Files and models

Which file formats can I use?

What goes in, what comes out, and what to do with a file that is not accepted.

Short answer

In: OBJ, STL, 3MF, binary FBX 7.x, GLB, glTF, ZIP
Out: PDF, SVG, DXF
Max size: 50MB per file
Not accepted: PDO, ASCII FBX, STEP, BLEND, native CAD files

Which formats can I load?

OBJ, STL, 3MF, binary FBX 7.x, GLB and glTF, plus a ZIP containing one of those together with its material and texture files.

STL: geometry only, no color. Prints as line work with color-coded parts.
OBJ: geometry, and color when zipped with its .mtl file and texture images.
3MF, GLB and glTF: carry color and material data on their own.
FBX: binary version 7.x only. An older ASCII FBX is rejected with a message.

How do I keep the colors and textures?

Use a format that stores color inside one file, such as GLB, glTF or 3MF, or ZIP your OBJ together with its .mtl file and its texture images and drop the ZIP in.

Color is printed underneath the cut lines, folds and tabs. You can turn printed color off for plain outlines, or set a flat color per material if you would rather save ink.

An STL has no color information at all, so no export setting can recover it. Convert the model to GLB or OBJ with textures if color matters.

My file is not accepted. What now?

Open it in your modeling program and export it again as OBJ, STL or GLB. Nearly every tool can write one of those.

Pepakura .pdo files cannot be read, because they are that program's own saved-project format rather than a 3D model. Export the original model instead.

CAD formats such as STEP or IGES describe surfaces mathematically rather than as triangles. Convert them to STL or OBJ in your CAD tool first, using a medium tessellation setting.

Is there a file size limit?

Yes, 50MB per file. Oversized files are rejected as soon as you drop them, with the detected size shown.

File size is rarely the real constraint. Triangle count matters more. A 5MB dense sculpt can be harder to unfold usefully than a 40MB low poly scene.

Try it with your own model

Nothing to install. Drop in a model and see your first template in seconds.

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