Whether you’re building an action figure, a robot, or any kind of articulated project, a hinge joint is one of the most versatile and useful joints you can create. In this tutorial, we’re jumping into Nomad Sculpt to walk you step-by-step through designing a functional hinge joint that you can 3D print and integrate into your next project.
What You’ll Need
• iPad or Android tablet with Nomad Sculpt installed
• Basic understanding of how to navigate Nomad Sculpt
• A 3D printer (FDM or resin) to bring your design to life
Step 1: Start with a Cylinder
Open up Nomad Sculpt and create a new primitive. For this joint, we’re starting with a cylinder.
Adjust the height to match the size of your desired hinge.
Set the radius to about 10% of the cylinder’s height for a clean, proportional look.
Note: You can tweak these dimensions based on your specific model’s requirements.
Step 2: Clone and Shape the Core
Clone the original cylinder and make the copy slightly thinner.
Keep it aligned with the original — this will become part of the rotating element inside the hinge.
Clone it one more time, and shrink this third cylinder down even more. This one will serve as the cutaway section, creating space for the joint to rotate.
You’ll want to add two cutaways (one on top, one on the bottom), but you could also get away with one if your model allows for it.
Step 3: Voxel Remesh to Cut
Hide the cutaway cylinders from view.
Select the main cylinders and perform a voxel remesh.
This will subtract the shape of the hidden cylinders, creating gaps in the main piece for rotation.
Step 4: Make Room for Rotation
Clone the center cylinder once again — this will be the rotating part of the hinge.
Adjust its height so it extends beyond the top and bottom of the main cylinder. This ensures freedom of movement once printed.
When satisfied, perform another voxel remesh to finalize the space.
Step 5: Add the Hinge Supports
Now it’s time to add some hinge arms. You can do this by creating two cubes on either side of the center rotating cylinder.
Think of these as your elbow or knee joints in an action figure.
These cubes will act as the support arms that connect the hinge to the rest of your model.
You should now have a fully articulated hinge joint that connects a center rotating piece between two larger structures — perfect for limbs, torsos, armor flaps, or anything else you want to move realistically.
Step 6: Export and Print
Once your hinge looks good:
1. Export the STL or OBJ file from Nomad Sculpt.
2. Load it into your favorite slicer (like Bambu Studio or PrusaSlicer).
3. Choose your print settings and send it to your 3D printer.
Print tip: Consider printing the hinge flat for best strength, and use supports where necessary to preserve the moving parts.
Wrap-Up
And that’s it! You’ve just built a fully functional hinge joint right inside Nomad Sculpt. You can use this technique across tons of different builds — from articulated figures to mechanical models and beyond.