Creating internal lattice structures

In previous sections, we covered various ways we can hollow solid or mesh bodies. We demonstrated how to add drain holes so that any trapped powder or resin can be removed after the part has been 3D printed. Our main goal in hollowing parts was to lightweight them so that we don’t waste material and energy while printing our parts.

Whenever we create hollow objects, we should also pay attention to whether those parts are self-supporting to be 3D printed, based on the 3D printing technology we have chosen. You will remember from previous chapters that if we are 3D printing using SLS, we don’t need support structures. However, if you are 3D printing using a resin-based printer, such as SLA or DLP, portions of your model with overhang angles above a critical angle will require support structures. We often think about support structure as material printed on the outside of a part so that it will support our part during printing. A similar...