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Getting into the hobby of 3D printing can be a great pastime but certain aspects can be a little tricky. This guide will help you bring your designs from the Fusion 360 to the real world. This process is fairly simple but there are a few ways to go about it depending on your end goals. Before diving into either method confirm your model has the correct dimensions for your 3D printer to avoid future headaches. Before we start you may be wondering what an STL. file is. An STL. file stands for "Standard Triangle Language" this type of file is able to read and translate 3D geometry.

  1. 1

    Open your design in Fusion 360. For this method, your entire design file will be converted into an STL. file. This means every design body.

    • Check your design for impossible angles, overhanging parts, and dimensional accuracy.
    • Note:Converting a design into a printable STL will save two versions of the file one as an STL file and one will remand as a design file

  2. 2

    Open the file tab and select the export option. Locate the paper emblem in the top left corner of Fusion 360 to access the drop-down menu while in the drop-down locate export and right-click.

    • Note: If your design file is not already saved you can save the file to ensure your work is safe. This can be done by accessing the file drop-down menu and clicking on the "save as tab". For most users, Fusion will autosave design files.

  3. 3

    Name your design file. This will help keep your designs organized and easy to track in the future.

    • In the naming, avoid using periods as this can confuse the program in later steps
    • Spaces and underscores are allowed if necessary.
    • It is recommended to add labels such as version 1 or v1 to help organize prototypes and changes made to a design

  4. 4

    Select STL files under the "Type:" tab. In the drop-down menu under the "Type" tab scroll down to locate the STL Files (*STL) option.

  5. 5

    Allow the software to convert the design into an STL file. This process may take a few moments as fusion 360 converts and uploads the file to the cloud.

    • Note:Fusion 360 is a cloud-based software meaning uploading times are dependent on your internet speed and the size of your file.

  6. 6

    Open the 3d printing software of your choice. At this point, the design file will be able to be sliced and printed.

  1. 1

    While your design is open in Fusion 360, locate the body folder on the left-hand side of your screen and click the "Save As Mesh" option.

    • To ensure you are selecting the correct body, deselect the other bodies within the body folder.
    • This method will only save the selected body as an STL. file.
    • Note: The body that will be converted will be highlighted.

  2. 2

    Select either STL. option under the format option. When in the save as mesh pop-up window the object that you are saving will highlight in blue. Check to make sure this is the case before saving.

    • STL (ASCII) and STL (Binary) will both have the same end results for 99% percent of designs.
    • STL (Binary) will save a slightly smaller file.
    • Note: STL (ASCII) is an older version of STL files and will not save design color. For your use of STL. files there is no need for color as it will not register in Slicer programs.

  3. 3

    Name and save the file to a location on your computer you can easily access later. While there is no mandatory location to save your STL, avoid using the desktop as it can become hard to organize as you collect more STL files.

    • Name the selected body and note what design it belongs to.
    • Example: DESIGN1 BODY1
    • Note: No internet connection is required for this method because you are only selecting a single part from a larger design. This will allow for much quicker download times compared to saving the whole design file.

  4. 4

    Locate the open file in your slicer of choice and upload. Your single body STL. will load and you can begin the process of printing.

    • By opening multiple single body STL. files It will be possible to orientate different bodies within the same print.

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