Onshape: CAD in your browser and exporting for 3D printing

How Onshape works

Onshape belongs to PTC and works on any computer with a browser. It is full parametric CAD with sketches, solids and assemblies. A fuller description is on Wikipedia.

The free plan is for non-commercial use and the documents in it are public, so anyone can see them. If you are designing a part for a customer, you should use a paid plan. The current terms are set by Onshape.

Exporting for print

Right-click the Part Studio tab, choose Export and select STL, 3MF or STEP. For STL check the units, the default is millimetres. You can set STL to binary, which is smaller.

If a part belongs to an assembly, export each part separately, not the whole assembly at once.

Design the part so it prints well

Round or chamfer edges at the bed so the first layer has a good surface. For parts that fit together, leave a gap. More about it is in the entry on tolerances. You can also draw a fillet instead of a sharp corner, which improves strength.

Onshape and your order

A big advantage of Onshape is the version history and the ability to work together in the same document at once, without emailing files. If a designer sends you a link, you can open the model, measure it and export it yourself. For made-to-order printing that is useful when dimensions need tuning: the change shows up across the whole document and you export a new version in a minute.

You upload the finished file to the calculator. The model is genuinely prepared for printing with us, so the price per piece and the lead time come from real grams and time. If you need several pieces, you will also see how many fit on the bed at once.