Concept To Finished 3D Print

There are 2 main steps to take your idea from concept to finished item. For each step, there are free and open source software options available.

. The first step is creating a file that defines the object you want to print. You can create the “stereo lithography” – or .stl – file using one of a number of simple (and not so simple) 3D modeling programs.

Or, you can download a wide range of “pre-built” item files from sites like Thingiverse.

. The second step is to use that definition file and print the item. That part is covered in the next page,