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Parametric Easy-Print D6
A fully parametric D6 using bevelled text for printing without support
Games
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Attribution
Description
Finally, a D6 you can print with reasonable quality without support material!
This model is fully parametric and can be generated/changed using OpenSCAD. Parameters that can be changed include:
- Diameter
- Corner/edge rounding
- Font
- Depth of lettering
- Font size
- Bolding
- Smoothness
- Ordering of numbers
- Numbering style (Arabic numbers, Roman numerals, Braille, etc.)
It's all documented in the OpenSCAD file. The STL file is generated from those initial parameters and is sized at a 6" diameter - feel free to scale to whatever size you want.
As for the text, most D6 models out there (which don't use pips instead) have text which is inset perpendicular to the die's faces. However, this creates unsupported overhangs which make them difficult and/or impossible to print without support material. Most open source CAD programs do not have the ability to bevel text without a lot of manual tweaking of edge bevel insetting. This model hacks around that by using progressively inset/outset stepping, which means that its text is far easier to print by simulating a proper bevel. And because it's done fully parametrically using OpenSCAD, you can easily change the font, numbering type (Roman numerals, etc.), or other parameters without messing up your edge bevel distances and having to manually rebevel.
This design was based off of my previous Parametric Easy-Print D20 design (https://www.youmagine.com/designs/parametric-easy-print-d20) and was adapted to a D6 for a request from commenter WisemanFair. Please pardon the code quality - the original D20 was whipped up in a matter of a few hours, and this adaptation was slapped together in even less time.
Update April-May 2017:
By request, I'm working on other dice. I'll post links here as I complete them:
- Parametric Easy-Print D6 https://www.youmagine.com/designs/parametric-easy-print-d6
- Parametric Easy-Print D8 https://www.youmagine.com/designs/parametric-easy-print-d8
- Parametric Easy-Print D20 https://www.youmagine.com/designs/parametric-easy-print-d20
Materials and methods
The die pictured in the main image was printed in Hatchbox silver PLA. Recommended layer height is 0.1mm or less - the steep overhangs of the bottom faces strongly benefit from the thinner layers. Also, I would highly recommend using Prusa Slic3r for this. There are two reasons for this:
1. The "Ensure vertical shell thickness" option helps a lot with the angled surfaces.
2. The Cubic infill option seems to be very well-balanced and does an admirable job of making this part very strong.
Also, for fairness, be sure that your top and bottom surface thickness is the same. In other words, make sure your top and bottom layers settings are equal unless you're using a thicker first layer, in which case that thickness difference needs to be subtracted from your bottom layers.
Conversely, you could also load this die pretty toward either 6 or 1 easily by adding more solid top or bottom layers, which is why making it fair takes a bit of care. If you're going to do that, though, at least be honest with your fellow players. Some DMs/GMs might even let your character get away with it if they're a particularly lucky character, but at least be honest about it.
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Comments
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