How to get a solid file for solid 3D print, not in surfaces only?

SketchUp
1

My 3D printing provider asks for solid drawing, in stl, not only surfaces.

2

SketchUp is capable of producing solid models. You simply need to make sure there are no border holes or open faces in your model.

solid
solid1013×634 9.43 KB

You can use the solid inspector extension to make sure of this.

3

No poblem with the drawing. Only, the (metal) printer notices only the surfaces.

4

Share an example SketchUp file that has this issue.

SketchUp is a face modeler. There’ll never be anything inside the faces but if you are creating your models correctly it won’t matter.

5

Thanks Dave. I did ask my 3D-printer what 3D-system he employs…
We’ll see - Eric
The solution might be at its end…

He employs something like “studio 2”.
Asking me now if I can thicken the surfaces. I guess not?!

6

Maybe you can. Again, share the .skp file so we can see what you’ve got. Otherwise all we can do is guess and that’s a waste of your time and ours.

7

First time, I hope this works.
CANAC BIG - solid.skp (989.0 KB)

8

Okay, first big problem is this is not a solid model.
Your bottom half is a reversed face and leaves a surface in the middle of the model.

InternalFace
InternalFace1217×603 100 KB

InternalFace2
InternalFace2834×642 55.9 KB

InternalFace3
InternalFace3781×620 51.9 KB

This bottom half is its own group while the top is still raw geometry.
There’s also a number of stray lines and what seem like some overlapping faces.

9

Lots of reversed faces and then, even after fixing them and making a sigle object there’s still a lot of issues preventing this from being consider a solid.

Screenshot - 6_6_2023 , 11_20_55 AM
Screenshot - 6_6_2023 , 11_20_55 AM1131×572 61.8 KB

Screenshot - 6_6_2023 , 11_22_02 AM
Screenshot - 6_6_2023 , 11_22_02 AM883×502 50 KB

10

Better now?
CANAC BIG - solid.skp (974.5 KB)
Thanks to Wataru too!

11

Marked improvement, though you’ve still got these internal faces to deal with.

InternalFace4
InternalFace41233×643 83.4 KB

12

Indeed! the build was not entirely closed. Internal faces didn’t fully join.
Could I now get it solid?

13

CANAC BIG - solid.skp (973.8 KB)

14

You’ve still got those internal faces.

InternalFace5
InternalFace51087×813 98.3 KB

As long as those are there, the model won’t be solid and the printer’s slicer program is going to kick back errors.

15

You still haven’t fixed the incorrectly oriented faces and still all this garbage to deal with.

Screenshot - 6_6_2023 , 11_44_30 AM
Screenshot - 6_6_2023 , 11_44_30 AM770×629 40.7 KB

16

What information do you have about this thing that you’re modeling from? As it is your model is really quite messy. I started to try to fix it up but I suspect some of your dimensions aren’t accurate as well. I think it would be easier to start over with a clean and correct workflow than it would be to fix what you’ve got.

17

Say as it is, Dave! Anyway, i went to simplify for a start. I thought, if it looks OK from the outside, it is AOK. It is not! Thanks. The simplified:
CANAC BIG - solid.skp (937.6 KB)

18

You’ve reversed the faces that hadf been correctly oriented and there’s still a bunch of junk that needs to be cleaned up. Change the face style to Monochrome so you can see the incorrectly oriented faces.

Screenshot - 6_6_2023 , 12_32_07 PM
Screenshot - 6_6_2023 , 12_32_07 PM973×643 48.5 KB

Screenshot - 6_6_2023 , 12_32_33 PM
Screenshot - 6_6_2023 , 12_32_33 PM1231×503 66.5 KB

19

How do I go to monochrome?!
The ‘junk’ you mention; do you mean deleting the black lines?

20

View>Face Style>Monochrome.

The junk is the stray edges, surface borders and internal face edges.

As I wrote, I think it would be easier to start fresh rather than trying to beat this work-hardened thing into shape.