Converting 3D Multipatches to file formats to be used in 3D printing

JohnEsch — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 15:52:16 GMT

Hello,

I have produced many 3D multipatches of subsurface geological formations or groups of formations and would like to convert these multipatches to file formats that can be used in 3D printing (.stl). I have spent several hours working with Blender attempting to bring in exported .obj files out of ArcGIS Pro into Blender and also attempting to bring in the raster grids the make up the top and bottom surfaces of each one of these formation packages. Blender is a beast of a program with a pretty steep learning curve.

The end goal is to be able to create stackable 3D prints of each of these formation packages like they have done in Alberta, Ontario and Illinois.

Alberta: https://ags.aer.ca/public-geoscience/3d-printing-files

Ontario: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y_iIyY1ONI

Illinois: https://library.isgs.illinois.edu/Pubs/pdfs/circulars/c593.pdf

Does anyone have any tips or suggestions to go from 3D multipatches to 3D prints. It would be nice if ArcGIS Pro had better compatibility with 3D printing and allowed exporting .stl files directly.

Below is an animated gif of 7 formation groups of the Michigan Basin, These are 7 different multipatches.

Southern Alberta Geological Model

Re: Converting 3D Multipatches to file formats to be used in 3D printing

ZhongmingAn — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 16:03:01 GMT

You can export to obj or dae and then convert to stl. You don't really need stl for 3d printing. Obj should work too. If you really want stl, give blender a shot. It should be able to covert obj and dae to stl, and it's totally free.

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Converting 3D Multipatches to file formats to be used in 3D printing

Re: Converting 3D Multipatches to file formats to be used in 3D printing