Let's Begin
10 minutes
1. Warm-Up: Recap Your Pirate Ship
Open your Week 5 pirate ship model. Before we customize it, let's make sure everything is ready.
Quick review:
- Orbit around your ship and check all parts are connected
- Verify the hull, deck, cabin, portholes, and plank are all present
- Check that the model is a Solid Group (right-click → Entity Info)
- Fix any remaining gaps or stray lines with the Eraser tool
A clean model is easier to customize and print. Take a minute to tidy up.
Reminder: Save your file with the format week#-studentid-firstname-lastname.
20 minutes
2. Materials & Colors: Customize the Ship
Materials are what make your model look real. A pirate ship can be wood, metal, and cloth — all made from simple color choices.
Step 1: Open the Materials panel
- Look for the Materials panel on the right side of the screen
- Click the dropdown to see categories: Colors, Groundcover, Landscaping, Wood, Metal, etc.
Step 2: Paint the hull (wood)
- Choose a Wood material — dark brown looks classic
- Click the outer hull surfaces to apply it
- Try a lighter wood for the inner hull to add contrast
Step 3: Paint the deck
- Choose a light wood color for the deck
- Click the deck surface to apply it
- This makes the deck stand out from the hull
Step 4: Paint the cabin
- Pick a contrasting wood color for the cabin
- Try a red or dark brown roof
- Add a metal door handle or window frame if you like
Step 5: Paint the plank and details
- Use a lighter wood for the plank
- Add a metal look to any ship parts like cannons or wheels
Make it your own. Try a black hull for a "Black Pearl" look, or a bright blue for a fantasy ship. There are no wrong colors on a pirate ship!
15 minutes
3. 3D Warehouse: Add Details
The 3D Warehouse is a library of free models you can drop into your project. You can add trees, flags, animals, or even pirates!
Step 1: Open the 3D Warehouse
- Look for the 3D Warehouse panel on the right side
- Or go to File → 3D Warehouse → Get Models
Step 2: Search for a model
- Type what you want in the search bar — like "pirate flag"
- Browse the results
- Click on a model to preview it
Step 3: Add it to your model
- Click Download or Insert
- The model appears in your SketchUp file
- Use the Move tool to position it
- Use the Scale tool (S) to make it the right size
Ideas for your pirate ship:
- A pirate flag on top of the cabin
- A ship's wheel on the deck
- Barrels or crates on the deck
- A treasure chest
- A parrot or sea creature
Careful with size: Models from the 3D Warehouse come in all sizes. Use the Scale tool (S) to fit them to your ship. A flag should be small — not bigger than your cabin!
20 minutes
4. Export as STL File
STL is the file format that 3D printers use. It stands for "Standard Triangle Language" — it breaks your model into triangles that the printer can read.
Step 1: Select and group your model
- Use the Select tool to drag a box around everything
- Right-click → Group
- Check that it's a Solid Group in Entity Info
Step 2: Export as STL
- Go to File → Export → 3D Model
- In the file type dropdown, select STL
- Name your file:
week6-studentid-firstname-lastname.stl
- Click Export
- Save to your Google Drive or downloads folder
Step 3: Check the STL file
- Locate the file you just saved
- Check that it ends with
.stl
- Note the file size — usually a few MB
Export options: SketchUp lets you choose the STL format (ASCII or Binary). Binary is smaller and prints faster — use Binary if given the choice.
If it won't export: Make sure your model is a Solid Group. Non-solid models can't be exported as STL.
20 minutes
5. Open STL in a Slicer (Cura or PrusaSlicer)
A slicer is software that prepares your model for the printer. It slices your 3D model into thin layers and creates the instructions the printer follows.
Step 1: Open your slicer
- Open Cura or PrusaSlicer on your computer
- If not installed, ask your teacher for the class computer
Step 2: Import your STL
- Click File → Open File
- Select your
.stl file
- Your pirate ship appears on the virtual print bed
Step 3: Explore the preview
- Click the Preview tab
- Drag the layer slider on the right side
- Watch as your ship is sliced into hundreds of thin layers
- Each layer is one pass of the printer
Step 4: Check the estimated print time
- Look at the bottom of the screen
- It shows print time and material usage
- A small pirate ship might take 2–6 hours to print
Play with the slicer. Try rotating your model, scaling it up or down, and see how the print time changes.
15 minutes
6. Discuss: Printability, Wall Thickness, Overhangs
Not every model can be printed. Some designs have features that are too thin, too tall, or too complex. Let's talk about what makes a model printable.
Wall thickness
- Walls that are too thin (less than 1mm) may break or print poorly
- Aim for walls at least 1.2mm thick
- Your portholes should have thick walls around them
Overhangs
- An overhang is any part that sticks out into empty air
- Small overhangs are okay — the printer can handle them
- Big overhangs need supports (extra material printed underneath)
- The slicer adds supports automatically if needed
Bridges
- A bridge is a flat surface printed between two supports
- Short bridges print fine — long bridges may sag
Scale
- Your ship needs to fit on the printer's bed (usually 20cm × 20cm)
- Use the slicer to scale down if needed
Class discussion questions:
- Where are the overhangs on your pirate ship?
- Which parts are the thinnest?
- Will the printer need supports? Where?
- Does your ship need to be scaled down?
Real engineers think about this too. Designing for 3D printing is a skill — every printable object went through the same thinking you're doing now.
Save your work:
- Click the model name at the top
- Rename it:
week6-studentid-firstname-lastname
- Click Save
- Also save your STL file with the same name