How to create a model "skin" for 3D printing

[pixering]

Hi guys, I'm trying to create an intricate product on sketchup for 3D printing. I've done it by intersecting a load of cuboids, and I only want to keep the faces that are visible from the outside, because the cuboids all have parts inside the product.

The file can be found at:
https://livenorthumbriaac-my.sharepoint.com/personal/w15020866_northumbria_ac_uk/_layouts/15/guestaccess.aspx?docid=131d63f744fd645be9f0ee6613862c9ee%26amp;authkey=AbS_5XzPCJkUHR-HiF-K5FE

[Box]

Basically you need to select all the internal geometry and delete it. I can't think of a specific plugin that will do it for you.

[gilles]

You should have use boolean first, now you can group your geometries and try Solid Solver.

[sdmitch]

This is the weirdest model I've ever come across. It somehow contains faces whose outer loop vertices are not planar!! How can this possibly be?

I thought it might be a scale thing but scaling X 1000 made no difference.

[ely862me]

I can only think of the tedious way for this, the Eraser for deleting the extra geometry and the Line to heal the gaps.

[Jim]

IF you had created the cuboids as solid Groups or Components, then you could have used Outer Shell to do it all in one go. How did you create the model?

[pixering]

Thanks for your replies! I created a load of cuboids (I have them saved as groups as well, don't worry) to make this model. I'm currently trying out the 'Outer Shell' tool, but I'm getting errors saying that some components are not solid/locked? The file is available at https://livenorthumbriaac-my.sharepoint.com/personal/w15020866_northumbria_ac_uk/_layouts/15/guestaccess.aspx?docid=1365896736bce4ba4a568b0c78e25066d%26amp;authkey=AScBAXTks0RE9vN2UgLiZpU

[Dave R]

Some of the groups aren't solid indeed. As an example, see this screen shot.

the chamfered disk has an internal face too. This will prevent it from being a solid.

It's a good idea to confirm each group is solid as you make it so you can fix them if needed as you go.

[gilles]

You should post post your model SU V8 so everyone can open it, also if some of the groups are not solid try Solid solver (TIG) or/and solid inspector (Thomthom).
Then select all the groups you want to intersect with the major group, explode them and group, you should have a solid group; proceed outershell.