Designing a Pumpkin to 3D Print

Photo of completed printed design

1. A 3D printer or printing service
2. A parametric CAD software
3. SET CAD to imperial units if copying the measurements of this tutorial

In this section, we will create the sketch for one pumpkin slice:

1. Start a new sketch on the front plane
2. Draw a vertical line with the midpoint at the origin
3. Draw two horizontal lines at the top and bottom, branching to one side
4. Draw an arc from the points on the end of the horizontal lines
5. It should look something like the image above
6. Accept the sketch

In this section, we will create one pumpkin slice:

1. Select the sketch
2. Revolve to the desired size; this must be a factor of 360 (I chose 18 degrees) (see Fig. 1)
3. Accept revolve
4. Start a new fillet and select the outer arcs of the revolve feature. Fillet to desired roundness (I chose .25)
5. Accept the feature

In this section, we will pattern and flatten the body:

1. Start a new circular pattern feature
2. Pattern the slice of pumpkin around the center vertical line. You can determine the number of slices in your revolve by using the formula 360/(your number of degrees chosen in step 2).
3. Accept the feature (Should look like a Fig. 1)
4. Click to start a new plane and offset it down from the top plane by about 1.2 in (order whatever measurement removes all texture from the bottom using your scale)
5. Create a new circular sketch on this plane, and extrude-remove it to flatten the bottom. (It is important that the bottom is flat for easy printing.)
6. You're finished body should look like Fig. 2

Now we are going to add the stem using loft features:

1. Create two new planes, one at the top of your pumpkin, where the stem will start, and one at the desired height of your stem.
2. Create a sketch on each plane and draw a small circle on the top and a larger circle on the bottom.
3. Importantly, the small circle must be coincident with the front plane for the next step. (Fig. 1)
4. Start a new sketch on the front plane and draw a spline from the center of one circle to the other. You want to make this line wavy, but never have its angle be more than the overhang your printer can achieve. (Fig 2)
5. Create a new loft feature, using the two circular sketches, and use the third splined sketch as the path for the loft. (Fig 3)

Hopefully, you should now have a 3D model you can print;

If not, you can find a copy of mine here:

https://www.printables.com/model/1435571-parametric-pumpkin-onshape