Color modeling for 3D printing in Blender Part 1 video

Click for video: https://youtu.be/-kziK1XM9PY

Download the colored Suzanne model here: https://3d-gallery.xyzprinting.com/en-US/model-detail/201802287872084

Adding color to your 3D models in Blender is so simple. Can Fusion 360 do this? No seriously, I'm asking because I don't know.

Notice the key capture in the corner? Do you like it? Does it help?

My Davinci color continues to impress and frustrate me. When it's working good, it's amazing. When it'd not, it's infuriating. And it seems to oscillate between the two with startling frequency. I've been running a job for a company who wants to test the viability of a Davinci color for their "Scan yourself into a mini" companies, a market I think DaVinci needs to be more focused on.

First, I ran out of ink. Then I got their $280 ink refill. We'll see how long that lasts. Then, when I fired up and calibrated the DaVinci Color, the XYZMaker slicer told me it had an update. So naturally I updated the slicer and suddenly it was like I was back at square one with my prints. Too black, having to do color correction, unable to get it right. So I put together a case to state my frustration on the forums, and when I got to the forums I saw a post that there was also an update to the DaVinci Color's firmware. It appears the color correction got shuffled to the firmware, where it should be in my opinion. However, XYZPrinting didn't do a very good job of announcing that to their customers.

Some unusually cold weather has hit Southern Utah, further disrupting printing. Because despite having considerably more casing than it needs, the DaVinci Color lacks any sort of environmental control. Not even a heated build plate. I wonder what the minimum heater and thermostat that I could put in this thing?

But then, when I finally get everything calibrated, it's like the heavens part, a single ray of sunshine comes down, and absolute beauty is beheld. This is a truly revolutionary machine.

The plan right now, as far as teaching how to model color, is to do another video about Booleaning objects with multiple materials, a trick I only just learned how to do, then a quick detour to Vectary's multi-color process, then a video about proper texturing with an image and everything. Then I want to do a video about printing with non-sanctioned PLA filament on the Davinci Color, which I think is possible despite not having tried it yet. So we'll see how that goes.

How to make $1000 a month with 3D printing video

https://youtu.be/1v5HHak-9-Q

The iceberg image was created by Sylvia Duckworth. You can buy your own to hang on the wall at her shop: https://sylviaduckworth.shop/

To say that this video was difficult to produce would be an understatement. And not just because the content is uncomfortable. My first good recording of it, I didn't use my mic, so I lost all the audio and had to do it again. So I decided the second time to do a different process. For the video I used my Cannon Powershot, which produces better images, but with a much higher file size and requires extra editing. For the audio I recorded it on my phone through the mic, which meant I had to clean it up afterwards because this recorder doesn't cancel out ambient noise. In addition to syncing the video I corrected the color in post as well to give this one the best quality I could. I hope someone notices, because this is exactly why I got the laptop I did, so I could avoid having to do this every time. But if the audio and video is noticed as better, then I guess I may have to make this the status quo. The very beginning of this video (and the stinger at the end) was recorded in the old style, which makes for a disjointed video, I realize. But let me know if you can notice the difference.

Buy, yes, the topic was also uncomfortable. Bearing a soul like this, peeling back the curtain as it were, is something I value in others, but hate to do myself. I hope this is valuable to someone.

The Makerspace is having a definite effect on my video schedule. After I almost commuted to a video every Wednesday, I'm having a really hard time fulfilling that. Also, behind the scenes I'm learning laser cutting, testing new 3D printers, including a DLP printer, as well as getting back into the davinci color, and having a great time trying to get enough content to record a video or two. Things are hampered somewhat by inclement weather, but I will definitely be making videos on all these things. It feels like they're all happening at once, and in some ways they are. I hope I can get them through the pipeline to the video content in a timely manner.

Show notes:
Making $1000 with 3D printing

1. Get desperate
1. Not going to be the fun one
2. Ice berg
3. Steve Harvey - Have to jump
1. Nope, just a long, slow crash for me
4. Coasting along
5. Software Development
6. Lost ability to compete in software
7. Switched back to education
8. Moved my family for new job
9. Commuted on the weekend for 8 months before our house sold
10. Finally moved our family
11. 3 months after that, I was let go
12. New baby
1. Nice to have the time
13. No confidence left in anything but 3D printing
14. Not paying the bills
15. Unemployment carried for a lot less time than anticipated
16. Went on welfare and church support
17. Humiliating
18. Humbling
2. Persistence, grit, determination, if at first you don’t succeed, etc
1. Basically the habit step, but after getting desperate
2. Met great people
3. Gearbest
4. Local resources
5. Kept making videos and doing 3D printing
6. Kept throwing things at the wall to see what sticks
7. Improved YouTube videos
1. More subs, more views
8. Patreon
9. Curriculum writing
10. Book writing
11. Selling 3D printer
12. Kickstarter
13. Local Makerspaces
14. Business classes
3. Your first 1000 customers
1. Brings us up to present time
2. Gotta keep turning the crank
3. No regular cash flow yet
4. Working on it.

Makerspace 3D Printing Safety video

https://youtu.be/OVc4P4F2flY

I still don't get to choose my thumbnails for these videos.

This video was made so that I can stop doing the 3D printing training in the makerspace manually, and features one of the more coordinated edits at the 2:14 mark that I've ever had to do. Chances are if I didn't point that out here, no one would ever notice it.

I feel like these videos require a slightly higher production quality than my other videos, because it's for a job I'm getting paid for, but for a channel that is not generating the revenue, meager as it is, that my other channel is. There's a sense of irony to this. However, the problem is that this has been clogging up the works for my other channel trying to get this out and putting me behind schedule. It's stressful, but in the end I hope will be worth it. I've already taught my first two students this way, so the time saved will only grow from here.

Gearbest Doesn't Suck video

https://youtu.be/QG39LbT6QxA

For the record, everything about this thumbnail makes me uncomfortable.

I posted this a day early because, while I'm showing Gearbest some love, I didn't think this was the right video for a Valentines day upload. But come back here tomorrow.

This is a video I wanted to get out before doing any videos that promote items sent to me by Gearbest. It occurs to me, after making this video, that maybe I'm picking a fight that doesn't need to be fought. I put a lot of effort into this video, changing locations 3 times to keep it moving and interesting, and maybe Gearbest doesn't need my defense. Chances are you've already made up your mind, and that's fine. You don't mind them, then fine. You don't like them, there's very little I can say that would change that.

I guess this is for those on the fence, or those who have never purchased items overseas, whether it be from Gearbest, Ali Express, or Deal Extreme. Let this be a warning about the fact that you're not going to get the Amazon experience with them. But maybe if you go in, eyes open, you won't be surprised and you may be a little more forgiving.

I will admit, international shipping can have it's gotchas. I've never had to deal with UK customs demanding additional fees for incoming orders, but I have had to deal with internationally shipped Etsy orders disappearing and having to produce a replacement and ship it at my expense. I've also had to deal with 10 orders going through just fine, and one being shipped back for no good reason. So I sympathize with companies having to deal with countries with inconsistent shipping experiences. However, just like Harbor Freight trying to do better than the past, I'm sure Gearbest is trying to improve their customer experience. Because low prices will get you into business, but if you way to stay in business, you gotta up your game.

I did fail to mention that while I try to capture a positive experience in my videos, I also don't hide the negative. Go back and watch any of my reviews. I always bring up the down side that I experiences. I'm can't turn a blind eye to bad experiences. And sometimes, as I said in the video, I may have experiences after the review with the printer, and when I can I will return to share more information.

Full Color in Tinkercad Video

https://youtu.be/ly0UQS2HaRo

I could take this opportunity to talk about a lot of different things. I could talk about the on-screen keys utility that I'm using, and I do want to know if anyone noticed that and if it helped. I could talk about my relationship with XYZ Printing where, in exchange for a Davinci color I am contractually obligated me to make these models, and how I feel about that (not bad, actually). Or I could talk about problems I'm having with the Davinci color at the moment now that I've finally got some more ink (and what a fiasco that was). I could talk about how their web site is almost completely inadequate to the task of hosting 3D files. I could talk about how their software isn't getting better like they promised. And I'm sure that these things will be talked about at some point. I'd love to point out how I chose different ending music and how there's a blooper at the end of this video that I think is pretty funny. And I guess I just did, for those last two.

But right now, I want to deep dive into the BotBlitz robots that this video gave me the excuse to release to you.

First complete prototype in single color FFF

The 3D models in this video are a part of one of my long term projects, and I'm excited that I have a reason to release some of them to you. This set of pawns will be employed in multiple adaptations of classic board games that you probably haven't heard of, that will be woven into a sort of lore. The world of BotBlitz is basically this:

BotBliz robots live together on a ship in space. Each one has a unique simulated personality and a job to do. But they dream of one day escaping to a new and untamed world where they can play all day.

There's a bit of a perspective shift difference in the world of BotBlitz that I kind of enjoy. To the alien (traditional, big eyes, bulgy brain head) who bought and installed these robots to operate the mundane operations of his flying saucer, these robots are his property. However, as the components that make them are so advanced, they have AI with personalities, and so to them their "owner" is an oppressive overlord who wants to yoke them down, when all they want is to frolic. This is, of course, a bug that will be patched in the next software update, but this alien is terrible at his maintenance schedule, and isn't that what he bought the robots for in the first place?

The designs of the robots were largely homages to classic robots from TV and movies that I loved. I made very little attempts at subtly on this point. They were also designed to print on their heads to remove the need for support, and so that they can be flipped over when their tagged out, for purposes of the game they were developed for. It sometimes took a lot of creativity to get the designs right, and there were other robots who didn't make the cut, yet.

• Cymon. Color: White. Inspiration: Joe Larson original. Bio: The Cymon series robots are the maintenance for your maintenance bots. They will handle keeping your other robots up to date with the latest software patches. This Cymon, however, is neglect in it's duties when a patch came in that threatened to erase the personalities of it's friends. It instead considers itself the teacher of the group, always learning new things and passing along what its learned to the rest. It has filled its data banks with all kinds of information about worlds beyond the walls of the ship the BotBlitz robots serve on, and longs for the day to experience these things first hand. Kind, compassionate, and always willing to listen, Cymon has also become a dreamer, and passes it's dreams and hope to the others.
• Vic. Color: Red. Inspiration: V.I.N.CENT from the Black Hole. Bio: Vic is a hovering multi-purpose bot designed to get into small spaces with tools to fix any problem. He also has a strong sense of adventure and a level head. He never runs from danger, and is rarely in a situation he can't handle. He's always the second (after Kittitron forms) to put himself between his friends and danger. Quote: "I can handle anything"
• Twiggy and Theo. Color: Yellow. Inspiration: Twiki and Dr. Theopolis from Buck Rodgers. Bio: Theo is a vast, intellectual, problem solving, platter shaped robot that can not move on it's own. Theo also loves telling jokes. Twiggy is Theo's ambulatory unit and interpreter, as Theo speaks a compressed computer language that cannot be parsed by the others. Twiggy usually doesn't get the jokes making him the perfect straight man. Quote: "Biddi-biddi-biddi, I don't get it."
• Robbie. Color: Green. Inspiration: Robbie the Robot with a little Robot from Lost in Space thrown in. Bio: Robbie scares easily. His official job is a fabricator. He's equipped to build anything in his fusion recombinator core, which makes him the most valuable member of the family. Maybe that's why whenever there's trouble, Robbie can be found running in the other direction. Quote: "DANGER, DANGER, DANGER!"
• Marvin. Color: Cyan. Inspiration: Marvin the Paranoid Android. Bio: To others, Marvin may seem depressed or paranoid. He's got the biggest brain of the entire BotBlitz family, so he's capable of calculating to a million decimal points every possible outcome of an event and weighing them against each other. Then, he considers what will happen if he tells everyone what's to lose, then he considers what will happen if he doesn't, then he considers what will happen if he's the last bot of the family who hasn't gone to rust. Quote: "Here I am, brain, bigger than this room, an you want me to open a door for you?
• Kittitron. Color: Pink, multicolor if you can. Inspiration: Voltron and Hello Kitty. Bio: Kittitron is actually 5 separate kitty robots that usually spend their time in what looks like lounging or resting, but what is actually advanced surveillance and charging their power cells. When danger threatens, they combine to form Kittitron, defender of the BotBlitz family. Quote: "Meow form the head."
• Funny Ed. Color: Purple. Inspiration: ED-209 from Robotcop. Bio: Funny Ed always wants to chase and tickle everyone he sees. He also loves surprises and always has a smile on his face going as he peeks around every corner. He may be the shortest in the family, but he doesn't let that get him down. When he's not using his ticklers to make others laugh, he uses them to deftly untangle wire messes. Quote: "Please prepare to be tickled. You have 20 seconds to run."

I've definitely put a lot more thought and effort into these robots than I should have. But, I'm always open to more. What other classic robots could I add that would fit with this group?