Export OBJ Files with Textures from Blender 4.x
Blender OBJ export missing textures? Set Path Mode to Copy, ship the .obj, .mtl and image files together, and avoid the three setups that silently drop a texture. Tested in Blender 4.5.
Engineering · Blender · SolidWorks · 3D printing
Blender, SolidWorks and 3D printing from an engineer's workbench
Blender quick tips, photogrammetry workflows, SolidWorks fixes, free 3D models and practical 3D printing projects. Notes written down since 2016 so the next person does not have to relearn them.
| 3D printing | How FDM works, when to use it |
|---|---|
| Modeling for printing | Chamfers, overhangs, threads |
| Photogrammetry | Photos to 3D models |
| Photoreal rendering | Blender scenes that look real |
| 3D models | 39 posts, free and paid |
Latest posts
Fix 3D Models in PrusaSlicer, Not Blender
Skip Blender's 3D-Print Toolbox. Export the STL, let PrusaSlicer repair non-manifold edges and flipped normals, and know when to fix it in Blender instead.
Blender Quick Tip: Set Up Units for 3D Printing
Set Blender's unit scale to 0.001 so one unit is one millimeter, export STLs at scale 1.000, and stop parts arriving in the slicer a thousand times too small.
Custom Planter Saucer with Blender Geometry Nodes
A parametric planter saucer in Blender Geometry Nodes: eleven inputs for size, corner radius, taper and drain ribs. Free STLs on Printables, .blend on CGTrader.
3D Printing vs. Store Run: Putty Knife Cost
A 3D printed PETG putty knife cost 20 cents and 7 minutes of effort. The store run would have cost $58 counting mileage and time. The math and the free file.
3D Printed Imperial/Metric Diameter Gauge
A thicker 3D printed tapered-slot gauge that reads screw, bolt, drill and wire diameters in inches and millimeters without slipping into threads. Free.
Why I Moved My 3D Print Files to Printables
Why 3D print files now go to Printables (reward points for filament and printers) while rendering models stay on CGTrader.
Fix Missing SolidWorks Thumbnails in Windows 11
SolidWorks thumbnails vanished after a Windows 11 update. The fix is three regsvr32 commands that re-register the SolidWorks shell DLLs, not folder options.
3D Printed Altoids Tin Rack (Free STL)
A 3D printed rack for Altoids tins that grew into three versions for hardware boxes of different heights. Modeled in Blender, free STL on Thingiverse.
Tilt Pad Bearing Preload Explained (Video)
Second of four videos comparing tilt pad bearings, this one on preload. Animations in Blender, audio in Adobe Audition.