Here are some of the most common causes of the non-manifold error and how to fix them. Below you'll find a written description, but if you prefer a visual aid, you can check this video for help.
1. Merging intersecting volumes: When combining 2 or more intersecting volumes, you must use the Stitch and Scoop (Boolean) tools to resolve the intersections. You can merge or group non-intersecting objects without any problems, but if they intersect, you need to use the Boolean tool, or you will get a non-manifold geometry. This also means you need to ungroup all intersecting objects before using Union.
2. Flipped normals: Stitch and Scoop will wrongly calculate the object's volume when one or more intersecting objects have flipped normals. You can turn on the Backface Coloring display to see if an object has flipped normals and then use the Flip Normals tool to correct them as needed.
3. Touching instead of interesting: Stitch and Scoop can create wrong outputs when working with objects that only touch and do not intersect. The solution is to scale one of the objects, even by just a fraction to make them intersect, use Stitch and Scoop, and then scale it down if needed. Using different colors for each volume can be helpful, so you can later use the material selection to select and scale back that part.
4. Connecting edges without volume: The entire object must have a connected volume, and edge-only connections are considered non-manifold. Edit Details tools are great for manually fixing problematic intersections (if you can find the problem), while MagicFix can automatically fix the entire object. It's not perfect and will not yield the same nice output, but it's a quick and easy fix for most such issues.
5. Missing faces: Every object must be completely closed to calculate its volume; if you have missing faces, you can use the Fill polygon tool to close them. If you are also missing edges, you can use the Edit Details tools to add the missing edges and thereby close the volume.
6. Self-intersecting faces: Backface Coloring can help find self-intersections. In some cases, you can manually correct them; others may need MagicFix to rebuild them.
7. Duplicated vertices: The volume on an object must be watertight, which means that each connecting edge must share the same vertex with all other connecting edges so that you can’t move one vertex without simultaneously moving the other connecting edges. You can use the Geometry Clean remove Duplicate tool, to solve such problems.
If you're using Windows, you can find your files in the following folder:
C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\SelfCAD Editor\files
*If you can't find the AppData folder, you need to open the View menu at the top and enable the option to show Hidden items.
And if you're using Mac, you can find them here:
~/Library/Application Support/SelfCAD Editor/files
Oftentimes, we get emails from our users asking why does Chamfer and/or Fillet break the topology of the object. This FAQ will answer that question by pinpointing what causes this issue, providing a solution, and a piece of advice on how to avoid similar issues in your future projects. Down below, you will find an image of the model that will serve as an example to showcase the issue and how to fix it.
Identifying the cause
Let’s start with identifying the cause of the issue. The most common reason as to why the Chamfer and Fillet will break the model when you attempt to use them is the geometry, and more precisely, complex geometry. Both of these tools will split and move the edges of the object, and the issues will start when there is no place to move those edges or when other edges will block their path.
One of the most common reasons as to why the topology would look like that is the Stitch & Scoop, or the Boolean as you might know it, but there are other ways in which you could achieve such outcomes, and most of them involve the direct modification of the topology. However, the why is not important right now. Instead, let’s focus on how to fix this.
A piece of advice
But before we got onto that, allow me to give you a piece of advice that might save your projects in the future, one so that you will not need such help in the first place. Generally, it's a good practice to create and design your model, and only then to tinker with its topology. In this instance, it means that you should use the Chamfer and/or Fillet before using the Stitch & Scoop or other tools that heavily impact the geometry of the object.
Fixing Resolution
The first step is to clear out the unnecessary detail by setting the Resolution of the object to 0. If you are lucky, this step alone will take care of the problem, but as you can see in the image above, there are still fragments that will clash with Chamfer and Fillet.
Adding Inset
The tool that will fix the leftover issues is Inset. It will create a loop of edges inside the model, which will create some much-needed distance between the edges, so Chamfer and Fillet will have enough space to apply their modification without intersecting with other edges. Of course, you have to pay attention so you won’t break the geometry with the Inset as well, which is something that you have to measure with your eyes.
At this point, you should be able to use both tools without breaking the model. As you can see in the image above, the edges moved far enough so that both Fillet and Chamfer managed to apply their modifications without breaking the topology. The model in the back showcases the Chamfered Edge Loop and the one up front, the Filleted Edge Loop.
You have to start with opening the Material Section located in the right-side panel.
It will open a separate panel on the left where you can customize all texture-related options. We will focus on the second section dedicated to Textures. To add a custom texture, you have to select the Custom option from the drop-down list and then upload with the Add button.
The texture will automatically wrap around the object, but that doesn't mean that you can't change that. For that, is the third section called Mapping, where you can tweak how the texture will cover the object. We'll soon add more Mapping options.
The Image to 3D tool works based on the contrast between colors, and it will remove darker pieces to cut out from a block. You can also reverse this with the Flip Background option to transform only the darker pieces into a 3D model.
We are working on this feature and will add it very soon!
Yes. You can download your objects by selecting the Export option from the File drop-down menu. Once the Export popup window appears, simply select the desired downloading format. The feature is not available for Free Account users. However, as a Free Account user, you can export your models for free to MyMiniFactory and later download your model from there.
Yes. You can use the free-hand drawing and sketching tools of SelfCAD to create furniture easily from scratch. Or you can also draw your model and import it to SelfCAD and trace around it using the drawing tools and later turn the drawing into a 3D model. Please see this video tutorial to learn more.
We would love to hear from you! Contact us at info@selfcad.com.
There are two limits. The first is the limit of faces. You can import objects with a maximum of million faces, and if the object has more than that, the software will simplify it during import. The second limit is your browser's memory limit per tab. In Chrome, for example, this limit is 4GB.
Yes!
You can make them in "Copy Offset" tool in Tools (shortcut: T+O).
Macros are simple scripts that can make your life easier. For example, you can copy an object 50 times to form a neat pattern or make a staircase with one click.
Here is a video demonstrating how to use macros in SelfCAD.
To synchronize your projects between the browser and the desktop, you need to use the desktop version with cloud storage. It is one of two options available for you after selecting your system on our download page. It saves your projects on the same storage as the browser version, allowing you to access both your projects in the browser and on the desktop.
In SelfCAD we have two types of objects - meshes and profiles. The basic difference between them is that meshes are composed of polygons and profiles are actually sets of edges. It means that the profiles have no volume and you cannot print them but you can use them to model many interesting printable meshes.
a) How can I create a Profile?
You can create profiles either by drawing them yourself in 3D Sketch or since each profile is composed of edges, you can easily copy them from the already ready mesh.
Please watch this video. If what you are doing doesn't look quite right, you can manually change the anchor point by picking 'Manual Gizmo Position' in 'Advanced Settings' in 'Bend'. Put the point in the place you want your object to bend towards.
Yes, we have a dedicated Sculpting tool for organic modeling.
Find 'Export' in 'Files' then choose the format of the model you would like to export your design in.
If you try to export more than one object at the same time, you'll get a zip file with the extension you chose of every object you exported.
If you want to export your group as one object, you need to Group them. There's however a danger that this will merge them, once you import them into another 3D modeling program.
1. Go to Tutorials and select an Interactive Tutorial you wish to follow.
2. If you have a generated URL, simply head to the link.
3. Activate Tutorial and follow the step indicated under “Recorded Step”. Make sure to watch out for which specific tool is highlighted. All other functions will be unavailable.
4. You can also check Action Details for additional tips and notes.
You can access the panel and assign the licenses in the following steps:
1. Head on to the License Portal tab on our website.
2. Click on the "Show keys list" icon.
3. Click on the "Grant license to user" icon.
4. Type in the email address of the student, and click "Apply".
Once you assign a license to a user, you can remove it at any time and assign it to someone else. To do that, you have to locate the License Key in the License Portal and click on the "Remove license key from user" icon.
SelfCAD users can access the MyMiniFactory library, which consists of over 30,000 ready-to-print objects. Simply download the object you want from MyMiniFactory within the SelfCAD application (you will need a separate MyMiniFactory account). You have access to thousands of amazing objects without having to create them from scratch.
You can check out this video to learn more.
Most likely your browser is blocking the downloading of multiple files. Please check your browser settings.
To cut away some parts of the model, use the selection tools to select the part(s) and use the Chamfer tool found in the modify section of the toolbar. To chamfer the whole object, turn off the fill polygon option in the fill settings of the Chamfer tool. Check out this video to learn more.
To zoom in and out: Switch to camera zoom mode (located in the camera function’s top panel). You can then use your mouse’s scroll toggle, use your laptop’s trackpad (move two fingers up and down), or the + and - keys on your keyboard to zoom in and out. To move/pan camera: Switch to camera pan mode (located in the camera function’s top panel). You can then press down scroll on your mouse and move the mouse (if available) or simply use the top/bottom/left/right keys on your keyboard to pan. For a complete overview see understanding the camera in computer graphics.
Please check if the objects are grouped Group is considered as one object hence UVs are changing for all its parts.
Click and drag to rotate the camera. Using two fingers with the correct technique, you can also move the camera up and down and zoom in and out. Try using the rotation cube to easily get certain angle views.
SelfCAD supports the following file formats for fonts:
- .TTF
- .ODF
Use the Difference option of the stitch and scoop tool. You can watch this video to learn more.
There are two ways to delete projects.
The first one is directly from the projects, right after launching the application. Then, you have to select the project you want to delete and expand the settings by clicking on the three dots in the top right corner of the project and hitting delete.
The second option is to access the projects list from the application when you're already working on a project. In this instance, you should select the My Projects option from the File menu. It will direct you to the list shown above, and from there, you can delete projects the same way as before. The only difference between those two options is that with this option, you cannot delete the project you're currently working on. So if you want to delete it, you should either switch to a different project and then delete it or restart the application and delete it that way.
To download your models, you can click on File>export then choose the file format you need. If you have trouble finding the Export option, you can check this link for details.
Unfortunately, SelfCAD does not work in the Firefox private window. The application requires a feature called IndexDB to work properly, and the private window in Firefox disables it.
To avoid the issue, please reload the application in the standard window or try the private mode in another browser. Chrome and its Incognito Mode, for example, allows the IndexDB to work correctly.
Currently, we support only the most common file formats: STL (binary and text format), MTL, PLY, DAE, and SVG. We plan to add support for additional file formats soon, of a series of plugins.
In truth, you can use any image for the Alpha map (you can see it showcased in Sculpting here and in Image To 3D here). However, it will be converted into grayscale, so it is advised to use images that have a clear contrast between light and dark colors, as it will make it easier for the software to recognize the patterns.
We have a specific Image to 3D tool for that purpose.
We do. We have dedicated desktop applications for both Windows and Mac. What's more, you can choose, for both versions, whether you want to save your projects on your hard drive (local storage) or if you want to store them in the cloud (this version allows you to access all your projects both from the desktop and the application in the browser).
Please test it with MyMiniFactory plugin - you can import any STL file uploaded there to your current project.
Yes! Select your object and click at 'Material', between 'Color' and 'Opacity'. You'll find a selection of default textures there and an option to import your own.
Please see this video to learn more.
It is possible to import SVG files to SelfCAD (check this link for the full list of supported file formats), and yes, you could create 3D models based on them.
SVG files are 2D images, and by importing them, you will import profiles into the application. Once it's done, you can transform the profiles into 3D models.
You can try to place them next to each other by using the Move tool or use the Align tool. Check out this step-by-step guide to learn more.
Marquee selection is our name for the click-and-drag selection, also known as the drag-select. You can right-click at any point in the workspace and drag the cursor over the objects to select them.
We have a short video explaining how it works. You can find it here.
Right now, we don't offer such file formats, but we intend to add support for them in the future.
The best way to go about it is to export an STL file from SelfCAD to either an online converter or another software that supports T-spline/CAD file format.
Select the part of the object you want to cut either by Marquee selection or by using Cube Selection and then choose 'Split' in 'Utilities'.
In general, there are two options for that.
The first option applies only to primitives - during the customization of each object, you have the option to increase the number of segments creating the object, which will smooth out the curved surfaces when possible. However, it's not perfect, as even the smaller faces will not give you the perfectly round look you might be looking for. In such cases, look at the second option.
The second option relies on changing the display of the object to make it appear completely smooth. You can do that by enabling the Smooth display option for the entire object, but this way, you will lose all the sharp edges of the object.
To avoid that, it's much better to select the part of the object you want to smooth out first (in the case of this cylinder, we want just to smooth the horizontal faces), enter the Materials section, and enable the Smooth Shading for the selected part, and decrease the Shinines as well for the best effect.
To use Cut with Profile, you have to position the profile on the surface of the object, select them both and then enable the tool. You can watch this video for a visual explanation.
There are two requirements for the operation to be successful:
1. The profile must lie flat on the surface of the object.
2. The profile must be closed.
*Please note that Cut with Profile was designed to cut profiles on flat surfaces. You can still use it on bent surfaces, but the processing time might be too long. In such cases, it's much better to use a different approach. Have a look at this video to learn how to make cuts on curved surfaces.
There are two methods: either by using the Text tool in 3D Sketch or in the FreeHand in Drawing. We would recommend using FreeHand for the best result. Just go to the Drawing -> FreeHand and choose Text, write your text, and confirm the changes. Now you can scale it, put it on your model and Merge, Group, or use Union to attach it to your model.
If you see this error, you should either update your GPU driver or disable the GPU Acceleration option in the settings:
1. Select Record Tutorial from the Tools panel.
2. Under Controls, click Edit.
3. You can either paste a listed URL or upload a downloaded Interactive Tutorial from your device.
4. Once imported, you can simply change, add, or edit the descriptions on anything that will not break the Interactive Tutorial.
You do not have to paste the object to the editor.
Copying the object, either with the Ctrl + C shortcut or with the Copy button, will create and add the copy to the scene.
The copy and the original will intersect, which might seem confusing at first, but you will find the copy as a separate object in the Object Management Panel.
Such restrictions are a result of the size of your workspace. Each time you create a new project, you can set up the Workspace Size, which will determine the maximum size of the models, so it's good practice to set it all beforehand. But, if you're already in the middle of the project, you can head on to the Settings drop-down list and select Workspace Settings, where you'll find all the options related to the customization of the workspace, including its size.
Unfortunately, you can't open an unfinished tutorial, so make sure you complete it in one sitting. If you close the application, you will have to start over.
Unfortunately, we do not have a tool that will automatically calculate the volume or the surface area, but there are ways to do that.
The first option you could think of is by using the Scale tool and calculating the volume based on the measurements, but I'd advise against that in most cases. SelfCAD uses the concept of the bounding box to measure the size, so any measurement of an object that isn't a cube will not be precise.
But when you want to measure more complex shapes and be as precise as possible, you could use the Measurement or the Guides tool. They are very similar to each other, as they allow you to measure the edges of the model, with just one difference. The Measurements allows you to measure and display the length of a single edge at a time, while Guides will highlight all measured edges and hover the measured length on top of it.
Yes, you can. We have a specific option that allows you to Share by URL, and you will find it in the User Options in the top panel. Naturally, it won't work if you didn't select any model to Share.
Clicking on it will open a panel where you can customize the object name, description, and even tags that will be visible for anyone looking at the model. Once it's all done, you can Generate URL and share it.
Once you get the URL, the shared object will become visible on the My Objects page, from which you can publish it in our 3D Models library or list it in your personal library.
1 SelfCAD unit = 1 mm when the object is sliced and printed.
You can watch this video tutorial to learn more about the measurement tool.
After drawing your model, use the fill polygon tool to convert the drawing into a 3D model. You can then use the Add thickness tool to add more. Check out this Gif to learn more.
Click the ‘Reset Camera’ icon (located in the camera function’s top panel) or press Ctrl + 0. Check out this video to learn more.
3D Print gives you access to SelfCAD's slicer.
The first thing you will see after clicking 3D Print is the preview, where you can see the results of your operations. In the top part of the preview, there is one of the most important buttons in slicer - Slice. Only after pressing this button the object is sliced into layers and only then you can see how the object will look like, what the path of the nozzle will be, how long the printing process will take.
Navigation is a little bit different than in the SelfCAD app - you also rotate the camera using the left mouse button, zoom in and out with the mouse wheel, but to pan, you have to use the right mouse button instead of the middle one. You can also reset the camera by pressing the button in the bottom left corner.
a) What will happen if I put more than one object in the slicer?
The Slicer will ask you it should treat the objects as separate or not.
b) What if I can't find my printer in the Slicer?
You can create your own printer profile by pressing the 'Open Profile Editor' button. You can set all default parameters of your printer and material you use there.
c) Can I save the GCode?
After pressing Slice you can save the GCode, a file that provides information about the object being printed to the printer. When your object is sliced, the new button appears in the bottom right corner. The white text "Save GCode" on it suggests that it is this button that generates the file, which should be delivered to the printer.
d) What do I need to do to print my model?
To print your model you have to do 3 things: import the object into the slicer, slice it and save the GCode which says the printer what it should do.
To see SelfCAD's slicer in action, watch this video.
Render is the only tool in SelfCAD that requires you to download an application. Of course, the rendering will still take place in the browser, while the app will run in the background to increase its processing power.
When you open the Render tool for the first time, you will have to download SelfCAD Renderer. At the bottom of the panel, you will find links to both Windows and MacOS.
Once you run it, you'll see the following notification, prompting you to let it run in the background while you work in the browser.
You'll get access to the Render tool once the Renderer connects with the application.
To access all the keyboard shortcuts of SelfCAD, click on the Keyboard shortcuts option on the Top-right section of the SelfCAD interface. You can watch this video on Youtube to learn more.
The simplest answer is with Camera Modes. We have four different camera modes in SelfCAD, each completely changing its behavior.
Rotate Camera is a default camera mode in our software, as it's the most versatile of them. As its name suggests, you can click at any point in the workspace and drag it to rotate it to view the object from a different perspective. You can also use the scroll wheel to either zoom in or out, as well as the cursor control keys to move the camera vertically and horizontally.
The second is Pan Camera mode. Here, you can use the click & drag strategy to move the camera up and down. There is also an option to do it with cursor control keys, as was the case in Rotate Camera, as well as use the scroll wheel to zoom in or out.
In Zoom Camera, you can use the click & drag strategy, as well as the scroll wheel to zoom in and out. Of course, you can use cursor control keys to move the camera vertically and horizontally.
The last is the Lock Camera, and as you can guess from its name, it simply locks the camera in place so you can't move it in any way until you switch to one of the previous modes.
Use the edge selection tool to select the edges and then use the inflate tool found in the 'Deform' section to inflate the edge.
Please see this video to learn more.
Select the profiles you need to trim using the selection modes of SelfCAD then you can delete them and use the extrusion tool to increase the polygons. See this video to learn more.
The Segments are still there, you just need to switch the Display Mode for the software to show the Wireframe. The option to do that is in the right-side panel, above the Object's List:
You can read up more about the rest of the Display Modes in the Manual: https://www.selfcad.com/manual/category/user-interface/content/display-modes
Overall, it's a very easy task in SelfCAD. As is the case with most of our tools, first, you have to select the object or the region of the object (Face or Polygon) that you want to add the texture. With that done, you can get straight to texturing.
You will find the relevant option in the Display section of the right-side panel in the editor, alongside a simple option to change the color of the object and its Opacity.
Option you're looking for is called Material, and you'll find it in the middle of the panel. By clicking on it, you'll open a tool settings panel, where you can customize textures to suit your needs.
There are four different settings that you can customize here. Those are Materials, Maps, UV, and Light. Each of them comes with its own customizable features you can tweak to achieve the results that you want.
Sure! Select edges/vertices/faces using ‘Polygon Selection’ and then use the desired transformations in the same way you would use them for shapes.
You can check out this article to learn more.
It depends on the version.
Our browser version, as well as the desktop version with cloud storage, use google cloud to store your projects. You can read about its security on google's website under this link.
As for the desktop version with the local storage, it's completely private, as it stores all your projects directly on your hard drive.
Transparency is only for rendering; so, no, you cannot print transparent objects. 3D objects will be printed as a solid object, regardless of the opacity setting used during the design process.
You can select objects, or the regions of the object (faces, edges, vertices), by clicking on them with the left mouse button or using any other selection option.
To deselect them, you have to repeat the process - click with the left mouse button to deselect the object or click on the specific region you want to deselect.
Check out this video for a detailed explanation of selection and different selection modes in SelfCAD!
There are a few ways to do that.
The first one is to use Sculpting and its Smooth Brush, but the downside is that it will increase the polygon count of the object, and the applied effect might clash visually with the rest of the object if you're not careful.
The second option is to use the Fillet tool to round up the edges. By default, Fillet will smooth out all the edges of the object, so you might want to select the edges that need rounding before opening the tool to narrow down the effect of the Fillet to just those edges.
The third option is to use the Round Object tool, which will smooth out the entire shape. If you find that it rounds the object too much, you might want to add some additional detail to ease up the rounding effect - you can do it to the entire object with the Resolution tool, or more precisely with the Edit Details tool. You can check out this video for a detailed explanation about preserving the original shape while using the Round Object with the help of Edit Details.
It's the most common issue for Brave browser users, but it might also appear in other browsers if you use privacy extensions.
In Brave, you need to Allow all trackers & adds in the Advanced controls as shown below. For other browsers, add SelfCAD to the exceptions for the extensions or disable them every time you need to open the Renderer.
SelfCAD's 3D Drawing tool allows you to draw/type 3D text on planes and shapes. Simply click on the plane, or shape you would like to draw on and select the drawing tool. You will notice an option for adding and customizing text.
1. Launch Editor.
2. In the Tools panel, click Tutorial and hit Record Tutorial.
3. Hit Record.
4. Start Designing. SelfCAD will automatically generate step-by-step instructions based on your actions within Editor under Recorded Step.
5. Edit Recorded Steps. Under Recorded Step, you can add additional notes regarding the technical parts of your Interactive Tutorial.
6. Edit Action DetailsUnder Action Details, you can add notes and tips about your design. This is a good place to put your Recorded Steps in context and explain why such steps are required for your design.
In case you're stuck on the loading screen, it is possible that there's just too much detail in the project, which slows down the application in the browser. In that case, you should give it a minute or two to load, or you could try SelfCAD in the desktop version (Upload to Cloud will grant you access to all the projects created in the browser).
In case something breaks down, or you see an error, you can report it to us via support@selfcad.com.
Besides downloading, exporting, and sharing your models on Social Media, there are three additional ways to save your 3d objects to the cloud in SelfCAD. Each of those methods has its own use-cases, and each of them will be introduced in the following paragraphs.
1. The first option is the traditional ‘Save’ found in the User Options. It saves the latest version of the project, with all of the settings and objects to the cloud. SelfCAD performs an autosave every three minutes, but you can click on the highlighted icon to save at any time, especially if you want to exit the project.
2. The second option is ‘Save Project As’. This method creates a copy of the entire project. It gives you a backup version of the project you can always fall back on, that you can access from the project page.
3. The third option is called ‘Save Objects’, which allows you to save a version of a selected model in the cloud, which can be used to create an object library. It’s particularly useful when you want to reuse an object in different projects because you can Load Objects from any scene.
Reach out to us via email or on SM, and we can help you with the design, and record a custom tutorial for you.
Yes, there is. It's called Follow Path, and you will find it in the Tools drop-down list in the main Toolbar, and it fulfills the functions of both of those tools.
To use it effectively, you'll need a Shape and a Path the Shape will follow to create the object. It's worth noting that the Shape can be anything. If you use a 3D model, the tool will either create a specified number of duplicates along the Path or wrap around it.
If you use a profile, it will simply Follow along the Path to create geometry in a perpendicular direction to the Path, and because of this, it's best to make sure that your Shape is placed perpendicular to the Path.
The Path, on the other hand, is just a profile that will guide the Shape. You can read all about drawing Profiles here.
You can see the basic flow of this tool in the video down below.
To hollow out your object you can use Stitch&Scoop, select the polygons and delete them (all our 3D shapes are empty inside) or 'Flatten' the object then use 'Inflate'. Click here for a helpful step-by-step guide.
Both tools are used in converting polygons into 3D models but the difference is the extrusion tool creates a surface model (shape design) where’s add thickness creates a solid model (geometric description of the model). See this video to learn more.