NWA3D
A5
User
Manual
5.
Operation:
The
Four
Steps
of
3D
Printing
3D
printing
involves
these
four
steps:
1.
Create
a
3D
file
(Make)
2.
Slice
the
file
for
3D
printing
(Slice)
3.
Send
the
file
to
the
printer
(Transfer)
4.
Select
the
file
on
the
printer
(Print)
1. Create
or
find
a
3D
file
a. You
can
create
a
3D
model—a
digital
geometry—using
any
CAD
(computer-
aided
design)
software
program.
We
recommend
free
programs,
such
as
TinkerCAD
and
OnShape
.
Autodesk’s
Fusion360
is
free
to
students.
Another
is
SketchUp
,
which
has
free
licenses
available
for
schools.
These
programs
take
some
time
to
learn,
and
can
be
challenging.
But
they
are
also
rewarding,
especially
when
you
see
your
own
creation
being
printed
on
your
3D
printer!
Every
CAD
program
allows
users
to
save
or
export
digital
files
for
3D
printing.
You
want
to
save
your
file
as
an
STL
file
(“filename.stl”).
The
STL
file
is
the
standard
file
format
for
3D
printing.
In
some
programs,
it’s
as
easy
as
the
Save
command.
In
others,
you
need
to
select
the
File
>
Export
option,
and
choose
the
STL
format.
OBJ
files
can
also
be
sliced
and
3D
printed.
b. You
can
find
3D
models
in
many
online
libraries
of
digital
content.
Thingiverse
,
GrabCAD
,
and
Instructables
are
examples,
and
many
other
sites
exist.
2. Slice
the
file
for
3D
printing
Video
Tutorial:
How
to
set
up
Cura
3.1
Slicing
is
the
process
of
converting
your
3D
model
into
the
layered
language
your
printer
can
understand,
called
G-Code.
We
recommend
using
free,
open-source
slicer
programs.
Our
favorite
slicers
are
Ultimaker
Cura
and
Repetier
Host.
Both
are
free
and
easy
to
use.
We’ve
included
Cura
and
its
setup
profile
on
your
printer’s
SD
card
because
it’s
easier
for
beginners.
For
beginning
users,
we
recommend
that
you
install
Cura
on
a
single
PC
or
Mac
and
use
it
to
do
your
slicing.
There
are
a
lot
of
slicers
that
will
create
G-Code
automatically
for
your
printer.
All
you
have
to
do
is
input
the
correct
settings
for
your
printer
(using
the
files
we
included),
import
your
3D
model,
and
save
the
G-Code.
It’s
that
easy!
©
2018
NWA3D
LLC
9