On this page you will find a current up-to-date set of examples, showing how the different components of Silkworm can be used to print geometry from Grasshopper.  You can download the individual gh files below.

Download Silkworm first and save the .gha file in your Grasshopper/Components folder.

All example files on this link.

Also, you will need a 3d printer…

Basic Examples

 

Example – Spiral

Create a spiral with a range of speeds and flow values.  Shown as an example also creating a spiral pattern of plastic dots using delimiters.  These two examples demonstrate, very basically, what can be achieved by setting custom flow and speed values.  (Please not, the width of the printed line does not necessary reflect the actual printed width.  At this stage the Silkworm preview is quite diagrammatic)

 

Example – Contour Grain

Create a contour pattern to describe a material grain.  This tutorial aims to show a little what Silkworm is about, and tries to encode a material grain into the printed object.

 

Example  – Solid Slicing

Creates GCode for a Solid Geometry by slicing and filling horizontal layers according to Settings.  Silkworm is not very advanced in terms of solid slicing yet, so use with caution.

 

 

Advanced Examples

 

Example – 3D Spiral

Create a continuous unsupported 3d spiral with low extrusion speeds.

 

Example – Stringing Volume

Creates a technique for printing a non-solid object, using custom values at specific parts.  This tutorial shows how you can mix solid and non-solid geometry to create more advanced techniques.

 

Example – Vector Field Weave

Create a layered 3d pattern weave, based on the vector field component in grasshopper.  This tutorial shows how you can build up a 3d object that contains solid and non-solid areas from completely non-solid geometry.

 

Example – Wireframe

(Experimental) Print the wireframe of a Brep. Careful attention must be paid to the order in which the wireframe is built.

Later releases of Silkworm will include a way to visualize the clearance of the printer frame and nozzle, so it will be easier to build this kind of geometry.