Good Programs for Scaling 3d prints?

[Unit287]

I'm looking into making my very own MK VII Armor core (I already have the printer and have started working on a weapon while I figure out the armor) I was wondering what 3d programs out there are good for the scaling part of this. I'm using measurements of my body along with a 3d scan from a phone for reference. What programs would you recommend?

 

[SgtSaint]

First: Answer the question you asked. Armorsmith.

Armorsmith Discussion | No way to pin this summary so I guess I'll just repeat it for the start of the new month | Facebook

No way to pin this summary so I guess I'll just repeat it for the start of the new month. -------------- As this is coming up every day, it seems like - let me try to create a compressive post....

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Second: Addressing what you didn't ask, as it pertains to scaling/sizing. This is a subsection of my longer "New armoror FAQ"

If you've never done an armor build before you might want your first armor to be one without the really tight tolerances of a Spartan or Ironman. I confess I made about 3 Spartan armors to get my first one right. It was very Goldilocks of "This is too big, this is too small, this is just right" with every part. If I had known then what I learned through the process I would have made The Mandalorian (least actual armor) then an ODST then Spartan and actually gotten 2-3 good wearable costumes instead of a lot of waste. I mean, if you're going to print 3 costumes either way, might well have 3 costumes- instead of 1 + a pile of wrong-sized prints, right?
Least tight of tolerance first, and work towards tightest tolerance.
So like:

1. The Mandalorian
2. Aliens Colonial Marine
3. ODST
4. Spartan
5. Ironman

Lastly: A suggestion about order of printing parts.

Helmet probably should be last, not first. Yeah yeah, everyone wants a helmet to drool over. But it's the thing everyone stares at so you want to do it AFTER you've developed a process, techniques and skills.
Personally I always recommend starting at the feet & hands then working up & in to the body.
• You're going to weather and distress the boots more than anything else... and they get looked at with the least critical eye.
• Then shins which have to ride on the boots.
• Then thighs since you have to avoid joint conflict so you can sit etc.
• See how this goes? Up from the boots, and inward from the hands to forearms to biceps to shoulders.
• By the time you get to the chest and helmet; the parts at eye level that everyone stares at, looks at first, is right there in your face in every photo - you can make them look stellar.
And if you start at the boots you're looking at parts that are only a day or two per part not 6 days per part. So you can hone your scaling skills.

 

[Unit287]

First: Answer the question you asked. Armorsmith.

Armorsmith Discussion | No way to pin this summary so I guess I'll just repeat it for the start of the new month | Facebook

No way to pin this summary so I guess I'll just repeat it for the start of the new month. -------------- As this is coming up every day, it seems like - let me try to create a compressive post....

www.facebook.com

Second: Addressing what you didn't ask, as it pertains to scaling/sizing. This is a subsection of my longer "New armoror FAQ"

Any programs that would be free? I've looked into armorsmith, however I'm on a Mac so that might not work. Any other programs that you would recommend? Or would it be better to use test rings and measurements and see how it goes? I might look into an ODST build too.

 

[SgtSaint]

Any programs that would be free? I've looked into armorsmith, however I'm on a Mac so that might not work. Any other programs that you would recommend? Or would it be better to use test rings and measurements and see how it goes? I might look into an ODST build too.

Truth is there isn't any other program like Armorsmith that is purpose-made for this very specific niche.
Test rings are always part of building armor, regardless how you scale. Its just something you really want to do, to avoid an even larger pile of waste parts.
As I mention in that post that I linked you can think of Armorsmith as free since you will save more than the cost of the program in your first project just by the amount of filament you don't waste.
And many others run it on Macs either through Parallels, Fusion or another windows virtual machine. Or just boot your Mac into Window via bootcamp. It can be really handy to be able to run in a Windows environment as this isn't the only handy program that's windows only. For example Windows 3d Builder is a solid part of 3d printing work flow for a lot of people.

There's a number of articles here on and YouTube for using Blender (which is cross platform) for scaling. But it does mean learning a general-purpose CAD program for this specific purpose and honestly I don't have any input on doing that.

If you search the forum here for "scaling" you will probably find several other threads where this same question has been discussed at length: Might be another answer in one of those.
For example: First Build - Gen 3 Mark VI Inspired Armor; Scaling opinions?

 

[Unit287]

Sweet thanks, this helps a lot!

 

[N8TEBB]

While I use armorsmith to scale my armour now, the first suit of armour I ever made was created without armorsmith. I basically did what is in this tutorial:

Tutorial: Simple Armor Scaling

Hi everyone, Though I haven't been a member here long, I’ve already seen several new threads pop up with noobs asking how to scale their armor pieces. Sometimes, they have already read the other scaling tutorials, and still have trouble. So, I thought I’d share my method for scaling that I...

www.405th.com

That tutorial is written for foam crafting, but I believe the same process can be followed for 3D print files. You may find that even with putting lots of thought into you scaling, some pieces may have to be made again. Unfortunately, even with armorsmith, we don't always nail the scaling on the first try. It's always a good idea to see how the pieces fit on you as you make them. I had to redo my thigh pieces for example, and many other pieces has to be modified after they were initially crafted so they could fit me better.

 

[Garthok2962]

Thank you for this advice aswell ill take it into consideration thanks again.

 

[SPARTAN A128]

For scaling a helmet to fit you best, I found that there is a guy on Thingiverse that made head files that you match up with your head, and you can see if they fit, I've found it best to use Meshmixer or Cura. If you use measurements, I would suggest Meshmixer. For scaling on a percentage level, I suggest Cura.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4885210

I would assume you can do the same with the rest of the armor, but i have yet to find a solution for using a digital body for myself like the head.

 

[Bargo]

Here’s how I scale helmets to fit perfectly:


I use a generic head model from Thingiverse along with Windows 3D Builder.


Then I take two photos of the person’s head – one from the front and one from the side – with a ruler placed in the middle of the head, facing the camera so the numbers are clearly visible in the photo.


In 3D Builder, I import both images and overlay them in a cross view (front and side), using the ruler in the images to set the correct scale.


Once the images are properly scaled and aligned, I drop in the generic head model and scale it to match the photos. When done, I save the scaled head with the person's name so I can easily reuse it.

---

Helmet Scaling Workflow:​

• Open the helmet model in 3D Builder
• Import the scaled head model
• Use the built-in X-Ray view to fine-tune the helmet’s size
• Make sure there’s enough space for padding, possibly fans, and most importantly – that the nose doesn't touch the visor

Once I find the right size, I check the scaling percentage – for example, if it says 102.45%, I just round it up to 103% for simplicity.


Important tip: Always use uniform scaling!
Otherwise, add-on parts might no longer fit correctly.
If you do need to scale length and width differently, make sure to apply the exact same scale to all related parts.


And one more pro tip:
Create a text file where you save the scaling values. That way, even if something gets lost or breaks years later, you’ll still have the correct settings for reprinting.

 

[Unit287]

Here’s how I scale helmets to fit perfectly:


I use a generic head model from Thingiverse along with Windows 3D Builder.


Then I take two photos of the person’s head – one from the front and one from the side – with a ruler placed in the middle of the head, facing the camera so the numbers are clearly visible in the photo.


In 3D Builder, I import both images and overlay them in a cross view (front and side), using the ruler in the images to set the correct scale.


Once the images are properly scaled and aligned, I drop in the generic head model and scale it to match the photos. When done, I save the scaled head with the person's name so I can easily reuse it.

---

Helmet Scaling Workflow:​

• Open the helmet model in 3D Builder
• Import the scaled head model
• Use the built-in X-Ray view to fine-tune the helmet’s size
• Make sure there’s enough space for padding, possibly fans, and most importantly – that the nose doesn't touch the visor

Once I find the right size, I check the scaling percentage – for example, if it says 102.45%, I just round it up to 103% for simplicity.


Important tip: Always use uniform scaling!
Otherwise, add-on parts might no longer fit correctly.
If you do need to scale length and width differently, make sure to apply the exact same scale to all related parts.


And one more pro tip:
Create a text file where you save the scaling values. That way, even if something gets lost or breaks years later, you’ll still have the correct settings for reprinting.

Very through, thanks! I'll take a look at that!