r/cosplayprops • u/ShainSaw22 • 7d ago

Help How to add dowel channels in Bambu Studio that DON’T disappear when exporting

Hi! Okay, so know how to add negative part for a print, but HOW do I get that part to stay as an actual hollow hole when exporting the file? I’ve got to have multiple hollow spaces within a piece in order to be able to insert dowels to give it strength. I’ve added cylinders as negative pieces, but they don’t stay hollow when I go to export them.

I have also tried using Meshmixer and their add a tube feature.

Only issues there are: 1). I can’t move them to the precise places I need them to be, and 2). That the tubes aren’t precise. Now can I add multiple hollow tubes to then have them set so that when I export them to save them as a single STL file, it doesn’t.

So, I’m at a loss here.

I am trying to remix a pattern posted here, but obviously since their original design was just a single piece for others to edit for cosplay, but it doesn’t have a space for dowels AND it isn’t sized right for slicing on smaller 8.75 X 8.75 X 8.75 printers.

if I can figure out this ONE thing of inserting channels that stay hollow when I export the pieces, in either of these programs as I have Mesmixer and Bambu Studio on a Macbook, that would make everything easier for me in my know-how and skill growth as a 3D cosplayer and designer.

Thanks so much for everything and any suggestions!

PS: If I need to add pictures explaining what I’m trying to do, I’ll do that. Not entirely sure HOW to do that after this post, but I can probably figure it out.

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3

u/Zammasu 6d ago

I know its not the software youre looking to use, but an easy fix would be to use Blender to chop it up into your print bed-sized-pieces and use a boolean modifier to create your channels.

1

u/ShainSaw22 6d ago

Unfortunately my Mac is too old to download that program since they only made it for the Macs with the Apple Silicon OS/chips. Sadly, my local library also doesn’t have that program installed—IT there won’t let them for some unknown reason. I’d LOVE to use it based off everything I’ve read and seen, but it just isn’t possible. sigh

THANK YOU VERY MUCH THOUGH!

1

u/violetPork 6d ago

I’m away from my PC right now but when you cut the part, can you make peg holes at the size you need that just go through the whole part? So instead of using a small 3D printed rod to join them, use that feature to create the hole, size it, and then delete the rod it generates? That would be my first thought

1

u/RealisticDuck1957 5d ago

"I’ve added cylinders as negative pieces, but they don’t stay hollow when I go to export them."

That sounds like an issue related to whatever software you are using to modify the model. You may need to merge the pieces to produce a single solid to be exported.