Introduction: 3D Printed Lampshade: an Exercise in Patience

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This project was full of twists and turns, but I did end up with a 3D-printed lampshade, so I will take it as a win!

Supplies

Software: Rhino 7, Grasshopper, Ultimaker Cura

Hardware: Bambu 3D Printer

Step 1: Learning Through a Tutorial

In an effort to become more familiar with the software and process of designing in Grasshopper, I decided to follow along to The Adam's "Grasshopper Parametric Light Tutorial" on Youtube.

Step 2: More on the Design

The tutorial was nearly silent and did not provide explanations for each step, so I had to pay special attention as I made sense of everything. This proved to be a useful learning method. Here's a quick summary of how it all works:

  1. Generate a list of polar coordinates on an xy plane at 360 angle.
  2. Translate the list along a vector with a random amplitude.
  3. Construct a nurbs curve from the list and duplicate it at a larger scale.
  4. Generate curves in between the previous two nurbs.
  5. Offset, shift and shorten the list of points
  6. Create a surface between curves using "Ruled Surface"

Step 3: Problem 1

After completing the tutorial, I dropped the shade in Cura and used our agreed-upon settings to see if I had a viable print. However, because we're using vase mode, this design is not possible to print without supports because it is too steep and flat between each level.

Step 4: Redirecting

I pivoted away from the staircase design and towards a smoother, less steep alternative. To do this, I replaced "Ruled Surface" with "Loft." I appreciated the result, and it foreshadowed no issues when placed in Cura.

Step 5: Returning to Problem 1

Call me crazy, but rather than leaving well enough alone, I tried to rework my original design.

Adding some additional logic in Grasshopper and manually using a boolean union on each level of the staircase, I attempted to create smoother transitions while maintaining at least some of the original aesthetic... However, this too failed in Cura :)

Step 6: Final Print

Finally calling it quits, I sent my redirection to the printer. The print itself was the smoothest part of the process and took roughly two hours. I am happy with the result and I do feel like I learned a lot through this trying process. So I call this a success.