I am relatively new to the 3D printing game, so I hope I am not misstating anything in this feature request.
Currently all the models available for download seem to be STL files which are terrible and always have errors.
I use PrusaSlicer and save my models as 3MF files and plan to upload the ones that I create as PrusaSlicer projects (3MF) files so that they include all the metadata along with the mesh so that users will have known settings to print with. I believe moving from STL to 3MF would solve many of the problems with sharing printable models.
However, the other problem with sharing STL files is that loading a mesh into a CAD program for modification or using it as a basis for a new model is difficult, not accurate, etc. Currently the best way I know of to share a CAD model is to use a STEP file.
I would like 3MF files to carry the STEP representation of the 3D model either instead of or in addition to the mesh. Prusa Slicer, and probably others, already allow slicing from a STEP file instead of from a mesh. I am not an expert, but I imagine that this lets the person slicing choose how accurate their print will be because the STEP object is dimensionally accurate while the mesh is only an approximation with its accuracy determined when it was generated.
I believe that at some time in the future all slicers will be able to use STEP objects and saving triangles will be unnecessary.
I am relatively new to the 3D printing game, so I hope I am not misstating anything in this feature request.
Currently all the models available for download seem to be STL files which are terrible and always have errors.
I use PrusaSlicer and save my models as 3MF files and plan to upload the ones that I create as PrusaSlicer projects (3MF) files so that they include all the metadata along with the mesh so that users will have known settings to print with. I believe moving from STL to 3MF would solve many of the problems with sharing printable models.
However, the other problem with sharing STL files is that loading a mesh into a CAD program for modification or using it as a basis for a new model is difficult, not accurate, etc. Currently the best way I know of to share a CAD model is to use a STEP file.
I would like 3MF files to carry the STEP representation of the 3D model either instead of or in addition to the mesh. Prusa Slicer, and probably others, already allow slicing from a STEP file instead of from a mesh. I am not an expert, but I imagine that this lets the person slicing choose how accurate their print will be because the STEP object is dimensionally accurate while the mesh is only an approximation with its accuracy determined when it was generated.
I believe that at some time in the future all slicers will be able to use STEP objects and saving triangles will be unnecessary.