Preparing an Object for 3D Printing with Makerbot Print

Once you have a completed design and are ready to 3D print, you'll use the Makerbot Print software to prepare the object for 3D printing.

The Makerbot Print software is free and can be downloaded or accessed from the web (CloudPrint). Note that the online version requires that you create a Makerbot account.

For this module, we'll focus on the online version since you may be using Chromebooks in the field or may be unable to install the desktop application on your machine.

Import Your Design and Select Printer Model

Once you've created an account and have signed in, you will need to import the object you exported from sites such as Thingiverse or Tinkercad.

Select the "Print Preparation" option from the top toolbar.
Select "Import."
Select "File."
Browse to the location of your file on your machine.

After your file has been imported, select the right printer model to ensure your design does not extend beyond the Sketch's dimensions. Select "Sketch" from the printer type dropdown at the top of the screen.

Screenshot of Makerbot Cloudprint printer selection menu.

CloudPrint Toolbar

At the bottom of the window you'll find the toolbar. This contains helpful options to help you arrange, orient, and resize components. The "smart" tools are especially useful if you have more than one part or object being printed at once.

Screenshot of Cloudprint toolbar, including smart arrange, smart orient, center, place face, rotate, move, and scale.

Settings

All other settings available can be found on the right side of the screen. Screenshot of Makerbot Cloudprint settings menu.

In many cases, you will be able to leave these on their default settings and still print successfully.

Print Mode: Leaving this on "Balanced" mode will work for most prints.
Quick Settings
- Layer Height: This will adjust the thickness of each filament layer. Thicker layers will print faster but have reduced quality. Thinner layers will improve quality but increase print time.
- Infill Density: This is how solid or how hollow the object will be. A lower infill density will decrease print time, but also reduce durability. Higher infill densities increase durability but increase print time.
- Number of Shells: This is the number of outer walls the printer will add to your object. More shells means increased durability but also increased print time.
Support Type: If your design needs support material, you should use this drop down and select "Breakaway - Model Material." Remember that it is best to avoid the use of support material if possible since it can be difficult to remove and it uses more filament. Use the "Smart Orient" tool in the toolbar to ensure your objects are optimally oriented.
Base Layer: In nearly all cases, this drop down should be set to "Raft." Including a raft helps ensure the object remains stationary during printing. The raft is meant to be removed once printing is completed.

More Settings: This option will let you get into the finer details of the Makerbot software. You likely won't need to use the settings here, but if you encounter print quality issues or need to fine tune the settings for a special case, take a look here.

Export for 3D Printer

Once your design has been arranged, oriented, and sized and you've determined what printer settings to use, it is time to export the design to the printer so it can be printed.

In the top right corner of the window, first select "Print Preview" to ensure everything looks correct. This will play an animation of how the object will be printed layer-by-layer. You will also be provided with an estimated amount of time to print and amount of material required. It should be noted that objects tend to take longer to print than what the estimate states.

Screenshot of Makerbot Cloudprint print preview and export options.

If print preview does not raise any issues, then select the red "Export" button. This will let you export your design as a Makerbot file, which is readable by the 3D printer. This file should be saved to a USB Drive that can then be connected to the 3D printer.