STL, STEP or 3MF: which file to use
What each of the three files ShapeDis exports is for: STL and 3MF for a slicer, STEP for CAD and CNC. How the download works, and what "not sliced" means.
ShapeDis gives you the same part in three file formats, because they are used for different things. This page says what each is, and what you get when you press download.
What you download
In the Print tab, What to export lets you choose which pieces to include (the count shows as "2 of 5", for example). Download for printing then makes a zip with an STL and a STEP file for each chosen piece, and one 3MF file that holds all of them laid out side by side on the bed, in rows, with a 5 mm gap. By default only the parts are included. If you want a mock or a zone as well, tick it in the list.
The files are not sliced. ShapeDis does not make G-code and does not send anything to a printer. You open the files in your slicer, such as Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer or PrusaSlicer, or in any program that reads the format.
Which file for what
| Format | Use it for | What it holds |
|---|---|---|
| STL | Printing: every slicer reads it. | The surface as triangles. It carries no units and no colours, so the slicer assumes millimetres. |
| 3MF | Printing a whole set at once: the slicer opens it as a ready plate. | All chosen pieces in one file, already laid out on the bed. Unsliced. |
| STEP | CAD and CNC: editing, machining, or measuring exactly. | The exact solid, with true curves and holes instead of triangles. Not written for a piece that came from an uploaded mesh, because a STEP made of triangles would be huge and no better than the STL. |
The reason to keep the STEP file even if you only print: it is the exact model. If you later want to change a hole or cut the part on a CNC, a CAD program can open the STEP and work from real circles and flat faces, which a triangle mesh cannot give back.
Why every piece sits on the bed
Each piece is exported in the orientation it should print in: turned the way the design chose, with its lowest point on the bed, in the STL and STEP files and in the 3MF. That is the same placement the overhang check uses, so the supports it warned about are the ones your slicer will see. See what the checks look at.
Before you print
- Check the Print tab for problems and bed-size notes first.
- Look at the recommended settings, if there are any: see print settings.
- The model is made by an AI, so measure and test print before you rely on it.
Try it on your own part
Describe it in plain words and watch it appear in 3D. Free to start, nothing to install.
Start designing