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Creating a project in SimplyPrint and importing STL, 3MF and sliced files

Projects in SimplyPrint lets you start from the files you already have, whether that is an STL, a slicer's 3MF or a file you sliced yourself. This guide covers the three ways to start a project, the New project dialog, how each kind of file comes in, and adding parts later.


Projects is included in the Print Farm and Enterprise plans.


This guide is part of the Projects documentation.


Table of contents


Three ways to start

All three start in Files:


  • New project, from the Files menu. Pick Project or Library.
  • Create project from this file, from a file's menu.
  • Upload a slicer's 3MF and answer As a project. See below.


New to projects? The dialog offers Try a sample project, "a finished project to look around in."


The New project dialog

The dialog has two steps, Parts and printers and Variants and plates. "All optional. Each of these can be changed later in the project."


  • Just create project skips the steps and makes an empty project.
  • Next and Back move between steps.
  • Create project (or Create library) at the end makes it.


Nothing is saved until you press Create. Closing first asks "Discard this project?"


The New project dialog on step Parts and printers: the name Faceted Vase, a Bambu Lab P1S under Print on, two parts, and Just create project and Next


Step 1: Parts and printers

  1. Give it a Name.
  2. Drop files, or click Add files: "3MF, STL or sliced files, as many as you like." SimplyPrint shows "Reading your files…" while it reads them.
  3. Under Print on, pick the printers it prints on. More printers… finds others. Each printer becomes a setup.
  4. Where each part prints: "On every printer you picked that can print it. Click a part to change where."


Step 2: Variants and plates

  • "Does it come in variants, sizes or colors?" Add option to add a Size, a Color or another option now.
  • Plates:
    • Keep my plates: "Each file prints with the plates it was saved with. A part without plates gets a plate of its own."
    • Arrange for me: "SimplyPrint fills the fewest plates each printer can print. It may turn a part flat to fit more."


See: Sizes, colors and variants in a project: options, variants, sets and SKUs


Uploading a slicer's 3MF to Files

When you upload a 3MF a slicer saved with its parts in it, SimplyPrint asks: Upload "(file)" as a file or a project?


  • As a file: "Print it as it is. You can make a project of it later."
  • As a project: "Keep its plates and parts to edit, slice for other printers and make variants."


Leave Remember for everyone in this account ticked to stop being asked. Only an account admin can save the answer for everyone; anyone else's choice applies that time only. You can change the remembered answer later in Settings > Projects and files, where each question can be set back to Ask the first time.


See: Uploading files and splitting multi-plate 3MF files


File types a project can read

3MF, STL, OBJ, STEP, and sliced files: G-code (.gcode, .gco, .nc, .npg), Prusa binary G-code (.bgcode), Ultimaker .ufp and sliced 3MF (.gcode.3mf). A zip exported from a project restores the whole project. Dremel .g3drem files can't be added.


  • STEP is read as the STL the cloud slicer makes of it.
  • STL and OBJ are converted to 3MF when they are added.
  • Sliced files become plates with their print file, as covered in pre-sliced files in a project.


How a 3MF comes in

A 3MF with plates, from Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer and similar, asks how it should come in:


  • Add (N) file plates here (recommended): each of the file's plates becomes a plate in the project.
  • Keep it as a library: the file's parts go into a library that this project uses.


After adding, How (file) comes in sums it up, for example "3 parts, one per plate", "One part with its 3 plates", or "A library". To change it, use Review import in the part's menu.


A Bambu Studio plate can't take parts from a 3MF saved by another slicer, such as OrcaSlicer or PrusaSlicer. The refusal names the parts and the slicer that saved them.


A PrusaSlicer 2.9 file with several beds currently comes in as one plate, with the parts from the other beds off the edge of it. Check the plate after importing; in the plate editor, Move (N) to a new plate moves parts onto a plate of their own.


Adding parts later

In an open project, Add offers:


  • Parts (or Print files in a project made of sliced files only): "Choose 3D or sliced files, add a library, or open a project to use its parts." Then Add selected files.
  • Part from another project: copies a part in.
  • Your own sliced file…: attach a print file you sliced yourself.
  • Setup, Size, Color, Set, Variant and Plate.


Libraries

A library holds parts several projects share, such as screws, feet or a common base. When you add a library to a project, the project uses its parts by reference: change the library and every project using it sees the change. A project can't contain another project, so taking a part from another project copies it in.


Projects


Files

Updated on: 06/11/2026

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