Fairly often I have an idea for something I’d like to 3D print, but it is just too big. Breaking up files to print them individually, then assemble into a larger sculpture is quite a hassle, and that is where LuBan hopes to help out.
LuBan is a suite of tools to help you 3D print or laser cut structures to be assembled afterwards. It offers many tools to aid in this such as splitting a 3d model into multiple pieces with interlocking keys for later assembly, or hollowing out large models so that you don’t use a ton of filament. On the laser cutting side of things the software can help break down a structure into flat planes with interlocking finger joints.
note: the download has thrown up warnings from windows defender and chrome’s virus check. Proceed at your own risk (though my computer has shown no ill effects from running the program).
You can download a trial and try out the different modes to see exactly how it works, but LuBan isn’t completely free. If you’d like to export your files to use them you’ll need to purchase a license. It is in this area that the team has been doing a lot of thought, and experimentation. They just announced this pricing model Oct. 2nd.
If you use Autodesk Fusion 360, you may recognize some of these modes from the Slicer plugin, unfortunately some people (like me) experience a software crash every time we try to run that plugin, so LuBan is a welcomed alternative.
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