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How does 3D software work?

3D Printing Help Centre

3D PRINTING HELP CENTRE

In the 123-3D help centre, we answer all your questions about 3D software and printer settings, problems you may experience during or after 3D printing and other 3D-related topics.

How does 3D software work?

Before you start 3D printing, you need the right software. The different phases of 3D printing all require their own software. But how does this software work?

3D modelling software

You need design software for planning and producing 3D objects. A 3D design consists of a number of points at the x, y and z coordinates. The more detailed the object you want to print, the more points the design will contain. With 3D design software, you can view design from multiple angles to see if the design is complete including: front, side, top and perspective views. 


The design you have drawn using the 3D design software from different points is saved as a CAD file. However, this file does not yet contain any geometric information about the file. For this, you need to convert the file to an STL file. Also, see our page about 3D modelling software.

Slicer software

To actually have your design produced by your 3D printer, you need software that can divide the STL file into layers. You do this using the slicer software. The created layers are sent to your printer in G code. The G code consists of the printing instructions for your 3D printer and, in addition to information about the design, also contains information about the material, the printing temperature, the infill percentage and the layer thickness. See our page about 3D software settings for the most important set-up information.  

3D printer host software

The 3D printer host software is the software you need to connect the printer to your computer. It is common for the slicer software and the 3D printer host software to be bundled in the same 3D printer software. With this software, you can also manually operate your 3D printer via the interface. Useful software for this is provided by Repetier-Host and ReplicatorG.

Do you have another question?

Have you not been able to find the answer to your question in the overview above? At 123-3D.co.uk we are busy with 3D printing every day and we like to follow every development. We are happy to share the knowledge and experience that we have built up over the years with you in our 3D printing help centre!

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