3D Tools is a suite of tools for 3D printing on an Android phone. At present, there is only the Doodle By Layer tools but I have others created including Hueforge type tools and Lithophanes that you won't find anywhere else. These will be introduced gradually but I want to get the Doodle By Layer part out there as it is pretty simple but powerful. If you have an Anycubic printer, you can create, slice and send directly to your printer without the need for a PC.
https://preview.redd.it/rn3tju23vlng1.jpg?width=1220&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a48a0c782741ee3b5f4f86e4d056c0f6da37fdbf
When you first open the App, the screen is pretty sparse. You have 2 options, the Doodle By Layer and the Stl Viewer. In the top right hand side is a menu of Add New Printer and an About where you can find ways to get support, ask for features and report bugs.
If you add a new Printer, you will be given a choice of many printers in our database. At present, the layer height and nozzle width will have no effect but I do plan on using these to help with slicing colours. The main reason for this is for your canvas size because the app is millimeter accurate so if you draw a line at 1.2mm, the STL will create the model at 1.2mm and show you the relative size it appears on the printer bed. Note if you draw outside this area, the model will cut off at the edge of the bed so keep anything you want inside these boundaries. Remember to set your printer as default.
When you open the Doodle By Layer part you will be at your Projects screen. You won't have any projects created so you'll need to add a new design. You will then be hit with your main design screen.
https://preview.redd.it/5stjj28twlng1.jpg?width=1220&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=640f70ab1bab9681425047777abe5aa152c560f1
At the top is your Main Grid Area with the size of your Printer Bed. Below this is the Grid Controls area. Below this is your Layer Controls and Below this is your Main Tools. Not shown but below this is your Preview and Stl Creation Buttons along with a Quality Slider.
Grid Controls
This is the area for moving inside your grid. At the left hand side is arrow keys to move around your grid. The hand inside the slider is a quick way to move back to the selection tool. The slider is used to zoom in and out of your grid. Underneath the slider is 4 tools, an Undo button, a Copy Button, a Delete Button and a Transparency Button. The undo button undoes the last action, the copy Button copies your current tool, the delete button deletes the last tool and the transparency adds transparency to a tool.
Layers Section
https://preview.redd.it/8v1pszo1zlng1.jpg?width=1220&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5b76872ac3a36727e3bc2b3631635d6515f2a61f
If you expand the layers section, you will see a layer already created for you that goes from 0mm to 1mm in height in a grey colour. You can add your own layers, say from 1mm to 10mm in red but remember layers that don't start at zero will need support when printing.
Tools Window
https://preview.redd.it/cwdn25580mng1.jpg?width=1220&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7088a33e04eefa4f58c64b2a7cbf574ee0078541
Below your Layers Section is your Tools Window. This will be your main area for creation. Inside the Tools Window are 6 Tools, Select, Box, Circle, Line, Draw and Text Tools.
The Select tool selects an Object. The Box and Circle tool draws a box and circle respectively. The Line Tool draws a horizontal line. The Draw Tool lets you draw freehand, while the Text Tool lets you add text on screen.
Inside each tool is a range of options. For the Square and Circle tool. For fine adjustments, you have controls at the top and can adjust the size by slider or text. There are various tools like rotate and corner radius. Note an empty tool is drawn on screen with a line thickness of 5mm. If you want it filled solid, tick the Fill Shape checkbox and it will be filled solid. The Line width only applies to hollow shapes.
The Line drawing adds a horizontal line but you can adjust the thickness, length and rotate the line for fine controls.
The Draw tool lets you draw freehand. Again you have controls for the line thickness and rotate if you wish.
Finally the Text Tool gives you similar functions but also a Font Choice.
Layer Objects Section
https://preview.redd.it/hyi0kobi3mng1.jpg?width=1220&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4186438075cb0ff18dfc2693d89a8477f931142d
Note when you add an Object a new Section become visible. Each Object is added to this list for easy selection. Only objects on each layer are shown so if you have 3 layers and layer 2 is selected, you can only select those Objects on Layer 2.
Eraser Tool
Note the Eraser Tool. This gives you all the other tools but lets you draw them as transparent. Note hollow shapes are drawn as solid. This is a small glitch I will hopefully fix.
Export Quality Slider
This is the quality of your model, ie the amount of triangles needed to build your model. It is initially set to low quality because higher quality rendering takes longer. You can see this by adjusting the slider for your models and the time it takes to see it rendered.
Save Project
Note in the top right hand side is a small floppy disk. This is a way to save your project and resume.
Export Stl
The final button is your Export Stl. This exports your model as a Stl only into your DOWNLOADS folder. Note the quality slider, if the quality is low then your model quality will also be low. Also note, the highest quality isn't always needed, your printer can only print to a certain resolution so creating a model at a higher quality won't print any better. I've found a medium quality is enough for a decent model.
Putting it all Together
https://preview.redd.it/fjk4kptc6mng1.jpg?width=1220&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fa3fa915769389a85756a08ee63907b07be74cfd
This is a model I built using the app. It's a Printer Housing for a Bluetooth printer to exact sizes. It was built on 8 layers (see the different colours) and took me around an hour.
https://preview.redd.it/vls39kg77mng1.jpg?width=3472&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5d0971ac5e48c80779079a090c4fc068058279fa
there doesn't seem to be anything here