Are you fascinated by dragons and 3D printing? Prepare to be captivated by the Night Spirit Dragon, a meticulously crafted articulated model perfect for enthusiasts of all skill levels. This impressive design is a remix and significant improvement upon the original Spirit Dragon, offering enhanced printability and a unique aesthetic.
What Makes the Night Spirit Dragon Special?
The creator, AKinferno, a dedicated 3D printing enthusiast and content creator at amazingprint.net, has poured countless hours into refining the Spirit Dragon model. Driven by his daughter’s love for dragons, he embarked on a journey of tweaks and enhancements. The Night Spirit Dragon is a testament to this dedication, representing a variant specifically designed for its striking appearance and ease of printing.
This model isn’t just another remix; it’s a thoughtful evolution. Addressing feedback from the community, AKinferno focused on creating a dragon head that minimizes the need for supports, particularly when printing the horns. The original Spirit Dragon sometimes presented challenges with overhanging horns, but the Night Spirit Dragon head is sculpted to mitigate this issue.
Design Innovations for Optimal 3D Printing
One of the standout features of the Night Spirit Dragon is its head design. AKinferno carefully selected a head that avoids severe horn overhangs, a common pain point in 3d Printed Dragons. While the lower fins and chin still presented some overhang challenges, strategic rotation, scaling, and base flattening, along with reshaping the fins to a more print-friendly angle, resulted in a model that prints beautifully even without supports. Many users have already showcased successful prints, highlighting the effectiveness of these design choices.
The model is available with different horn styles to cater to various preferences and printing capabilities:
-
‘og’ Model: This variant features the original head design from the Night Dragon model. It boasts thin frills and horns that require careful printing, ideally at a slower speed, to capture the intricate details without supports. For those seeking the most faithful rendition to the original design and are comfortable with supports, this is an excellent choice.
-
‘thick’ Model: Recognizing the printing challenges some users faced, AKinferno developed a ‘thick’ horn version. This design thickens and textures the horns, making them significantly easier to print without supports. The result is a robust and visually appealing horn that prints reliably, even at faster speeds.
-
‘bumpy’ Model: Adding further variety, the ‘bumpy’ horn variant offers a unique aesthetic. While developing the ‘smooth’ horns, AKinferno felt they might appear too plain when scaled down. The ‘bumpy’ design introduces bulges along the horns’ length, creating a visually interesting texture, especially when printed larger. This option provides a distinct look and feel, adding to the collection’s diversity.
Recommended Print Settings for Success
To ensure a successful 3D printing experience with the Night Spirit Dragon, AKinferno recommends the following settings:
- Walls: 2+ walls (3 walls recommended for added durability)
- Infill: 10%+ infill (20% is suggested for a heavier feel, but lightning or even 0% infill can work)
- Layer Height: .10mm layers or above (looks excellent even at .2mm)
- Supports/Brims: Not required (though your results may vary depending on your printer and calibration)
- Scaling: 70% or greater. Scaling below 100% might cause link fusion. If scaling down, separate the model into parts in your slicer to prevent merging. While parts may slightly touch at 70%, they should break away easily. At 100% scale, no parts touch.
Attribution and Commercial Licensing
This fantastic 3D printed dragon model is a testament to the collaborative spirit of the 3D printing community. AKinferno extends gratitude to sunset, sunset_3d_design, and MZ4250 for their incredible original models that served as the foundation for this remix. Proper attribution to these creators and AKinferno is required when sharing or remixing this model further.
For those interested in commercial opportunities, AKinferno has acquired commercial rights from sunset3d for the dragon model and extends these rights to derivative models like the Night Spirit Dragon. Commercial access is granted to members of the Printables Club, offering an exclusive maker coin to signify membership when selling prints of these dragons. This membership covers all of AKinferno’s creations, with plans to expand beyond dragon variants in the future.
Download and Start Printing Your Night Spirit Dragon Today!
The Night Spirit Dragon is more than just a 3D model; it’s an opportunity to bring a mythical creature to life. With its enhanced printability, stunning design, and multiple variant options, it’s a perfect project for both beginners and experienced 3D printing enthusiasts. Download the free STL files today and unleash the Night Spirit Dragon from your 3D printer! We encourage you to share your printed creations and provide feedback to AKinferno, helping to further refine and improve this already exceptional model.
