6.2.4 Manipulating Polar Cloud objects in the Makers Empire 3D design app

Importing Polar Cloud objects into the Makers Empire 3D design app is performed just like importing any industry-standard .stl file into Makers Empire 3D.

For your convenience, an example of Makers Empire object import steps are outlined below, but refer to Makers Empire website, videos, and documentation for authoritative, up-to-date Makers Empire object import details!

1.

Begin by downloading to your device the Polar Cloud object(s) you wish to manipulate; see for example Figure 6.35, showing an object detail screen with the “DOWNLOAD” button circled (or see more general discussion of Polar Cloud object download in Section 5.5).¹⁰

Figure 6.35: Polar Cloud private object clip: detail screen DOWNLOAD button

2.

Start up Makers Empire on your device. (Note that your device must be online, as offline Makers Empire operation can not perform the “Open STL File” operation.)

3.

At the Makers Empire 3D SHAPER screen, click the “Open STL File” icon; see Figure 6.36.

Figure 6.36: Makers Empire SHAPER screen Open STL File icon

4.

Select the Polar Cloud object file that you downloaded at step 1; see Figure 6.37.

Figure 6.37: Makers Empire selecting an .stl file to import

5.

You may then see some notices from Makers Empire pop-up at the bottom left of the screen, such as shown in Figure 6.38, Figure 6.39, and Figure 6.40...

Figure 6.38: Makers Empire uploading your .stl file notice

Figure 6.39: Makers Empire fetching your .stl file notice

Figure 6.40: Makers Empire imported your .stl file notice

...then Makers Empire will pop-up its screen for setting your imported object’s IMPORT OPTIONS; see Figure 6.41. When importing an object, Makers Empire will take you step-by-step through setting the object’s IMPORT OPTIONS, deciding on the object’s initial Scale, rotation (Rotate), Description, Cost, and License. (You can also change the object’s title in Makers Empire at this screen.)

Figure 6.41: Makers Empire object import: Scale

6.

When you get to object License, see Figure 6.42, you will have the choice of clicking YES (for an object that you own/you created yourself, and that you’re willing to share in Makers Empire under terms of Creative Commons - Attribution, i.e., CC-BY), or NO and then entering in the URL for where you obtained the object. For instance, although in this example the Polar Cloud object in question is a private object for which one could choose to click YES, instead clicking NO and entering the URL for the Polar Cloud object’s detail screen (see Figure 6.43 demonstrating such a URL) would also be possible. And if this were a Polar Cloud object owned and shared by someone other than you, then you would click NO and enter the URL for the Polar Cloud object’s detail screen.

Figure 6.42: Makers Empire object import: License

Figure 6.43: Locating the URL for a Polar Cloud object

7.

Once you’ve completed the Makers Empire process for importing your object including its licensing (see step 6), you’ll see a Mesh Ready screen as shown Figure 6.44; click OK and your object is imported!

Figure 6.44: Makers Empire Mesh Ready pop-up screen

8.

Now to find where Makers Empire has listed your imported object, you’ll need to expand the shapes pack at the upper right of the SHAPER screen, see Figure 6.45, and select IMPORTED shapes, see Figure 6.46.

Figure 6.45: Makers Empire SHAPER screen shapes pack

Figure 6.46: Makers Empire SHAPER screen: select IMPORTED shapes

9.

With IMPORTED shapes selected, your imported object is now displayed in the shape menu, and you can click on it to select it, as shown in Figure 6.47, which will load it to the design platform, as shown in Figure 6.48.

Figure 6.47: Makers Empire SHAPER screen IMPORTED objects: select your object

Figure 6.48: Makers Empire SHAPER screen: imported Polar Cloud object on the platform