Plant It 3D - The Ultimate Foliage Set
When creating this tree pack, my goal was to create the best 3D printable trees (or rather a modular tree system). Flora in general is not the most exciting or most spectacular project to design, but (in my opinion) there was a shortage of interesting printable trees on the market that would not look artificially, like a toy, or resemble broccoli. I wanted to create a kit that was customizable, easy to print, and looked good on the table.
In the 1.0 version of this set (it will be updated in time) you will find, among others: 23 tree variants, 13 branch variants, including 2 types of branches that allow you to create a weeping willow, as well as 2 variants of "cut" branches, which I created for people who are not fans of empty holes in tree trunks.
In the initial version of the package, you have the option of creating trees without any leaves (with leafless branches), weeping willows and deciduous trees thanks to the leafy "hats", which are also fastened with Ball Joints.
All three variants can be created using any of the 23 tree variants (except perhaps only one model, which is supposed to be a completely dead tree and has no holes).
It will be up to you what the trees on your tabletop will look like.
With time, I will be adding new "tops", branches and also the trunks of the trees to the package. Sculpting them will be pure pleasure - the biggest problem and challenge in this project was to find a way to make the elements fit together, to be functional, not too heavy, etc.
I changed this system many times, because after the test prints it turned out that the elements were too heavy, or too light, not very stable. The items presented now are fully tested and fully functional.
Important note: the glue you use to glue the elements together must be strong enough. Personally, I use a thick superglue or superglue gel.
The full list of the models in this set:
- Customizable Trees - 23 variants
- Branches of trees - 6 variants
- Branches - Cut - 2 variants
- Willow branches - 2 variants
- Bushes - 3 variants
- Branches with a ball joint - 3 variants
- Tree tops (foliage) - 2 variants
How to make a Weeping Willow:
1. Print a tree of your choice and some Branches, including Willow Branches. Make sure to use "Outer Before Inner Walls (shell section)" for printing Willow Branches (it will be much easier to print leaves with this option enabled).
2. Glue Branches to the tree (or paint it first, if you prefer. Painting a "stylized" willow branches is quite challenging).
3. Use a hairdryer or a heatgun to "stylize" the leaves, just like in case of the famous Hairy Lion (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTXPU2P-ElE). Heat the leaves slowly, try to not overheat it.
Tips and How-To:
I strongly suggest you to use brims on these prints, especially if you're not sure about the adhesion on your tables.
Using Z-Hop, especially on Branches, is also not a bad idea.
Willow leaves print best when "Outer Before Inner Walls (shell section)" is used. This allows the leaves to print in a more orderly fashion.
I used 0.16mm layer height for all my test prints, I would say that is enough for the details. 0.12mm look better, but printing time is also quite longer.
Use the hair dryer carefully. Too much hot air can melt the leaves (or even other parts of the tree). A very hot filament can also burn the skin. It is better to spend more time styling the leaves than to expose yourself to negative results.