Training - Mastering Desktop 3D Printing with Simplify3D - O'Reilly Media

Hello everyone, and many thanks for reading.

I had a short break from blogging and YouTube over the summer months, but I was still very busy with all things 3D Printing - Lots to update you with over the coming weeks, but first -  

I had a rather busy summer planning and recording a training series about 3D Printing for O'Reilly Media - Safari Books Online & Infinite Skills.

The first series of screen-cast training about using Simplify3D has now been released here.

Screen-cast training is essentially using and performing a step by step tutorial of the software package or activity. With this I had to cover both the software and physical aspect of making objects with a 3D printer.

You can also watch this in HD over on Youtube - YouTube Channel RichRap

If you have ever wanted to support me and my ongoing adventures with 3D Printing, then using this training course is a really great way, you may learn something new and any feedback you can give me will help with future content for this and my Blogs & YouTube. 

I don't enable any advertising in any of my 3D Printing blog, YouTube content or file sharing sites, so if you ever feel the desire to support my efforts, using media like this O'Reilly series will allow me to invest more time and effort into all my 3D Printing content and ongoing developments. Thank you.

This was the first time I had adventured into screen-cast training, and it's really quite a challenging but powerful way to demonstrate learning and provide real-world advice about a subject or application.

Okay, I know this is a self-promotional sales pitch, thanks for following my ongoing 3D Printing adventures and I hope this training is useful to you. 

O'Reilly asked me to write and record a 3D Printing training program for their Infinite Skills website. They had very little content on the many processes of 3D Printing. Plenty are already available on 3D modelling, but as we know a 3D model is not always suitable to be 3D Printed.

I decided to first focus on one of the most significant and challenging aspects of successful 3D Printing, and that's the Slicer and it's many settings. After much thought and a a realization that covering all the different open and closed source slicers would be almost impossible, I decided to focus on using Simplify3D. This has been my slicing program of choice for the last year+ and I have been really delighted with the control you get and support the Simplify3D team provide, to both their users and the wider 3D Printing and maker community.

If anyone has seen a screen-cast either live or recorded on YouTube you will often get frustrated watching someone mumble, make mistakes and generally jump around the program interface. That's not what the O'Reilly Infinite skills team expects - they have a very high standard of professional presenting. It was a lot of work, really good fun learning how to plan, script and produce an on-screen training series.

Okay, one last sales pitch + a chance to win a Simplify3D license

You can get my complete 3+ hour Simplify3D training package here - I can tell you this was a lot of work to put together so I hope it is useful and provides some good advice for both using the slicer and with improving your 3D Printing results.

If you want to check out my training style first, then do look at the introduction and setup sections where you can see if this course may help you.

This video should give you a taste of the training style, to see if if may benefit you. I go from a basic understanding to quite a high level of tricks and tips in later lessons

The entire table of contents is shown below, feel free to ask me any questions about it.

1. Introduction
   1. Welcome To The Course 01m  26s 
   2. About The Author 01m  40s 
   3. How To Access Your Working Files01m  15s 
2. Setup And Configuration
   1. Setup And Orientation For Simplify3D 08m  05s 
   2. Using The Configuration Assistant 05m  17s 
   3. Setting Machine Size And 3D Printer Profile04m  49s 
   4. Setting The Machine Firmware Type05m  49s 
   5. Machine Control Panel Interface05m  08s 
3. Importing And Preparing 3D Models For Printing
   1. Importing 3D Models, Positioning, Scaling, And Rotation05m  48s 
   2. 3D Model Errors And Types Of Model Repair05m  00s 
   3. Rotating Parts For Strength, Mirroring, And Infill Levels06m  29s 
   4. Models Imports For Dual Extrusion 3D Printing06m  10s 
4. Configuration Of Essential Print Process Settings
   1. Manufacturing Process Settings06m  13s 
   2. Setup Of The Extruder And 3D Printing Tool Head12m  20s 
   3. Layer Heights, Perimeters, And First Layer08m  25s 
   4. Additions And Settings05m  23s 
   5. Infill And Settings06m  03s 
   6. Support - Using Support Material06m  39s 
5. Configuration Of Further Print Process Settings
   1. Temperature And Settings05m  29s 
   2. Cooling And Settings07m  17s 
   3. G-code And Machine Configuration Settings04m  06s 
   4. Script Settings And Examples04m  54s 
   5. Other Settings09m  22s 
   6. Advanced Settings07m  02s 
6. Dual Extruder Machine Settings
   1. Setting Up Dual Extruders - Multiple Material 3D Printing04m  47s 
   2. Additions And Infill08m  09s 
   3. Support Material Settings04m  33s 
   4. Temperature And Tool Change04m  13s 
   5. Advanced Settings05m  08s 
7. Generating 3D Print Files, Verification, And 3D Printing
   1. Generating G-code For Single Extruder04m  02s 
   2. Generating G-code For Dual Extruder02m  03s 
   3. Support Structures For Single And Dual Extruder Printing05m  05s 
   4. Viewing The Tool Path And Various Print Features02m  59s 
   5. Using The Machine Control Panel Interface For 3D Printing09m  43s 
8. Thank You
   1. Wrap Up01m  30s

While this training does focus on using Simplify3D as an application, it covers many aspects of setting up your 3D Printer, what to watch out for before, during and after printing. Improving settings and using different materials for both single and dual 3D Printing. Even if you don't currently use Simplify3D you can still get a lot of useful advice and information to improve your 3D printing skills, whatever slicing package you currently use.

If you are not interested in the training, you can also donate directly to me via my paypal.me, if you would like. I really appreciate any support you can give, even if that's just reading the blog and being happy enough to come back for more next time.

Win a Simplify3D License - 

The wonderful people at Simplify3D are also providing some software license giveaways - This is in conjunction with E3D. All you need to do is Follow E3D and Also Simplify3D on Twitter and then send out a tweet to both of them saying what you want to do with 3D Printing, or what project you are working on that involves 3D printing. That's it and you may win a Simplify3D License.

While I remember - Daniel Noree - is having a competition - if you miss out, then check back with me for more chances to win a Simplify3D license.

Until next time (and that won't be long) Thank you all.

Richard.

Twitter - @Richrap3d
Google+ - RichardHorne_RichRap3D
YouTube Channel RichRap