Vorry Less, Voronoi More with 3D Printing Instructable for MeshMixer

If he was alive now Georgy Voronyi, the Ukranian mathematician after whom Voronoi diagrams are named, would probably be delighted to see how universally popular his concept has become amongst 3D printed objects. There are thousands and thousands of 3D voronoi figures, jewellery, accessories, gadgets, fashion and what not populating the 3D printing community. The mathematically-inspired design is aesthetically appealing to many for its organic-looking, easily replicable patterns and can convert most solid objects into geometric art. It helps save on material too.  Perhaps most importantly, products made from this pattern may only be manufactured via 3D printing.

So, if you want to learn how to make printable voronoi patterns using Autodesk MeshMixer, so that you can apply them to any 3D object, this recent Instructable from Marshall Peck, of ProtoBuilds.com, is just what you need.

MeshMixer has made 3D modeling and sculpting incredibly easy and user-friendly, even for beginners in 3D design, and the new pattern tool introduced in an update last year has made creating your own 3D pattern a lot simpler. The best part about Meshmixer is that it is free, so anyone can give this Instructable a try.

As the guide reads, “Voronoi patterns consist of lines connecting points that are the centers of circles which intersect with the model’s triangle mesh to create a tube like structure replacing the original polygons. Add a Voronoi pattern to any .STL or 3D model that will import into Autodesk Meshmixer by reducing polygons and applying the [Dual Edges] pattern.”

Whether you have a resin or FFF 3D printer, you can be sure that your voronoi pattern will print well. The geometry of the patterns lends itself really well to layer by layer printing. And, if you do give this Instructable a try, do take a moment to share your experiences and results with us on twitter or here on our website.