Welcome to the website Crystal models and structures in 3D. This website contains the results obtained in the Innova-Docencia UCM projects: “Design of crystallographic models for 3D printers (project no. 5, 2019-2020)” and “Design of crystallographic structures for 3D printers (project no. 98, 2020-2021)”
In this web you will find 3D crystallographic models and crystal structures. These models will allow you to visualise a number of crystal forms and to study the symmetry of a selected number of minerals. This content will be useful for studying crystallography subjects, which are taught in the Degrees of Geology and Chemistry. The crystal models are catalogued by crystal system and by point group (or crystal class), using the Hermann-Mauguin notation (see the upper menu). Crystal structures are listed in the structures option in the top menu, which will also help you to study mineralogy subjects.
For each point group and structure, you can find images. By clicking on the images, you will be redirected to the thingiverse website, where the files are hosted.
Once in the thingiverse web, you can rotate the models to see them from different angles (clicking on the button marked with a red circle in the image below). In addition, you can download .stl files to print out the models using a 3D printer (or to modify them using some 3D modelling software, such as Paint3D or Blender). All models have been designed to be lying down on one face (to facilitate the printing process). The default size of the models is 10 cm (largest dimension).
This project will be active, at least, during the academic year 2020-2021. We will add new models, structures and contents to the website through all the year. If there is a particular crystallographic model or crystal structure that you want to visualise and it is not yet available, please write to us using the contact form. We will add the requested models to the pending list and we will design them as soon as possible.
We hope that you will find this website useful for learning Crystallography and Mineralogy.
The work team
Update (21/07/20): in the last months, thingiverse has behaved erratically, making the 3D display button appear and disappear from the models. In order to visualize the 3D models in the computer we recommend to follow the steps shown in the following video:
3D crystal models and structures 