# Texture export in STL/3MF
**URL:** https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/texture-export-in-stl-3mf/22744
**Category:** Feature requests
**Created:** [November 30, 2022, 7:12am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/texture-export-in-stl-3mf/22744 "2022-11-30T07:12:15Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@G.design](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/G.design)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2022, 7:12am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/texture-export-in-stl-3mf/22744/1 "2022-11-30T07:12:15Z")
I love the visualization tool and the textures! So it will be really nice if we can export these textures to a STL/3MF file format and 3D printing them š. Especially for metal looking designsā¦
It will be great if we can print this:
ā¦instead of this:
See my point?
Cheers
G.
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### Author:  [@Laci\_K](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Laci_K)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2022, 7:49am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/texture-export-in-stl-3mf/22744/2 "2022-11-30T07:49:11Z")
Hi,
Currently, Visualization doesnāt alter the geometry in any way. To print these finishes, it would need to change the model itself. So even if materials would be included in the export, the end product wouldnāt change.
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### Author:  [@G.design](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/G.design)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2022, 9:07am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/texture-export-in-stl-3mf/22744/3 "2022-11-30T09:07:52Z")
Exactly! The idea is to be possible the integration between the texture AND the model, so the model surfaces are changedā¦ This is more like production/prototyping oriented feature, but will be really amazing achievement.
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### Author:  [@Laci\_K](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Laci_K)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2022, 9:13am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/texture-export-in-stl-3mf/22744/4 "2022-11-30T09:13:05Z")
Itās possible we might explore that in the future, however keep in mind, that way you could end up with extremely complex geometry, very easily (an example, a fine mesh finish would generate thousands or even hundreds of thousands of faces immediately, bounded by splines and complex geometric surfaces), which would be very, very taxing even to move in the modelspace.
As easy as it sounds at first, itās actually a very complex challenge, so itās not on our roadmap at the moment.
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### Author:  [@G.design](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/G.design)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2022, 9:22am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/texture-export-in-stl-3mf/22744/5 "2022-11-30T09:22:11Z")
I know, itās challengingā¦ Just sharing my thoughts š. Iāll try to (and I will) find a workaround š. Thank you for your time, was a pleasure to talk!
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### Author:  [@Stephen](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Stephen)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2022, 1:56pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/texture-export-in-stl-3mf/22744/6 "2022-11-30T13:56:55Z")
You would need to generate bump maps for tha t finish, in a 3D modelling program such as ZBrush or other that have good 3D printing integration.
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### Author:  [@Matt\_the-Rathje](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Matt_the-Rathje)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2022, 3:00pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/texture-export-in-stl-3mf/22744/7 "2022-11-30T15:00:09Z")
Hi Georgi,
there is no need to kill your CAD-Performance with such a feature, when you can add such āTextureā in the last step before printing (Slicing):
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDOO1gUXfoI)
Ideamaker is a pretty good slicer, I used for several years until I switched to prusa-slicer and today I am using super-slicer (but working with STEP-Files directly - what is possible now in prusa-slicer - is very tempting to go back.).
Anyways - if you are willing to give Ideamaker a chance, let us know about the results.
HTH
Cheers Matt
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### Author:  [@G.design](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/G.design)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2022, 12:03pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/texture-export-in-stl-3mf/22744/8 "2022-12-02T12:03:48Z")
Thanks Matt! Iāll give it a try.