Getting started with 3D to Flat.
From a 3D file on your desktop to a printed, folded model, step by step.
Short answer
- Time
- About 10 minutes for a small model
- You need
- A 3D file, a printer, paper, scissors and glue
- Cost
- Free to try, one sample sheet per export
- Install
- Nothing. It runs in your browser
What do I need before I start?
A 3D model file in OBJ, STL, 3MF, binary FBX, GLB or glTF, a printer, some paper or card stock, scissors or a craft knife, and glue.
You do not need to install anything and you do not need an account to try it. Everything happens inside the browser tab you already have open.
If you do not have a model yet, free low poly models from any model library work well. Look for something under a few thousand triangles.
How do I load a model?
Open the studio and drag your file onto the drop area, or click it to browse. Files up to 50MB are accepted.
If your model came as several files, for example an OBJ with an .mtl file and texture images, put them all in one ZIP and drop the ZIP in. That keeps the colors attached.
Flattening starts automatically. Large or dense models take a few seconds longer because the mesh is simplified first.
How do I set the real world size?
In the Size and fit panel, type the finished height, width or depth you want, in millimeters or inches. Everything else follows that number.
Set the size before you export. The number of sheets, the size of every piece and the printed ruler all come from it.
For a wearable such as a helmet, measure the person first and add a little room for the thickness of the paper.
What should I check before printing?
Look for any piece highlighted in red, which means it does not fit the page, and use the Fix it button or move the piece yourself.
Flip through the sheets in the sheet selector to see how many pages the build will take. If it is more than you want, lower the finished size or simplify the model.
Click a piece in the 2D view and it lights up in the 3D view too, so you can always tell which part of the model you are looking at.
How do I print and build it?
Export the PDF, print it at 100% with fit-to-page turned off, cut the solid lines, fold the dashed lines and glue the tabs to the matching numbers.
The PDF includes an instruction section with a picture of the assembled model, a color key for each part and numbered steps, so you can build without the app open.
Free accounts export one watermarked sample sheet. Pro exports every sheet.
Try it with your own model
Nothing to install. Drop in a model and see your first template in seconds.
Open the studio