Hello all. Looking for ome advise. I've been learning google sketchup but it would seen sketchup is not suitable for designing small scale items like jewellery. I'm looking for some software which will allow me to emboss or engrave an imported picture and text onto a small piece of jewellery. Something like designing your own coins I guess. Would MoI be able to easily do this so I can have precision waxes printed? Carving wax by hand does not give the precision I need.
"But seems at the end of the Moi process you must export in OBJ / STL format...for some 3D Print or other real production!"
Reply: Do most companies with wax printing machines accept OBJ & STL formats? Do casting shops also normally accept OBJ & STL formats?
PS. I've seen plastic printed 3d parts which have a terrible surface finish. Can I expect precision waxes with .OBJ or .STL unlike 3d printed plastics?
>>>I'm looking for some software which will allow me to emboss or engrave an imported picture and text onto a small piece of jewellery.
Moi does not have tools for embossing a picture, but there is a free program called ZSurf which has been around for many years and might help you if Moi is your only nurbs modeler. The nurbs surface quality with ZSurf may not be suitable for some things. Rhino has better tools for this.
>>>But seems at the end of the Moi process you must export in OBJ / STL format...for some 3D Print or other real production!"
>>>Reply: Do most companies with wax printing machines accept OBJ & STL formats? Do casting shops also normally accept OBJ & STL formats?
>>>PS. I've seen plastic printed 3d parts which have a terrible surface finish. Can I expect precision waxes with .OBJ or .STL unlike 3d printed plastics?
This really depends on the manufacturing methods. If producing a die for coining/stamping, a nurbs file will typically be required.
Many people print waxes from STL files, though I don't have experience with it myself. The quality/resolution of the print is dependent on the printer and if you need higher quality and a wax print, a service with high end printer would be needed.
I missed in your previous post you were asking about text as well. Yes, an outline or text (vectors) could be extruded. If you want to conform to a curved surface, Flow could be used or trimming/boolean depending on how you want to generate the edge of the extrusion.
Yes! But, you will be modeling all that stuff, and placing it on the ring. But that in and if itself is "precision"....
You mentioned and have probably seen "embossing images" for more complex shapes and designs... this is less precise, but can get extraordinary detail and organics. MoI does NOT do this....
Your best "embossing" stuff will come in CAM programs.
If you are "manufacturing" your items, actually modeling things is a good way to go.
You can easily model items in MoI with features too small to be practically cast. I don't follow your question about precision, what pieces are you referencing against?