Designing Watertight Planters and Statement Vases

The Type dropdown changes which controls show up:

The shape is defined by three radii blended with a smooth bezier curve:

• Bottom Radius — sets the footprint. 40–60 mm for desktop pieces, 80+ mm for floor planters.
• Mid Radius — shapes the body. Larger than top + bottom = belly; smaller = pinch.
• Top Radius — sets the opening size. Match it to your bouquet stems or your plant's nursery pot.

A few useful starter combos:

A smooth vase prints fast but reads as boring. Use the Structural Pattern sliders:

• Vertical Ribs 12–24 with depth 2–4 mm gives a fluted column. Combine with Sharp rib style for a faceted crystal look.
• Z-Ripples 6–10 hide FDM layer lines as deliberate horizontal banding — pottery-style.
• Twist 90–360° combined with ribs produces a spiralling form. The shadow it throws under direct light becomes part of the design.

Switch to Planter type and the drainage controls appear:

• Drainage Holes — 4–8 holes spaced evenly around the bottom edge.
• Hole Diameter — 6–10 mm. Larger holes drain faster but let soil escape; smaller holes need a layer of pebbles.

Print a matching saucer with the Bowl type at +5 mm bottom radius and 15–20 mm height — same colour, same finish, instant set.

For real water, vase mode alone is not enough — the spiral seam can wick under prolonged contact. Two reliable approaches:

• Solid walls + sealant — print with 3 perimeters (skip vase mode), then paint the inside with food-safe epoxy or polyurethane.
• Vase mode + glass insert — print as designed, drop a thin glass test tube or jar inside. Lets the vase be PLA without water risk.

• Lampshade Generator — same parametric language. A vase and a matching shade make a coherent set.
• Slicer Pro — if you want a vase taller than your printer, segment it with alignment keys and bond the joints.
• Build Plate Packer — pack a planter, three matching saucers, and a vase onto one plate when you are pricing a pottery-style range.