Customizable 3D Printed Ring Designs

Here are the rings and I've numbered them 1-5.  You can download the files here.  I've attached STL files and also included hyperlinks below so you can download straight into 123D and start customizing your ring right away!

I'll be using ring design #5 to show you how to personalize it with your initials.

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Ring #1:
Ring #2:
Ring #3:
Ring #4:
Ring #5:

Step 3: This Is What We're Making

This is the finished ring that I personalized using the Ring #5 design from the previous step.  In the following steps, I'll show you how to customize your own ring.  This technique can be used to personalize the rings in many different ways.  In step 15, you'll see another example of how to use this technique. 

Step 4: Open 123D

After downloading 123D, open the file.

Step 5: Open Ring #5 File

Click the 123Design logo in the left hand corner.  Click on the OPEN button.  Select the BROWSE MY COMPUTER tab and open the downloaded file.

Step 6: Ring #5 Is Opened

Now you'll see the ring on your screen.

Step 7: Open Primitives Menu

Midway down the screen, on the right hand side, you'll see a long grey tab with a white arrow inside.  Click on the white arrow to display the Smart Primitives menu.

Step 8: Inserting Text Box

Under the Smart Primitives menu to the right, select and drag the top box, which is titled TEXT, on to the work surface and you'll see the text appear.  

Step 9: Customizing Your Initials

With the text box selected, at the bottom of the screen, you will see a long white tool bar.  The text box will automatically have 123Design.  Delete this text and replace with your initials.

Step 10: Adjusting the Angle of the Text

The text is facing the wrong way, so click on the white disk that is on the same plane as the text.  A box will pop up so you can change the degree.  Enter 90 in the box and press ENTER. 

Step 11: Putting Initials On Ring Surface

First, click on the tool in the upper tool bar called the SNAP tool, it looks like a magnet.  This will snap the initials into place on the ring.  Second, change your perspective so that you're looking at the initials from underneath.  Select the underside of the middle initial.  Now, use your mouse to change perspective so that you can see the top of your ring.  Click on the top of the ring so that the initials snap into place.  

Note #1: If you select the top of your initial, instead of the underneath, it will flip the text over.  The snap tool puts the two selected surfaces together, no matter their direction. 

Note #2: Often, when you snap the two objects together, they form a group.  This basically means when you're trying to select one object, both will be highlighted.  To separate the objects, simply click on the GROUPING button on the top tool bar and select UNGROUP.

Step 12: Resizing The Text

In the top right hand corner, there is a directional cube.  Click on TOP.  Now select the text.  To resize the text, select the button at the bottom that says SCALE.  Then, drag the arrow to resize the text so that it fits on the ring.  

Step 13: Adding Depth to the Text

Click on the text.  Select the SCALE button at the bottom of the screen.  Click on the only drop down menu and change it from UNIFORM to NON-UNIFORM.

In the Z axis, change the number to 15 and press ENTER.

Step 14: Making The Split

Deselect the objects (click off them).  Now, hover over the MODIFY button from the top menu bar.  Select the SPLIT SOLID button on the far right in that menu.  Click on the ring.  Now click on SPLITTING ENTITY from the double menu that pops up.  Click on the initials and press ENTER.  

Step 15: Hollowing Out The Ring

Select the initials and press DELETE on your keyboard.  Now select the initials on the surface of the ring and press DELETE again to expose the void and there you go!  Well done, your ring is ready to 3D print.  If you want to have your ring printed, then Autodesk makes it simple...you can click SAVE from the main menu and select TO MY PROJECTS.  Now your ring is in the 123D Gallery and you can get it printed there!

Note: I made the ring to be the average woman's ring size, which is 7.  If you'd like to change this, you can scale the ring to your desired specifications using the scaling tool that I've shown in previous steps.  

Step 16: Endless Possibilities

Simply by using shapes instead of text, I made this ring.  You can do the same with all of the ring designs to customize a gift for yourself or your special someone.  

License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike.

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