This is a Matlab script to convert a surface (technically a function of two variables) into a solid that can be printed.

I wanted a way to visualize (in solid 3D) mathematical functions, and this gives you a way of converting from a mathematical description, directly to a solid.

I haven't uploaded the scripts here, because they are already at http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/30709-surf2solidMatlab file central and keeping them up to date at one point seemed more sensible.

The idea here is to create a surface in Matlab, and then be able to print it. There is a STL writer for Matlab (see below), but a surface isn't a closed solid, so all I've really done here is write a script that adds walls and a bottom so that the object is printable.

The scripts allow you to change a few parameters like the minimum height of the walls and the scale of the object.

There are two scripts, one for converting a function of cartesian co-ordinates, and the other for polar cylindrical co-ordinates. Pick the one you like, and have a look at the example scripts to see how to call them, or the comments in the code.

But if you want to print the output, you also need Bill McDonald's surf2stl.m function, which can also be obtained from http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/4512-surf2stl on Matlab central.

Matlab isn't free, but if you don't have access you might try Octave, which is an almost compatible free set of software, though I haven't tested it works there.