Getting multiple objects in 3MF export?

I’m quite new to Shapr3D and currently testing it.
My goal is to design things that I can then export into a 3MF file to load that into my slicer software (Bambu Studio) and 3D print it.

For one of my first projects I went into sketch mode, draw some area, let’s say a rectangle. Exit sketch mode, extrude it a few mm upwards.
Now double tap on the top face to create a text onto it. Exit from sketch mode again and extrude the text 0,36 mm (for three layers of 0,12 mm later).

Export that to 3MF and I get just one single object in my slicer. :frowning:
Well, in my items list in Shapr3D I see that I have just one body. The base extruded rectangle and the text are one body.

So, question: How can I make these two bodies and/or export this to a 3MF (please no STL) file so that my slicer recognizes two objects, the base and the text? Because I want to print these two parts in two different colors.
(I know that I can paint a second color onto single faces in the slicer but that’s a tedious task for 3D text faces.)

Thanks so much!
Stefan-

Hi Stefan,
In this case, when you extrude, you want “new body” and not “union”. You can do this when you extrude the text (there is a little icon) or, you can edit history on your current single body. To edit history, open the panel (icon looks like a clock face) open the details of the second extrude, and change union to new body.

Either way you do it, there may be more than 2 bodies. If your text characters do not touch, you’ll get a new body for each character.

Let me know if you need a video to clarify.

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Awesome, @Bob3DPO, thanks so much for this valuable hint!
I got many new bodies, one for each letter, like you said. I grouped them in Shapr3D but in the exported 3MF each letter is a single object. That’s okay.
Or is there a way to have just two objects in the 3MF file, the base body and the text with all its letters? :flushed:

Bonus question, albeit off-topic: text objects aren’t really fully parameterized in Shapr3D, right? Editing the font, the size or even letters later in the design process doesn’t seem to be possible. Or am I missing something here, too? In the history it’s just a sketch consisting of many lines/splines/curves …

Hi Stefan,

One way I’ve used to “group” text for 3D printing is to make a small rectangular that is slightly shorter than the text. Then extrude this to be very thin; visualize a ribbon. Finally position that “ribbon” on the back side of the text and union it with all the text. Now you have a single object to export as .3mf. The reason to make it slightly shorter than when
this single object can be centered on something, it is the text that is centered.

Depending how you want to use your text, you can either “bury” (by at least the thickness of the ribbon) the text into another body; or you can slice off the ribbon in your slicer.

Having editable text is an often requested feature; you are not missing anything.

Another way to add text for 3D printing is to add it in your slicer. I’m not sure about Bambu Studio, but you can add text in PrusaSlicer. That text is editable, you can emboss in or out of the body, and it can wrap onto non flat surfaces. It is pretty neat!

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