Working with 3MF files in Shapr3D

What is a 3MF file?

Overview

3MF (3D Manufacturing Format) is a file format designed for exchanging 3D models, particularly for 3D printing. It stores 3D geometry and can include additional information, such as measurement units and colors.

3MF files are useful for transferring models between design and 3D printing applications while retaining information needed for manufacturing.

3MF vs. STL

Both 3MF and STL are commonly used for 3D printing, but they differ in the information they can store.

• 3MF: Stores mesh geometry and supports additional information, including measurement units and colors.
• STL: Stores polygonal mesh geometry without measurement units or color information.

Use 3MF when you need to preserve supported information such as colors and measurement units. Use STL for workflows that only require mesh geometry.

Import 3MF files into Shapr3D

You can import 3MF files into Shapr3D to reuse models created in other applications and incorporate them into your projects.

Imported 3MF models use mesh geometry. Unlike STL, 3MF preserves color data, allowing imported models to retain their colors.

To import a 3MF file:

1. Open your project in Shapr3D.
2. Open the Insert menu and select File.
3. Select the 3MF file you want to import.
4. Position the imported model as needed.

Export 3MF files from Shapr3D

You can export your Shapr3D designs as 3MF files for use in compatible 3D printing and manufacturing software.

To export a 3MF file:

1. Open the Export menu.
2. Select 3MF as the file format.
3. Configure the export settings.
4. Select Export to save the file.

Resolution and mesh quality

When exporting a 3MF file, you can adjust the resolution to control how closely the exported mesh represents the original CAD geometry.

Choose from the following resolution settings:

• Low: Generates a mesh with less geometric detail.
• High: Generates a mesh with greater geometric detail.
• Custom: Lets you manually adjust Angle Tolerance and Deviation Tolerance.

Angle Tolerance controls the angular approximation of curved geometry, while Deviation Tolerance controls the maximum allowed distance between the original CAD geometry and the generated mesh.

Higher-resolution meshes generally preserve more geometric detail but can produce larger files.

Additional export settings

The following settings are also available when exporting 3MF files:

• Include Mesh Bodies: Choose whether to include existing mesh bodies in the export.
• Include Body Colors: Export uniformly colored bodies as colored objects, preserving their color information in the 3MF file.
• Include Hidden Items: Choose whether to include hidden items in the export.
• Save Each 1st-Level Item Separately: Export top-level items as separate files. File names are based on item labels.

Considerations when using 3MF files

Mesh geometry

Imported 3MF models use polygon-based mesh geometry rather than the solid CAD geometry created with Shapr3D's modeling tools.

You can use imported mesh bodies as references or modify them using supported mesh operations. However, mesh bodies have different editing capabilities and limitations compared to solid CAD bodies.

To learn more about supported mesh operations and limitations, visit Working with STL and mesh files in Shapr3D.

Color compatibility

3MF supports color information, and Shapr3D can preserve model colors when importing 3MF files.

When exporting, enable Include Body Colors to include supported color information in the 3MF file.

Color compatibility depends on the receiving application. Check that your slicer or other software supports the color information required for your workflow.