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3D Printing Tips
VaseMaker generates watertight STL files ready for slicing. The exported mesh is exactly what you see in the preview (WYSIWYG).
For FDM printers, set wall thickness to match your nozzle:
| Nozzle | Recommended Wall |
|---|---|
| 0.4mm | 0.8–1.2mm (2–3 perimeters) |
| 0.6mm | 1.2–1.8mm |
💡 Too thin = fragile and may not slice properly. Too thick = wastes filament and hides surface detail. If your slicer is dropping sections of the vase in preview, try increasing wall thickness — complex shapes with concavities need thicker walls (2–3mm) for the slicer to generate toolpaths in narrow areas.
When Smooth Inner is enabled (Shell section), the inner wall ignores all ripples and textures, keeping it perfectly smooth. This prevents textures from creating paper-thin spots on the inside.
| Control | Description |
|---|---|
| Smooth Inner | Toggle on for a smooth inner surface with textured outer |
| Min Wall | Minimum wall thickness (mm) — prevents textures from pushing through |
💡 Enable Smooth Inner when using deep textures (Simplex or Stipple with high depth) to prevent thin walls that won't print well.
For decorative vases, you can use your slicer's "vase mode" (spiral outer contour). Set wall thickness to 0 in VaseMaker — this exports a single surface. Your slicer will print it as one continuous spiral.
| Slicer | Setting |
|---|---|
| Cura | Special Modes → Spiralize Outer Contour |
| PrusaSlicer | Spiral Vase (Print Settings → Layers) |
| OrcaSlicer | Others → Spiral Vase |
💡 Vase mode prints are fast and beautiful but fragile — great for display, not for daily use.
Base Thickness — Minimum 1–2mm for stability. Measured vertically. Set to 0 for an open bottom (e.g. to fit over an LED candle).
Rim — Flat (default) or Rounded. Rounded rims look nicer but add a slight overhang.
Higher resolution = smoother print but larger STL file size.
| Axis | General | Fine Textures |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical | 100–200 | Up to 500 |
| Radial | 200–360 | Up to 720 |
Use the Show Facets toggle to preview the actual polygon edges that will be in your STL file. If you can see visible flat faces, increase resolution.
💡 For final export, bump radial resolution to 360+. For quick iteration, keep it lower. Dense textures like 80-count Square Flute need 400+ radial to look sharp.
Cutout vases have holes through the wall, creating decorative lattice designs. The mesh is manifold (hole edges are sealed with connecting walls), so slicers should handle them correctly.
- Use 1.0–2.0mm wall thickness for structural lattice bars
- Use Smooth Zones (5–10% base and rim) to keep the top and bottom solid
- SVG Pattern: use high-contrast black/white images. Grayscale areas may produce unpredictable partial holes
- High resolution (150+ vertical, 200+ radial) gives smoother hole edges and better slicer results
- Preview with Show Facets on to see the actual polygon edges the slicer will receive
💡 Print a small test piece first. Lattice vases with thin bars may need supports or slower print speed.
Some cross-section shapes can produce geometry that looks great on screen but may not print well or at all. Shapes with thin lobes, sharp cusps, or self-crossing outlines can result in paper-thin walls that no printer can reproduce.
| Shape | Issue |
|---|---|
| Spirograph | Thin lobes that taper to near-zero width. Higher petal count = thinner petals. Print as decorative display piece only. |
| SuperFormula | Extreme m/n values can produce very thin spikes or deeply concave indentations. Start with mild values and check the preview. |
| Astroid, Folium | Sharp cusps where the curve pinches to a point. The cusp areas will be extremely thin. |
| Rose, RationalRose | Many petals with deep valleys between them can create thin sections near the center. |
| Cycloid (Hypo) | Hypocycloid mode creates sharp inward cusps. Low cusp counts (2–3) have extreme thin points. |
💡 If you love a shape but it has thin areas, try increasing the radius, reducing the shape-specific parameters, or using it as a Top Shape morphed from a simpler Bottom Shape so only the rim has the complex outline.
💡 If the slicer preview shows missing sections on complex shapes (even though the Prepare view looks fine), increase wall thickness. Shapes like Butterfly and Spirograph have pinch points where the effective wall thickness is much less than the slider value — the slicer can't fit extrusion lines in those narrow gaps.
Self-intersection happens when the vase surface folds through itself, creating overlapping geometry. The 3D preview may look odd (inside-out patches, dark flickering faces), and slicers may produce errors or failed prints.
Common causes:
- Deep textures on a small radius — if texture depth exceeds the vase radius, the surface pushes past the center and folds back on itself
- Large profile multiplier + deep textures — a wide flare (3–5×) at one height combined with deep grooves can overlap at narrow sections
- Aggressive XY Sway — large offsets can push one side of the vase through the opposite side
- Complex cross-section shapes (SuperFormula, Spirograph) with high parameter values — the shape itself may loop or cross over
- Thin wall thickness + deep inward textures — inner wall pushes past outer wall. Use Smooth Inner or increase Min Wall to prevent this
Fixes: reduce texture depth, increase radius, lower the profile multiplier at problem heights, simplify the cross-section shape, or enable Smooth Inner for the inner wall. VaseMaker does not detect or prevent self-intersection — you are free to create any geometry, but the STL may not slice correctly for printing.
| Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|
| Slicer drops sections of the vase | Increase wall thickness (try 2–3mm). Complex shapes have narrow pinch points where thin walls can't be sliced |
| Slicer shows holes or non-manifold | Increase wall thickness or resolution |
| Print is too fragile | Increase wall thickness and base thickness |
| Surface detail not visible | Reduce wall thickness or increase texture depth |
| File too large | Lower resolution (especially radial) |
| Complex shapes self-intersect | See Self-Intersection section above |
| Textures not showing | Make sure the master Textures toggle is on |
- Source code & bug reports: github.com/dcityorg/vasemaker
- SVG pattern companion app: patternmaker.dcity.org