Your software might not necessarily offer the possibility to reduce the size of your file. But if you set a bigger one, the triangles might be visible!

You can’t set a smaller tolerance, because 3D printers could perceive this level of details. The recommended tolerance is 0,01 millimeters. In some cases, the program can ask you to set a maximum tolerance for your file: it is actually the maximum distance between the original shape and the STL mesh you need to export. In most 3D modeling software, you will find the option to reduce your file quite easily. In order to compress your STL file, you will have to find the correct setting in your 3D modeling software, to reduce the size without affecting the printability of your file. You will have to find the right balance between a detailed 3D model and a non-pixelated object. Bigger the triangles are, the less detailed the parts will be, but the smaller and the greater the number of triangles is, the smoother the curves of your object’s surface will be! To sum it up, the more triangles, the bigger the size of your file will be.

The second rule is that your 3D file needs to contain less than 1 million polygons.īut first, why are these files so large? When exporting 3D models to STL files for additive manufacturing, it is expressed as a mesh, which is made of triangles.

The first rule is that your 3D file needs to be less than 50MB.To keep it under control, at Sculpteo, we’ve established two strong rules and a set of good practices to follow: So even if you’re making the most gorgeous 3D file and push the resolution to its maximum, it won’t necessarily bring you a lot. With a big file, at best your object will be printed with no visible difference, at worse our system won’t be able to handle the huge file. The goal here is not to reduce the size of your part to get lower quality but to get a smaller file with the highest quality possible.

Moreover, when these files are that heavy, details on the objects are sometimes beyond what we can see, or what a 3D printer can actually print. There is no real limitation in the system, but keep in mind that a big volume can slow all your actions down. For example, on our 3D printing service, the files you’re using need to weigh less than the maximum of 50MB and every single 3D file shouldn’t exceed 1 million polygons.

If you need to manufacture your part using an online 3D printing service, it is better to get a file easily uploadable. A large 3D file is not a problem, but it can be if you want to share or upload it.

Export 3d model to simplify 3d