Whether you’re looking to invent the next big thing or just want to make yourself something cool to decorate your desk, 3D printing can help. 3D printing makes creation more accessible than ever, lowering the barrier of entry for both cost and expertise so that anyone with a 3D printer can prototype, design, and create just about anything.
But, a 3D printer can’t just automatically know what you’re looking to create – it requires in-depth, specific instructions to ensure that what you see digitally is what you get physically. These instructions come in the form of a model file – perhaps the most important aspect of 3D printing.
What’s a Model File?
Just like telling the waiter what you want to order to eat, your 3D printer also needs to be told what you want it to produce. These instructions define what the waiter brings – or what our physical object looks like after printing is completed – and are essential to achieving the desired result. However, we cannot verbally describe to the 3D printer what we’re looking for. This is where the model file comes in.
A model file is a digital representation of a 3-dimensional object in a computer program, which provides the 3D printer with instructions on how to recreate the model on the file with a tangible product. From this file, which can be generated through computer-aided modeling (CAM) software in a variety of formats, the printer receives the instructions that determine what the final product will look like. It includes broad and fine details that are essential to ensuring that the object’s size, shape, color, and other physical features are created as intended and match what you see on your computer. Acting as the “language” between human and printer, without a model file the printer would not be able to operate because it would not know what to create or how to create it.
