- Dec 17, 2013
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Simplify, reduce meshes or decimate. Choose your terms.
The best way to simplify a complex model for 3D printing is to reduce its triangle mesh. Sometimes called decimating, this process takes away a lot of the complex geometry that is great to have for model online but not so good for models on the print bed.
All STL files are made of lots of triangles some big, some very small, that reproduce the curves and bumps you see on the model, so when you look at a curve what you are seeing is hundreds of tiny triangles making that look curved.
With 3D Builder, we can decimate those triangles to reduce the complexity and decrease the time the model takes to print, thereby saving us filament as well.
Full story from the WindowsCentral blog...

The best way to simplify a complex model for 3D printing is to reduce its triangle mesh. Sometimes called decimating, this process takes away a lot of the complex geometry that is great to have for model online but not so good for models on the print bed.
All STL files are made of lots of triangles some big, some very small, that reproduce the curves and bumps you see on the model, so when you look at a curve what you are seeing is hundreds of tiny triangles making that look curved.
With 3D Builder, we can decimate those triangles to reduce the complexity and decrease the time the model takes to print, thereby saving us filament as well.
Full story from the WindowsCentral blog...