My go-to programme for repairing downloaded .STL files and optimising them for 3D printing. Files can be split into multiple objects, cut and combined, optimally aligned for 3D printing, and even support material can be generated. A great programme with lots of features.

Overview

A very frequently used function is to make bodies ‘solid’, i.e. to improve holes or faulty surfaces, which also makes it easy to reduce the file size in order to achieve better performance when slicing or modifying the parts. Please note that edges and details are often lost in the process.

Another very useful function is setting a minimum wall thickness or offset, which allows fine details to be made printable, especially when scaling models down.

Very large models can be easily cut up and then printed in several pieces if the model has a lot of overhangs or is too large for the print space.

What I use the software for

• To optimise, reduce or repair files (holes)
• To make files hollow or solid
• To change the wall thickness of files
• To generate support material
• To optimise prints for multi-colour printing

Alternatives

For repair and optimisation, you can also use the online tool Microsoft 3D Printing Tools, especially for those with a slow computer or those who want to optimise very large, detailed models.

Those who work on a Windows computer already have a very good programme with similar functions, the 3D Builder - Microsoft , which may even be better suited for repairing models, but I still need to do more detailed testing on that.