How to Export a High Quality STL File | Markforged Reinforced

This is a tale of two 3D printed parts: one with an impeccably smooth finish, and another very much without. They were both printed from the exact same design. So why do they look so different?
Turns out, it all goes back to CAD. The export settings you use for your STL files can have a major impact on final part quality. Luckily, Print Systems Engineer Austin Vojta is here to help. In this video, Austin walks through a high quality STL export step by step in Fusion 360, and tells you everything you need to know before you import your file into Eiger and press print.
Fusion 360 not your CAD software of choice? No problem. Check out our STL export guide for more tips: bit.ly/guide-to-stl-files

[@9898983]

This is one of the least talked about setup parameters yet one of the most important

[@BrilliantDesignOnline]

Great info with what the specific controls do and ballpark settings, now I understand.

[@markforged]

Happy to hear it's been helpful for you. Cheers!

[@TheCaffeineRacer]

Thank you this was a great help

[@markforged]

We’re so glad to hear - thanks for watching and happy printing!

[@rescuemethod]

I used to send prints to various printers and its true Onyx Markforged prints were always the best surface finish by far. They printed slowly the print volume was long and thin but wow the precision was unmatched.

[@markforged]

That's amazing to hear. Thanks for sharing!

[@m_IDEX]

Great video! Good reminder that we are still in 1987 😊 Time for meshing in 3D printing and FEA to die already. If an antique algorithm requires a mesh, it should generate one internally. I don’t want to see it 😊 I like how newer slicers are using STEP files. I would also like to see Parasolid file support.

[@ray_6455]

MKFG 怎样去开始營利 有没有时间表？

[@ac3r787]

Not working with Mark Forged, BUT this helpes alot. thanks!

[@markforged]

So stoked to hear it's helped you! If you have any other How-To videos you'd like to see, please let us know.

[@nishanthtech447]

@@markforged Hey there! I have a suggestion for a future video idea. It would be great if you could make a video tutorial on configuring a printer to allow pausing at certain layers. This would enable viewers to insert magnets or nuts into the print and then continue the printing process, resulting in built-in magnet or nut parts straight out of the printer. I think many people would find this technique really useful. Thanks for considering it!

[@markforged]

@@nishanthtech447 Great idea! We actually have this topic on a list for future videos. Looks like we may need to prioritize it a little sooner. I'll ping you with an @ when we post it. Thanks again and feel free to send any other ideas you have our way.

[@nishanthtech447]

@@markforged Hey there! I've thoroughly reviewed your material list and specifications, and I'm really impressed with your capabilities. I was wondering if it would be possible for you to 3D print an electromagnet with multiple layers of spiral copper, starting from the corner and ending near the core, and then repeating the process. This design could potentially create an electromagnet with practical applications. I believe it's achievable due to your high micron level Z-axis accuracy. Additionally, utilizing 17-4PH Stainless Steel as the magnetic core for your electromagnets could further enhance their performance. I'm excited to see the possibilities that your expertise and technology can unlock! Keep up the great work!

[@markforged]

Hi @@nishanthtech447 - I may be misinterpreting your question but I don't believe this would be possible, as you can only print one material at a time.

[@yeetmeister0704]

Why not just slice from an step file?

[@Robinlarsson83]

Not all that many slicers can do that currently, and in any case, I'm 99% sure that those who can do so will convert the solid to a mesh anyway. Even Fusion 360 converts solids to meshes in the CAM environment, both for additive and subtractive methods. It doesn't really show it clearly, but it does do it. So, if you export to a mesh directly in CAD, you will potentially have more and better control over the quality of the mesh.

[@enyoc3d]

switched from cura to bambu slicer, and i only slice from STEP files now and never have facets

[@Robinlarsson83]

@@enyoc3d cool! I don't have problems with facets either, exporting my models from Fusion in 3MF, with a high resolution and slice in Cura 5. But I'll have to try out Bambu or the forked version of Bambu that I can't remember the name of now :P

[@yeetmeister0704]

@@Robinlarsson83 orca slicer is the best

[@youngplayboy786]

hello brother... I'm facing same issue but I'm using Solidedge 😑 very low quality of stl file. can you solve?

[@traceurAlex]

what about 3Mf files? what do you think and do you need to teawk the setting too? i been using it default and been working good

[@markforged]

That's a great question, and happy it's been working well for you. We'll add this one to the list for future videos.

[@firelion98]

3MF files for the win, they are smaller size and can share file settings in prusaslicer 10/10

[@markforged]

Adding this to our future videos list, thanks!

[@spayder26]

Guys, just get an slicer compatible with 3mf.

[@mostwantedmes]

Lets say you make the stl file from solid work ?

[@markforged]

Hi there! We have a text version of this which was created in SolidWorks - visit bit.ly/guide-to-stl-files

[@davidr488]

Hello, I am a design office engineer who uses 3D printing a lot. I don't understand why 3D printers only use this prehistoric STL format and not a vectorized format. It's as if the PDF did not exist for 3D printer developers, it's like the days of MS.DOS. Why printers can not import in a "civilized" format like STEP or IGES and then generate their own mesh taking into account their printing parameters? In machining, the machine mainly imports STEP. I guess there's a better technical explanation than that printer developer engineers are on average 80 years old and work in MS DOS ;-)

[@markforged]

We hear you - adding STEP is on our product roadmap. Stay tuned.

[@wargaelanorrr]

All other manufacturers have switched to 3mf or even Step format in their slicers. And everything is already irrelevant there!

[@TMS5100]

Why not step instead of stl?

[@markforged]

Eiger doesn't currently support step files

[@ageorgiev89]

Part one is over exaggerated. Nobody exports such low quality stl's

[@Themheals]

You can just choose high on the export

[@armandoibarra573]

Man, this guy is great at explaining everything. He learned it from @JhonoOfficial.

[@user-uz8bu2pj3h]

use .STEP