Design a printable part that fits a real object
Holders, covers, cases, and organizers sized to something you can measure, with a clearance you can tune.
Before you start
- Caliper measurements of the object, and a photo for shape.
- Your printer’s build volume and the material you’ll print in.
- Optionally, a scan of the object, by local file path.
Steps
- 1
Describe the object and the fit
Give the measurements, the clearance you want, and how the part attaches.
Example request Design organizer bins for this drawer: inside 412 × 286 × 68 mm. Leave 2 mm clearance overall, split it into six bins, and keep every bin within a 256 mm print bed.
- 2
Make the clearance a parameter
Fit is easiest to tune when it is one number.
Example request Drive the clearance from a parameter called fit_gap so I can adjust it after a test print.
- 3
Adjust after a test print
Ask for the specific correction.
Example request The bins are too tight. Increase fit_gap by 0.3 mm and export new STL files.
Tips
- Tell Vector the nozzle size and minimum wall you print reliably; it will keep walls above it.
- For snap fits, say how they should feel: “snaps on, comes off by hand”.