Hello!
I’ve made this spindown (life) counter for Magic the Gathering, intending to 3d print it in plastic and then paint and varnish it by hand, and I need feedback on it, both on the practical aspects as well as the aesthetic ones.
To begin with, here’s the file, so you can have a look at it. It’s animated from an assembled state to a pieces side-by-side state. It’s made in Maya 2015. http://www.filedropper.com/spindowncounterwip2
Obj version of the same file: http://www.filedropper.com/lifecounterwipexport
I have no real experience with 3d printing, so the questions will be numerous.
First and foremost, is the mesh dense enough (or is it too dense) for a 3d printer?
Will it snap together properly?
Are the details big enough to be printable? The model is made as 1 unit = 1 cm. Is that the wrong standard for sending it to a professional 3d printer to have it manufactured?
Will it be durable enough for use, etc?
How should I arrange the pieces in the final file that I’m sending away to the printer?
Additionally, I’ve been thinking about adding a detail so that the rings “snap” into place in their ten positions, instead of spinning freely, and I wonder how one would make that in the best way? I have a couple of rough ideas:
Either spheroid bulges on the thinner part of the axle, combined with flanges on the inside radii of the rings, but I’m not sure about it: For one, will it make either of the details too small to print successfully, or will the flanges be too brittle and break off rather quickly when using it?
The other one is to add triangular shapes on the rings and corresponding shapes on the axle, on the vertical part, so that you’d have to pull the rings out slightly from the middle to change the numbers. And then the question becomes: Is common printing plastic durable enough for this? It would mean that it relies on the flexibility of the pins keeping it together, as it would need to expand and contract slightly when changing numbers.
Mayhap it’s just unnecessary? Maybe friction will be enough to keep the rings in place when picking it up?
Either way, give me your feedback and advice! Thanks in advance!