MolPrint3D: Enhanced 3D Printing of Ball-and-Stick Molecular Models

Abstract

The increased availability of noncommercial 3D printers has provided instructors and students improved access to printing technology. However, printing complex ball-and-stick molecular structures faces distinct challenges, including the need for support structures that increase with molecular complexity. MolPrint3D is a software add-on for the Blender 3D modeling package that enhances the printability of ball-and-stick molecular models by allowing the user to selectively split molecules into fragments. MolPrint3D adds pins to the bond and holes in the atom at selected junction points to allow the fragments to be printed independently and assembled. This approach significantly minimizes the number of support structures needed and enables the construction of large macromolecular structures as ball-and-stick models. The MolPrint3D pipeline is described, and several examples demonstrate how improved printability can provide new tools for enhancing student interaction with 3D models.