[Question] Can You Uncut A STL?

Is there a way to uncut/key a file? I want to print it all as one piece.

27 comments

Use blender, it's free and can easily merge stls.
- How would I go about doing this? Any tutorials you can point me to?
  
  Open stl #1 in blender, then open #2. Save it as a new stl.
  
  Open a new blender project. From the drop down menus along the top, Select open, import, import STL, then find your first stl in the file explorer. Repeat this to import the second stl. Drag and rotate both objects until they're lined up how you want them. Select both stls at the same time. Right click and select "merge". Then in the drop down menus, find export, export as STL. Save it as your new STL. Open this new stl in your preferred slicer program, and you're good to go!
Depending on which slicer you use, you can probably merge them as an assembly. I use Orca Slicer and after loading a model I can then right click on it and add an STL to it. Then it's a matter of positioning and lining them up. Once done you can slice it as one model.
- I'm using a resin printer so Orca won't work for me.
  
  I believe you can export as an STL from Orca Slicer, though I haven't done it myself. You'd basically merge the STLs in Orca, export, and then open the exported STL in the slicer of your choice.
Many cad packages will let you do a Boolean combine operation
- It's a model of a person, it was my understanding that cad programs don't do those well.
  
  Mesh lab might be an option. Fixing stls and other meshes is kinda what it does
@AlexanderTheGreat it's old and cranky, but Meshmixer is still something I use.

Let's you split and combine as well as align

https://meshmixer.com/
- I tried using it but it kept leaving pockets where the keys where. Even if I used turn solid.
  
  @AlexanderTheGreat have you tried 3D Builder on windows?
  
  I've found it to be complimentary to Meshmixer. It has a nice combine function to simplify complex models.
if the file is small enough you can throw it in tinkercad and merge it. Cura will let you print it as one file if you let it but you have to set it correctly.
- Unfortunately it's too big for tinker CAD
Before you mess with extra software try dragging all parts to the slice at one time. It should ask if they are parts of one object (orca does this) then select yes. They should all go into the right place, hopefully
Import the parts into the CAD software (e.g. Fusion360) and assemble them.

27 comments