physics properties than this if you privation the mechanism to last.

Fusion 360 is free and information technology's awesome. I use it for everything I design and fabricate.

Student / Educator License (reincarnate free every 3 years)

Hobbyist / Startup (renew liberate each year)

Follow on with this Instructable to model your own!

Step 2: This Script Will No Longer Work

Fusion 360 officially discontinued compatibility with Javascript in Dec of 2022. Thence, the Look-alike 2 Surface Script utilised in this instructable will no more work.

There may be other scripts or add-INS that do siamese things, so much as this Pin Full point Impression Creator, but I haven't tried it.

You may make much chance going to GitHub and interrogative the author of the book to discharge it in another language like Python that Fusion 360 will be compatible with.

I'll leave up this instructable just in case Hans decides to update the script in which case IT will still be efficacious.

Step 3: Put in Epitome 2 Rise up Script

"Book" is shorthand for a bit of code that you can plug into the program to give in it a new tool that wasn't included past the software developer. There are scores of scripts that allow you to do some pretty awesome things.

To translate a 2D bitmap image to a 3D surface for CNC milling, I used the Image-2-Surface script written away Hans Kellner.

The hand is rattling simple. Entirely IT does is translate the value (stratum of high spirits operating theatre darkness) of a bitmap image to the height of a point on a mesh surface. The white parts of an visualise will Be the highest points, and the bootleg parts will personify the lowest points. This script will work with any photograph, but I find it's best to utilize grayscale images because IT's easier to predict what information technology leave expect like in 3D.

INSTALL A SCRIPT

First, download the Zip file attached preceding and unzip it in a localization of your choice. I would advise keeping it several place other than the Downloads folder, or any other folder that is regularly cleaned proscribed.

To lading the script in Coalition, follow these steps:

  1. Start Fusion 360 and then select the ADD-INS > Scripts and Supply-Ins... menu item.
  2. The Scripts and Add-Ins dialog volition appear and presentation the My Scripts and Sampling Scripts folders.
  3. Select indefinite of the My Scripts folders, then click along the + icon near the top of the dialog.
  4. Locate the Image2Surface.js file in the folder you copied, select IT, and snap Open. The script should now be installed and ready to be run.

Scripts and Add-Ins Menu

Step 4: Open Phone Case Model

Affiliated in this step as a generic phone case shell for an iPhone 7 I made. If you've got a different phone role model, last to a site like Autodesk Unification 360 Gallery or Grabcad to find a solid mannikin format file that volition piece of work with your phone. Acceptable file types are IGS, IGES, Sat, SMT, STP, and STEP.

An STL, OBJ, or other interlocking data formatting file won't work out with the process I'm using here.

Download the phone case file,

Open the Data Empanel by clicking the reference grid in the speed left hand corner of the screen, open an project folder Oregon work a new cast, then click the Upload button. Take the phone case file to bring it into the Fusion project.

Once information technology's in, just double click on that to start your new invention.

Step 5: Run Pictur 2 Surface

First, you'll need to create an fancy. This can follow anything, merely you'll get better results with high-contrast images like the unity above.

375 H X 175 W is a angelic proportion for the picture (at to the lowest degree for an iPhone case), and you North Korean won't want to go such bigger than 375px X 175px at 72 DPI. Any big than that and the book will really mir your machine.

The photograph can be color, but it's map valuate (whiteness / blackness of each pel), so I find making the images black and white to give ME a better idea of what the surface will be.

With my data file rescued, and the Workspace set to Manakin, I go to ADD-INS > Scripts and Add-Ins... I select Image2Surface from the list and click Run.

CHOOSE A Electronic image IMAGE

The script opens a window where you can take a bitmap persona. I'm using the ego-portrait shown above.

IMPORTANT: the persona should be a small size of it. The high the resolution, the more points on the engagement, which means slower performance or crashing. The ikon I'm using is less than 300 X 300 Post exchange and seems to work fine. Discover likewise that the image is blurred- this makes for a smoother engagement.

To find good images for practice, just do a google search for "profoundness map image" and you'll see gobs of images that are ready for this kind of work.

If you want to follow along, you can right-mouse click and download the image below and manipulation it to create your 3D surface.

The default settings pictures in a higher place worked just fine with the image, but you may want to tweak these settings for wagerer results. At a lower place is a verbal description of the script settings.

If all goes well, you'll have a mesh surface supported the image you chose.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Is Fusion freezing operating theater flaming when you try to run the book? Chances are, your pictur is overlarge. Keep IT close to 300 X 300 pixels and it shouldn't make up a problem. The smaller the image, the quicker the processing.

NON-Functional SCRIPT

If the script isn't behaving arsenic described even though you followed the instructions, I would suggest looking this thread on the Autodesk Knowledge Base: https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/nuclear fusion-3CHOOSE A Electronic image IMAGE The script opens a window where you fundament choose a bitmap image. I'm using a geography map of the Monterey Canyons in Santa Cruz.

Strategic: the picture should be a small size. The high the resolution, the more than points happening the mesh, which means slower performance operating room crashing. The figure I'm using is less than 300 X 300 PX and seems to work fine. Find also that the fancy is blurred- this makes for a drum sander mesh.

To find good images for practice, just do a Google look for "depth map image" and you'll realize lots of images that are ready for this sort of function.

If you wish to follow on, you posterior right-click and download the look-alike below and use it to create your 3D surface.60...

Ordinarily when a script ISN't working, it's because it wasn't installed in good order.

Step 6: Convert to T-Slat

The opencast the handwriting creates is a Polygonal shape Mesh surface. This type of surface is ready-made up of facets with edges and points. If you rapid climb in, you'll see that there are atomic number 102 flexuous surfaces.

This type of geometry can't be used to piddle g-cipher toolpaths, so we'll need to convert it to T-Spline geometry. A t-spline is a type of NURBS geometry that works with control points that affect a flexible surface.

You'ray going to need T-Slat geometry to make over your 3D surface, so click the CREATE > Create Form tool from the menu. This tool takes you into the SCULPT workspace.

Next, click UTILITES > Exchange and select Network Dead body in the Choice Filter out. Now pawl the mesh surface that the script created and detent Very well. Now it's time to be patient and let the program do its work converting the surface to a T-Spline body- it might take few minutes.

When the conversion is through with, click along Land up Human body on the upper right of the toolbar to go back to the Manakin workspace.

Step 7: Make up 3D Serious

A t-slat surface won't be of much exercise on its personal, so now you'll motivation to make a solid object with IT. Make a Sketch, draw a rectangle that's slightly larger than the boundary of the 3D surface of the word-painting, then Make over > Extrude IT so it's deeper than the overall depth of the 3D surface.

The Process here should personify New Dead body.

Go to Qualify > Replace Face to cut the 3D surface forbidden of the block you just successful.

The Target Face is the 3D surface ready-made with the script, and the Generator Face is the flat typeface of the block that's on the same broadside as the positive office of the surface (the part that sticks retired, not in).

You should puzzle over something that looks like this, where the 3D skin-deep is projecting of the block, not cut into it.

Step 8: Ordered series, Move, and Cut

Go up the new body so that IT's roughly centered on the phone case.

MODIFY > Scale the body so that the picture is smaller than the flat surface on the back of the phone casing.

Proceed it once again so that the 3D shallow goes into the back of the case, but leave a bit bit of a disruption between the flat surfaces. You power want to avoid letting the surface go clear through and through the pillow slip so that IT pokes out happening the other side.

MODIFY > Combine to cut the 3D open out of the phone case.

Target Body should be the call case, and Tool Body should be the 3D superficial.

If totally goes well, you should have a 3D surface cut out of the vertebral column of the phone case.

A quick rendering gives me an approximation of how this will look when it's printed.

Step 9: Slash and Print

I used the default settings for PLA in Suplify 3D and printed it on my Creality CR-10. The preference shown in the gif uses a lot of support material, but it makes for the clearest picture since IT's facing up, so it's worth IT.

Step 10: What Picture Will You Apply?

The individual-portrait came out pretty well. I rear end't help looking at this and thinking of Han Solo in carbonite. What picture will you use on yours?

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