Articulated Snow Crab 3D Print
Budget / SalaryC$250–750
TypeFreelance project
LocationRemote
Posted4 hours ago
I need a 3D-printable model of a butchered snow crab section: the shoulder (body portion, carapace removed) with the claw and four walking legs attached. The prints will be used as physical test samples for handling and packaging trials, so I'll be printing many copies that get handled and repositioned repeatedly. Realistic size, shape and durability matter more than fine display detail.
Baseline & references
- Start from an existing 3D-scanned snow crab model. Several are available online, and you can propose one or use your own source. (https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/cc0-snow-crab-chionoecetes-opilio-959f91a4aa9549e29d3f69019b9df593)
- The baseline must be licensed for commercial use and modification. Include its source and licence with the deliverables.
- Adapt the scan into a butchered section: remove the carapace, trim the body to a realistic shoulder cut, and model the exposed cut face
- I'll provide reference photos of real sections in many poses (legs gathered, fanned, crossed, claw extended and folded)
- Target overall size: shoulder width ~[25-30] mm, longest walking leg ~[250-300] mm, (a typical commercial section)
Anatomy & detail
- Shoulder section plus cheliped (claw) and 4 walking legs, proportioned to the baseline scan and reference photos
- Medium surface detail: segment contours, joint knuckles and shell texture. Spines should be present but robust (no fragile tips that snap off with handling)
- Left and right versions (mirror is fine if the geometry holds up)
Articulation
On each leg and the claw, the first two joints from the body should move. In layman's terms the joints are: shoulder/elbow/wrist, only the shoulder/elbow need to move, the wrist onward can be fixed/ridgid.
The movable joints should move freely with very little resistance. The legs should dangle loosely when picked up by the section.
Combined range of motion must reproduce the poses in my photos:
Legs gathered tightly together, including legs resting on or crossing over each other (some out-of-plane lift is needed, not just a flat fan)
Legs fully fanned open
Stay within realistic anatomical limits, and add motion stops so legs can't bend in unnatural directions
Joints must survive repeated handling and repositioning without loosening or breaking
Printability
- Primary process: FDM on a Bamboo Lab H2D
- Print-in-place preferred. A snap-fit or pinned assembly is acceptable if it's stronger or prints more reliably. Propose what you think is best.
- Optimized for batch printing: minimal supports, stable print orientation, and several sections fitting on one build plate
- Nice to have: the model can be scaled ±[15]% to represent different crab sizes without the joint clearances changing (joints modeled so clearance stays fixed at any scale)
- Nice to have: printed weight approximating a real section (~[150 - 180] g) through hollowing or infill guidance
Deliverables
1. Clean, manifold STL(s) in print orientation and in an assembled reference pose
2. Joint test print: one full-scale leg base (both moving joints) as a separate STL
3. Source file with the joints and body editable (Blender, if possible but will consider others)
4. Brief print notes: orientation, supports, clearance and recommended settings
5. Baseline scan source and licence documentation
6. Full IP and copyright in all new work transferred to the client on final payment
Milestones
1. Baseline selection and blockout: scan converted to a section at target size, with joint axes marked, for approval
2. Joint test coupon (I print it and send fit/durability feedback)
3. Detailed model
4. Final files
Acceptance: the files pass a mesh check with no errors, and a full-scale print reaches the gathered, fanned and claw-folded poses from my reference photos, holds each pose, and survives handling without joints fusing or loosening.
Budget: [$250] | Timeline: [2 weeks] | Revisions: [2-3] per milestone
In your proposal, please describe how you'd design the two base joints to give the required range of motion. Share any previous articulated or print-in-place work.
Baseline & references
- Start from an existing 3D-scanned snow crab model. Several are available online, and you can propose one or use your own source. (https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/cc0-snow-crab-chionoecetes-opilio-959f91a4aa9549e29d3f69019b9df593)
- The baseline must be licensed for commercial use and modification. Include its source and licence with the deliverables.
- Adapt the scan into a butchered section: remove the carapace, trim the body to a realistic shoulder cut, and model the exposed cut face
- I'll provide reference photos of real sections in many poses (legs gathered, fanned, crossed, claw extended and folded)
- Target overall size: shoulder width ~[25-30] mm, longest walking leg ~[250-300] mm, (a typical commercial section)
Anatomy & detail
- Shoulder section plus cheliped (claw) and 4 walking legs, proportioned to the baseline scan and reference photos
- Medium surface detail: segment contours, joint knuckles and shell texture. Spines should be present but robust (no fragile tips that snap off with handling)
- Left and right versions (mirror is fine if the geometry holds up)
Articulation
On each leg and the claw, the first two joints from the body should move. In layman's terms the joints are: shoulder/elbow/wrist, only the shoulder/elbow need to move, the wrist onward can be fixed/ridgid.
The movable joints should move freely with very little resistance. The legs should dangle loosely when picked up by the section.
Combined range of motion must reproduce the poses in my photos:
Legs gathered tightly together, including legs resting on or crossing over each other (some out-of-plane lift is needed, not just a flat fan)
Legs fully fanned open
Stay within realistic anatomical limits, and add motion stops so legs can't bend in unnatural directions
Joints must survive repeated handling and repositioning without loosening or breaking
Printability
- Primary process: FDM on a Bamboo Lab H2D
- Print-in-place preferred. A snap-fit or pinned assembly is acceptable if it's stronger or prints more reliably. Propose what you think is best.
- Optimized for batch printing: minimal supports, stable print orientation, and several sections fitting on one build plate
- Nice to have: the model can be scaled ±[15]% to represent different crab sizes without the joint clearances changing (joints modeled so clearance stays fixed at any scale)
- Nice to have: printed weight approximating a real section (~[150 - 180] g) through hollowing or infill guidance
Deliverables
1. Clean, manifold STL(s) in print orientation and in an assembled reference pose
2. Joint test print: one full-scale leg base (both moving joints) as a separate STL
3. Source file with the joints and body editable (Blender, if possible but will consider others)
4. Brief print notes: orientation, supports, clearance and recommended settings
5. Baseline scan source and licence documentation
6. Full IP and copyright in all new work transferred to the client on final payment
Milestones
1. Baseline selection and blockout: scan converted to a section at target size, with joint axes marked, for approval
2. Joint test coupon (I print it and send fit/durability feedback)
3. Detailed model
4. Final files
Acceptance: the files pass a mesh check with no errors, and a full-scale print reaches the gathered, fanned and claw-folded poses from my reference photos, holds each pose, and survives handling without joints fusing or loosening.
Budget: [$250] | Timeline: [2 weeks] | Revisions: [2-3] per milestone
In your proposal, please describe how you'd design the two base joints to give the required range of motion. Share any previous articulated or print-in-place work.
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