Turn any 3D model into templates you can print, cut and build.
3D to Flat is a browser-based papercraft studio. It flattens your mesh into clean panels, adds the glue tabs and fold lines, packs everything onto your paper size, and hands back a print-ready file at exactly the scale you specified. Low poly models give the cleanest, quickest builds.
Drop a 3D model here
OBJ · STL · 3MF · FBX · GLB · glTF · ZIP · 50MB max
Nothing is uploaded. Everything runs in your browser.
Finished size
650 mm
Parts
6
Joins
61
Tab width
6 mm
Input formats
OBJ, STL, 3MF, FBX, GLB, glTF and ZIP load straight from your device.
Export formats
Vector-accurate PDF, SVG and DXF, ready to print or cut.
Printed scale
A printed ruler on every page lets you verify true size.
Files stay private
Unfolding runs in your browser. Your models never leave your device.
Watch a solid become a sheet
This is the real thing, not a picture: the model below is unfolded live in your browser with the same maths the studio uses. The parts are slightly separated so you can see how the solid splits into panels.
1 · The model, colored by part
Every line means something
- solid · Cut this line with a blade or scissors.
- dash-dot · Mountain fold, the paper bends away from you.
- dashed · Valley fold, the paper bends toward you.
- shaded · Glue tab. It hides underneath the piece it meets.
Matching numbers sit on both halves of every join, so part 3 edge 7 only ever meets the other edge 7.
Everything a build needs
The whole pipeline, geometry, layout and print, in one window.
True-to-scale sizing
Set the finished height, width or depth in millimeters or inches. Every printed piece measures exactly what you asked for, and a check ruler on each sheet proves it.
Intelligent seams
Cuts follow the sharpest creases, flat panels stay whole, and anything that would overlap on the page is re-cut automatically before you ever see it.
Tabs, folds and numbering
Glue tabs sized to the edge they serve, mountain and valley folds drawn apart, and matched join numbers so assembly runs in a sensible order.
Sheet packing
Parts are nested onto US Letter, A4, A3 or Tabloid inside your margins, rotating where it saves paper, using as few sheets as possible.
Live editing
Cut or rejoin an edge, drag and rotate parts, and watch the 3D model separate in real time as you work. Selection is linked between both views.
Production-ready export
PDF with registration marks, a printed ruler and a plain-language build guide. SVG for cutting machines. DXF for CAD and CNC.
From mesh to finished build
- 01
Load the model
Drop in OBJ, STL, 3MF, FBX, GLB or glTF, or a ZIP bundle with related files. Lighter, low poly meshes load fastest.
- 02
Set the real size
Type a target dimension or drag the scale bar, then fit the build to your paper stock.
- 03
Flatten and refine
The engine finds the seams. Cut, join, rotate and re-pack parts until the layout suits you.
- 04
Print and build
Export a tiled PDF, SVG or DXF with tabs, fold lines and numbered joins.
A sheet you can hand to a beginner
Every page carries registration corner marks, a printed check ruler, part labels and the join numbers referenced by the build guide. The PDF opens with a color legend and a numbered, plain-language step list, with no jargon and no guessing which flap goes where.
- Corner registration marks on every page
- 50 mm ruler to verify your printer scale
- Part labels (P1, P2…) matching the guide
- Numbered joins on both halves of a seam
- Full-color artwork when the model carries color
- Color legend printed with the template
Built for makers
Cosplay & prop makers
Helmets, pauldrons and weapons scaled to a body measurement.
Model & diorama builders
Terrain, vehicles and architecture at a fixed modeling scale.
Studios & set design
Fast, cheap physical mock-ups before committing to material.
Classrooms & workshops
Simplified templates with big tabs and step numbering.
Common questions
What does 3D to Flat do?
It unfolds a 3D model into flat pieces you can print, cut and glue back into the original shape. Load OBJ, STL, 3MF, binary FBX, GLB or glTF, or use a ZIP bundle for related files. Set the finished size, then export printable PDF, SVG or DXF sheets with glue tabs, fold lines and numbered joins.
Which 3D file formats can I unfold?
OBJ, STL, 3MF, binary FBX 7.x, GLB and glTF are supported. You can also use a ZIP containing a model and related material or texture files. ASCII FBX files are rejected, so re-export them as OBJ or binary FBX.
Can the sheets print in color?
Yes. Models that carry color, such as GLB, glTF, 3MF or an OBJ zipped with its materials and textures, print in full color under the cut lines, folds and tabs. You can also pick a flat color per material, or print plain outlines instead.
Will the printed model be the right size?
Yes, as long as your printer is set to 100% or actual size rather than fit-to-page. Every sheet prints a ruler in millimeters, centimeters and inches so you can check before cutting.
Do my models get uploaded?
No. Loading, unfolding, editing and exporting run in your browser. The only exception is a project you deliberately save to your account.
What kind of model works best?
Low poly models of roughly a few thousand triangles. Dense sculpts are simplified automatically, but fewer, larger flat faces always make a template that is quicker to cut and easier to build.
What does it cost?
The studio is free to use and the free plan exports one finished sample sheet. Pro unlocks every sheet and unlimited PDF, SVG and DXF export for $9 a month or $59 a year.
Key facts
- Input formats
- OBJ, STL, 3MF, binary FBX 7.x, GLB, glTF, ZIP
- Export formats
- PDF, SVG, DXF
- Paper sizes
- US Letter, A4, A3, Tabloid, custom
- Scale
- Real-world sizing in mm or inches, printed at 1:1
- Best with
- Low poly models, a few thousand triangles
- Price
- Free plan; Pro $9 per month or $59 per year
Keep reading
Open the studio and drop in a model.
Free to start. Models with a few thousand triangles or fewer flatten fastest and build best.
Start unfolding