Designing 3D models for printing requires taking into account unusual limitations with respect to what is done in the rendering or the animation industry. We tested 4 tools that have been developed to help designers check the printability of their models. This guide is meant for beginners just starting with 3D modeling as well as for experienced designers interested in 3D printing.

1. Checking the Printability of a 3D Model
@TRYREDPROTO WHITE PAPER – JULY 2014 1
Comparison Test Of
The 4 Leading Pre-Print Check Tools

2. The rise of 3D printing has allowed many designers and inventors
around the world to transform their concepts into tangible creations.
However, designing 3D models for printing requires taking into account
unusual limitations with respect to what is done in the rendering or the
animation industry. The size of the object, the print material, the type
of printer used—all are parameters to bear in mind from the beginning
of the design process.
P I T C H
Using The Right Tools
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Hopefully, some tools have been developed to help designers check the
printability of their models. In this document, we present the four most
used software solutions for validating and fixing a model.
The following information is meant for beginners just starting with 3D
modeling as well as for experienced designers interested in 3D printing.

3. I N T R O D U C T I O N
Key Parameters To Validate A 3D Model
Inverted Normals
The orientation of a surface is determined by its
normal. It is used to define the interior and
exterior of a volume. If all normals are not
oriented towards the exterior, the model is
considered unprintable.
The cube above is not valid because the normal
of the upper face is oriented towards the
interior of the volume
Bounding Box
Even the most high-end, professional 3D
printers have constraints on the max size they
can produce. One must verify as early as
possible that the dimensions of the print object
are smaller than the maximums communicated
by the printing service.
The object size is within the limits of the
bounding box
Wall Thickness
This is the most common source of errors. 3D
printers create objects layer by layer; therefore,
they cannot handle thicknesses and details
under a predefined limit. Moreover, printing
services create a margin to allow for damage
that could occur while cleaning or packaging
the part.
The highlighted volume on the left is too thin
and will cause a problem
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4. Self-Intersection
Sometimes a model features overlapping
volumes. This configuration is to be avoided
because it leads to errors when computing the
total volume of the object. Plus, it also leads to
errors when identifying the faces’ orientation.
Clearance
The clearance is the minimum distance required
between two walls. This limit is generally due to
the space necessary to evacuate residuals of
the support material or to prevent the faces
from fusing accidentally.
Non-manifoldness
Errors or mere shortcuts during the modeling
might lead to edges connected to less than one
face or more than two faces. In that case, it is
considered that there is a hole in the mesh, or
that there are extra, problematic faces. The
model is non-manifold and cannot be printed.
The small clearance between the two rings
might cause a problem
These two overlapping volumes must be fused
to eliminate intersections
Some edges are connected only to one face,
causing a hole that impairs the model
I N T R O D U C T I O N
Key Parameters To Validate A 3D Model
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5. 3D-Tool is a professional software solution of 3D model visualization and quality control, developed in
2003 by a German company of the same name.
This solution is differentiated by its advanced visualization functions – for example to create cross-
section views with the possibility to precisely choose the reference plane. Also, there is a wall thickness
analysis function, delivering the result with gradient colors, allowing easy identification of walls or
embossed details too thin for printing. It is the only tool of this comparison test to include this critical
function.
Lastly, the simple-to-use interface will pleased beginners as well as experienced modelers.
Positives
o Wall thickness analysis with gradient colors
o Intuitive user interface
Negatives
o Only accepts the STL format
o Wall thickness analysis can take hours
(depending on the computing power and
the complexity of the model)
Editor Website
http://downloads.3d-tool.de
Operating System
4 T O O L S T O C H E C K Y O U R 3 D M O D E L
3D-Tool
Included in the paid version
o Most of common 3D file formats can be imported
o Functions to optimize faces’ orientation and fix holes in the mesh
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6. MeshLab is open-source software specialized in the edition of 3D meshes, created in 2005 by students
from the University of Pisa (Italy).
MeshLab is a real editing tool, allowing modification of each element of a mesh. Combined with the
error detection functions, this tool allows problematic areas of the model to be manually fixed. In
addition to that editing flexibility, this tool differs in its export capacity since one can save a model in
many different formats. This can be useful when, for example, converting an obj file into stl.
It is clearly the most complete software of this comparison test. Yet, the user experience suffers from
the profusion of features. A beginner will have to struggle for a while to get used to this interface.
Positives
o Profusion of features
o Possibility of editing the mesh manually
o Export capacities
Negatives
o User interface could be improved
substantially
o No wall thickness analysis
Editor Website
http://meshlab.sourceforge.net
Operating System
No paid version
o n/a
4 T O O L S T O C H E C K Y O U R 3 D M O D E L
MeshLab
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7. MiniMagics is 3D model visualization and verification tool, developed in 1992 by Belgium company
Materialise, a pioneer in the additive manufacturing sector.
MiniMagics Basic is a polished tool, extremely easy to use, ideal for complete beginners. With just one
click, one can detect and highlight the common geometry-related errors that invalidate a model.
This simplicity comes with a price. The software doesn’t run a comprehensive test, which could hold
back advanced users.
Positives
o Super straightforward user interface
o Fast analysis
Negatives
o Only accepts the STL format
o No wall thickness analysis
o Zero repair functionalities
Editor Website
http://software.materialise.com
Operating System
Included in the paid version
o Wall thickness analysis with gradient colors
o Automatic generation of analysis report (text or spreadsheet)
4 T O O L S T O C H E C K Y O U R 3 D M O D E L
MiniMagics
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8. Netfabb is a German company, created in 2009, that develops professional tools dedicated to
the additive manufacturing sector.
Netfabb Basic is particularly remarkable for two points. First, it is a very efficient tool for
detecting modeling errors. It highlights all problematic areas, which comes in very handy.
Second, the software not only allows repairs of the errors manually (one by one, to understand
where they originated), but also automatically. It is the only tool to offer that practical,
timesaving option.
Thanks to its detection and fixing functions, as well as its appealing interface, Netfabb will
please a majority of users.
Positives
o Intuitive user interface
o Automatic fix of the model
o Fixing operations are fast
Negatives
o Only accepts the STL format
o No wall thickness analysis
Editor Website
http://www.netfabb.com
Operating System
Included in the paid version
o Wall thickness analysis with gradient colors
o Advanced repair and finishing options
4 T O O L S T O C H E C K Y O U R 3 D M O D E L
Netfabb
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9. 3D-Tool MeshLab MiniMagics Netfabb
Free Premium Free Basic (free) Pro Basic (free) Pro
Supported Formats stl P P P P P P P
obj O P P O P P
vrml O P P O P O P
Visualization All angles & distances P P P P P P P
Cross-section views P P P O O O P
Measurement Distances P P P P P P P
Bounding box P P P P P P P
Angles P P P O P P P
Volume P P P O P P P
Shadow area O O O O O O P
Number of triangles P P O O P P P
Wall Thickness Analysis P P O O P O P
Validity Checks Bad edges D - R D - R D - R D - R D - R D - R D - R
Inverted normals D - R D - R D - R D - R D - R D - R D - R
D: detection Holes D - R D - R D - R D - R D - R D - R D - R
R: repair Self-intersection D - R D - R D - R D - R D - R D - R D - R
Bad faces D - R D - R D - R D - R D - R D - R D - R
Modification Coloration P P P P P P P
Cut O O P O O O P
Mesh manipulation O O P O O O O
C O M P A R I S O N T A B L E
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10. F I N D I N G S
What Is The Right Tool For Me?
It depends on what you plan to use it for.
o 3D-Tool is the only software able to perform a wall thickness analysis. It will be
essential to do this, especially if you want to check a 3D file created by someone
else.
If you are the designer, then your 3D modeling software may include a wall
thickness analysis function.
o In order to validate geometry-related criteria (inverted normals, holes…) you
could choose between MeshLab or Netfabb. The former is more complete, but
demands a better lever of understanding on the errors you want to fix. The latter
speeds up the printability check process thanks to its automatic repair tool, but
won’t allow the same flexibility to edit the mesh.
o The case of MiniMagics is a special one. It is by far the easiest software to use, in
particular for users without the slightest idea of what normals or even edges are.
However, regular and advanced users will probably just use it to perform a quick
“preliminary” analysis on low-complexity objects.
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contact@redproto.com
@tryRedProto
A P P E N D I X
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