Initial 3D CAD design of the Pythagorean cup
Printed cup displayed on a table
Cup during 3D printing in white PLA
This week, I returned to CAD to design a Pythagorean cup. I began by creating a sketch, then rotated it to form a 3D object and added a large cylindrical hole through the center. A Pythagorean cup is a clever design: if you fill it above a certain water level, all the liquid will siphon out through the bottom. I printed the cup in white PLA. While it wasn’t perfectly waterproof, it functioned correctly in several small tests, demonstrating the basic principle.
After printing, I moved on to scanning using the Creality4 scanner. I started with a simple object: a small goose statue. The scanner captured even the tiny details, such as a magnet embedded in the statue, with impressive accuracy.
Next, I attempted a human scan. I found a willing MIT alum (a finance major) and scanned his head. The glasses required extra care to capture correctly. Once the scan was complete, I spent considerable time in the Creality mesh editor, cleaning up artifacts and removing extraneous pieces that appeared during scanning. Once the mesh was cleaned, I moved into Prusa Slicer, closed the hole at the bottom, added organic supports, and printed the model in black PLA.
Overall, I am pleased with the results. Despite some blemishes in the scan, the details in the glasses and hair turned out better than I expected, demonstrating the power of careful scanning, mesh editing, and thoughtful 3D printing.