File Types - MakerBot Replicator 2X User Manual

FILE TYPES

STL
An STL is a widely used type of 3D model
file. It consists of surfaces made up of
triangles. Each triangle has an inner side
and an outer side. The outer side is called
the normal. In a well-formed STL, all the
normals face outwards and the surface is
continuous, with no holes. When a model
meets these standards, it is referred to
as manifold. STLs with normals that
face inwards (inverted normals) may
be printable, but a manifold model is
considered a prerequisite for 3D printing.
STLs are compatible with many different 3D
modeling programs and have become the
standard file type for 3D printable models.
SolidWorks , Rhinoceros
®
Autodesk programs will export STL files,
®
and there are free plugins available that will
allow you to export STLs from SketchUp
OBJ
An OBJ is another type of 3D model file. It
is also used by a number of 3D modeling
programs, but is used for 3D printing less
often than STL. Unlike STLs, where every
facet of your 3D model is a triangle, an OBJ
can contain triangles and other polygons.
Rhinoceros and some Autodesk programs
will export OBJ files, but other programs,
including SketchUp and SolidWorks, will
require a plugin to export as OBJ.
THING
A Thing file allows you to save build plates
in MakerWare. The file includes information
about the orientation and position of any 3D
model on the plate. The file also allows you
to include multiple models on the plate.
, and most
®
.
®
When you plate multiple models and save
them as an STL, you will no longer be able
to move the individual models in relation to
each other. When you save multiple models
in a Thing file, you can continue
to manipulate them individually.
The Thing format works only with MakerWare,
so you should not save as Thing if you are
saving a file for use with another program.
If you have a Thing file and need to edit
the individual STL files, you can change
the file extension to .zip, unzip the file
and extract the STLs.
GCODE
GCode is a computer language for
controlling CNC machines, including
many 3D printers. When your slicing
software turns your 3D model into a set
of instructions for your MakerBot, those
instructions are written in GCode. The
instructions consist of commands that
tell the extruders how hot to get, where to
move and when to start extruding plastic,
commands that control the build platform
and commands for peripheral components,
including the LEDs inside your MakerBot.
Before being sent to your MakerBot,
MakerWare converts the human-readable
GCode to the more compact, computer
readable X3G. You can't edit X3G files,
but you can edit GCode to do things like
change extrusion temperatures and insert
extra commands.
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