If you left click the 3D model, you can then manipulate it using the various vertically stacked icons on the left side of the application, including Move, Scale, Rotate, etc. The model should now appear on the virtual build plate within Cura. STL file directly into Cura or select File à Open File(s). Now that Cura is all set up, you can either drag and drop your. The most common nozzle size is 0.4 mm and the most common plastic filament diameter is 1.75 mm, but the dimensions of your hardware and material may vary. The other critical settings to verify are the “Nozzle size” and “compatible material diameter” under the “Extruder I” tab. This is the maximum printing volume your machine is capable of, which can be found on the manufacturer’s website or found in manuals. The key information to verify under the “Printer” tab are the X, Y, and Z dimensions of your print volume under “Printer Settings” (shown below). Enter all the settings for your specific printer. After establishing your model 3D printer, select Machine Settings. Select “Other” if your model is not listed. At this point, you should add the model of 3D printer that most closely resembles the model you will be using. All settings can be found in Preferences à Configure Cura, shown below.įrom here, select Printers à Add. If this is your first time using Cura, you will have to configure your 3D printer settings so that the software understands the parameters of your machine. The general layout of the application can be seen below. STL file has been downloaded, open up Cura. Select the download button to begin downloading the object in the form of a. You can also use the preview window to view the different 3D models.

Downloading STL Filesįirst navigate to and select the object you would like to download. Note, other versions of Cura or other slicing software packages may not share the exact same user interface, but the general steps for 3D printing a digital file should be applicable. This instructional will be specifically for the free software, Ultimaker Cura, version 3.4.1. The only software needed is a 3D printer slicing application. This document serves as an instructional write-up explaining how to download and 3D print text objects.

Free 3d printer files