Updating an STL in a 3mf project...
I have a 3mf project that contains a number of STL files. I have individually adjusted the print params for a few of the STLs (layer specific layer height changes, print speed changes, etc.) as well as made some 3mf wide layer specific adjustments. This all worked out VERY well, glad for the power/control!
I now need to update one of the STLs in this project file with a new/revised STL. How can I go about replacing the project STL with the new one but keeping all of the STL specific customizations? I don't see a way to copy the adjustments to a new STL. Do I simply edit the object's STL name (in the project list on the right), save the project and reload? Make sure the revised STL has the same name as the STL that is being replaced? Something else?
Thanks.
Best Answer by FoxRun3D:
To clarify: You tried to right click on the part and "replace STL" and this didn't work? Or you can click on the modifier in the parts list and copy it, then load the new STL and paste it on it. This should work in most cases. If not, maybe upload your 3mf project file (after zipping it) to see what's going on.
RE:
To clarify: You tried to right click on the part and "replace STL" and this didn't work? Or you can click on the modifier in the parts list and copy it, then load the new STL and paste it on it. This should work in most cases. If not, maybe upload your 3mf project file (after zipping it) to see what's going on.
Formerly known on this forum as @fuchsr -- until all hell broke loose with the forum software...
RE: Updating an STL in a 3mf project...
There are 3 options. You can right click the stl and use reload (if the name is the same). If its a different stl then the right click option you want is 'replace with stl'.
The third option is to load your new stl in and copy the modifiers over as Fuchsr suggested. This is done by selecting the modifier from the right hand tree and using cntl+c to copy and then clicking on the new stl in the tree and using cntl+v to paste. Just like in a word processor. You can copy the modifiers from one object to as many as you like using this method.
Some use the technique to create mini libraries of commonly used modifiers by assigning them to small objects marked as non printable and then saving the 3mf. You can load in the 3mf later as a template as the project will contain the 'library' objects as well as the profiles you had selected. Its a back door way of saving multiple favourite preferences.
One limitation though to ALL the options is that painted areas are NOT preserved. This is due to how those work internally. When you paint a model its essentially marking which triangles should be painted from a long list. This list is always reset when a part is loaded/reloaded. Thats something you have to get used to and why painting to define anything should always be the last step in your workflow.
RE: Updating an STL in a 3mf project...
OK, the way the right side was showing the objects AND the [right-click] option names was throwing me off. The base object was named for the STL and it contained a child tree object with the same name. I did not "get" that the top level object was/is an all inclusive thing and not the actual STL (even though it is named such).
Right-clicking on the child (the actual STL) STL object and selecting "Replace with STL" did what I wanted to do. I don't think I would have named it that. The "with" caused me to read that as the current object was not an STL but I could replace it with one which is not what I thought I wanted. I wanted to replace the root STL, which was not my STL any more.
I might would suggest that label be renamed "Update/Replace STL", but that is just me.
Thanks much, that got me going!
RE: Updating an STL in a 3mf project...
Just to add some additional info. If you open the 3mf file with 7-zip you can then go to the Metadata directory and open the Slic3r_PE_model.config you can change the name of the top level (parent) stl that is displayed in the slicer. Here is part of the line just replace ? with whatever name you want. <metadata type="object" key="name" value="???????.stl"/>