If you're designing a product and want to make a working prototype - something with specific geometric requirements or precise angular / curved surfaces - then you'll want to use a CAD design software like Autodesk Fusion 360, or SketchUp for very basic designs. Things like sculptures and figurines are best created with an organic modeling tool - ZBrush is our go-to tool software tool for organic sculpting. When it comes to choosing a 3D Design software for your modeling needs, there are two main types: organic design, and mechanical / hard surface design.

Click here to download this 3D Model file in STL, OBJ, STEP, and IGES formats. These are STL files, OBJ files, STEP / STP files, and IGES / IGS files.Ī simple 3D Model of a hand-press clay stamp is created step-by-step in 3D CAD design software. Here, we'll focus on the basics of what a 3D Model file is, and the four main types of 3D Model files (also known as CAD files, for Computer Aided Design) used for 3D Printing. And 3D Model files come in many different flavors. You need to have a 3D Model file to actually load into aģD Printer.

The main thing to know is this: if you want to 3D Print something, drawings and ideas are just the first step. But let's forget about the technical design aspect of it for now. Some are free, and some come with hefty pricetags. There are dozens, if not hundreds of 3D Design programs out there. And where Microsoft Word or Google Docs is used to make a PDF, your 3D Model file is Think of a 3D Model file as 'the PDF of the 3D Printing world.' A 3D Model file is a standardized digital representation of a three-dimensional object. The same goes for 3D Printing - you need to turn your ideas and sketches into a 3D Model file before you can 3D Print anything.

You've got to sit down and type it out, right? Then you save it off as a. Of course, it's obvious that there's an intermediate step between having ideas and post-it notes, and actually having a printed document with your speech in a nice big font, with paragraph breaks and bold text for emphasis. To make a printed copy of the speech to have with you on stage. You've got everything framed out, and now you want Here's an analogy: imagine you have to give a speech - you're planning it out in your head, and writing some ideas down on post-it notes as you come up with what you want to say. So, why do you need a 3D Model file in order to 3D Print something? Can't a 3D Printer just.build stuff from scratch? The amazing news that 3D Printing can create anything imaginable is usually delivered without any mention of this most important ingredient. Sanders' 3D Model file created by Hollywood 3D PrintingĪ 3D Model is a digital computer file that contains a 'full-turn' three-dimensional representation of an object.

3d print stl file