I had some fun with this piece.
My goal for this print was 3-fold
1) Use Adobe Illustrator to create many of the parts
2) Use standard mailing decals as part of the final assembly
3) Paint and texture the final print for a 'steampunk' look.
The print took me 3 hours to build, about 10 hours to print and about an hour of painting, staining and assembly.
I created shapes in Illustrator and exported them as EPS files (backversion to 8) and imported them into Lightwave 3D using the EPS import. The LW auto axis drill import plugged holes in all the right places, so no editing in LW was needed.
The Illustrator Pathfinder tool was key in making really tight shapes that converted to 3D with no problem. The Lightwave files were exported via STL to Simplify3D.
The images below are of the first print. Not often do 30+ separate pieces print out perfectly, even considering the MANY number of interconnecting pieces.
This print was done in Silver PLA at 205° at 3500 mm/min at 0.10 height, no rafts, no supports.
More info on the build can be found here:
http://donfoley.com/3d-printing/project ... hoto-frame
Don