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Table Of Contents
How to Create and Obtain Physical Models
The following diagram illustrates, from begining to end, the basic steps of
creating and obtaining a physical model:
To ensure successful printing of your 3D
model, you may need to make some adjust-
ments to your drawing.
Prepare your 3D model
You must select the 3D solids you want to
print.
Select the 3D solids you want to print
Only the 3D solids you select are printed,
even if there are others in your drawing.
You must save your drawing as an STL file.Save your drawing as an STL file
3D printing service providers require that
your drawing be saved in this format.
After you do this, no other dialog boxes
display in AutoCAD as part of the 3D
printing process.
You must select a 3D printing service pro-
vider. When making your decision carefully
Select a service provider
consider cost, materials, and minimum re-
quirements.
For a list of Autodesk-approved 3D printing
service providers, see the Autodesk 3D
Printing website.
After you select a 3D printing service pro-
vider, follow the directions on their website
to obtain your model.
Send the STL file to your service provider
To send a model to a 3D printing service
1 Open the DWG file that contains the 3D model you wish to print.
2 Optimize your model for 3D printing.
3 Click the Output tab 3D Print panel Send to 3D Print Service.
4 In the 3D Printing - Prepare Model for Printing dialog box, click Continue.
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