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# The Alibre Design integration: send designs straight to SimplyPrint

# The Alibre Design integration: send designs straight to SimplyPrint

The SimplyPrint add-in for Alibre Design lets you export the active part or assembly and upload it to your SimplyPrint account in one click. Pick STL or 3MF, choose which configuration and bodies to send, dial in the mesh quality, check the estimated filament weight, press **Send**, and the file lands in SimplyPrint ready to slice and print.

## What you can do
* Export STL or 3MF directly from Alibre Design to SimplyPrint - the add-in writes 3MF itself, since Alibre has no native 3MF export
* See an estimated filament weight and the model's bounding-box size before you send, with an adjustable density (PLA by default)
* Export a single configuration, the active configuration, or every configuration at once
* Send a whole part or assembly, pick individual bodies or components, or export one file per object
* Coarse, Standard and Fine mesh-quality presets to trade file size against surface smoothness
* Assemblies keep their real position, and units auto-convert to millimeters
* Sign in once - the SimplyPrint session is independent from your SolidWorks, Fusion 360, Blender, SketchUp, FreeCAD and Onshape plugins

## Install

|| Install the add-in with the Windows installer (recommended), or register it manually using the zip - the steps for both are below. Registering the add-in needs administrator rights either way.

### Option 1 - Windows installer (recommended)
1. Download `SimplyPrintAlibre-installer.exe` from [cdn.simplyprint.io/i/static/integrations/alibre/SimplyPrintAlibre-installer.exe](https://cdn.simplyprint.io/i/static/integrations/alibre/SimplyPrintAlibre-installer.exe).
2. Right-click the file and choose **Run as administrator**.
3. If Windows SmartScreen warns about an unknown publisher, click **More info**, then **Run anyway**.
4. Click through the installer. It copies the add-in into `%PROGRAMDATA%\Alibre AddOns\SimplyPrint` and registers it with Alibre for you.
5. Open Alibre Design, or restart it if it was already running.

### Option 2 - Manual install
1. Download `SimplyPrintAlibre.zip` from [cdn.simplyprint.io/i/static/integrations/alibre/SimplyPrintAlibre.zip](https://cdn.simplyprint.io/i/static/integrations/alibre/SimplyPrintAlibre.zip).
2. Extract the zip into `%PROGRAMDATA%\Alibre AddOns\SimplyPrint` so the `.dll`, `.adc` and icon sit directly inside that folder.
3. Open an administrator command prompt and register the add-in by pointing Alibre at that folder: `reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Alibre Design Add-Ons" /v 5A71F41D-B204-4A72-BE0B-6B4A42EC5EF0 /t REG_SZ /d "%PROGRAMDATA%\Alibre AddOns\SimplyPrint" /f`

| If you ever move the add-in folder, update that registry value to the new path, or re-run the installer.

## Enable the add-in
Whichever way you installed it, turn the add-in on inside Alibre:

1. Open the **Add-on** ribbon tab.
2. Open the **Add-on Manager**.
3. Tick **SimplyPrint** in the list.
4. Click **OK**. The add-in is enabled, so it should appear next to the **Addon Manager**, otherwise restart.

![The SimplyPrint button on Alibre's Add-on ribbon tab](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/f/2/2/ff22a914001c1000/alibre01_1mn13ws.png)

## How to send a design to SimplyPrint
1. Open the part or assembly you want to print in Alibre Design.
2. Click the **SimplyPrint** button on the **Add-on** ribbon tab. The **Send to SimplyPrint** dialog opens.
3. The first time you use the add-in, click **Log in**. Your browser opens SimplyPrint's sign-in page - approve the request and return to Alibre. You stay signed in for future exports.
4. Configure the export options (see below), then click **Send to SimplyPrint**.
5. SimplyPrint opens in your browser with the file pre-loaded. From there you can save it to your cloud storage, slice it, queue it, or start a print on one or more printers.

![Send to SimplyPrint dialog in Alibre Design with export options and the filament estimate](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/f/2/2/ff22a914001c1000/alibre02_1rujx9r.png)

## Export options explained

### Format
| Option | When to use |
| ---- |
| **STL** | Universal mesh format. Pick this if you're not sure - every slicer reads it. |
| **3MF** | Newer format that preserves units and per-body metadata. Better for multi-body prints. Alibre has no native 3MF, so the add-in writes it for you. |

### Configuration
Alibre files can hold several design variants as configurations. The add-in lets you choose which ones to send.

| Option | What it exports |
| ---- |
| **A single configuration** | Pick one configuration from the list (the active one is selected by default). |
| **Export every configuration** | Every configuration exports separately - each lands in SimplyPrint as its own file. |

### Bodies and components
For a part you'll see its solid **bodies**; for an assembly you'll see its top-level **components**. Tick the ones you want to send, or use **Select all** and **None**.

| Option | What it exports |
| ---- |
| **Selected bodies / components** | Only the items you tick get exported. Everything is ticked by default. |
| **One file per object** | Each ticked body or component exports as its own file, and each gets its own card in SimplyPrint. Leave it off to combine them into one file. |

Assemblies export in their assembled position, so multi-part designs stay aligned when they open in SimplyPrint.

### Mesh quality
Controls how finely Alibre tessellates the model into triangles. Higher quality means smoother curves and larger files.

| Preset | What you get |
| ---- |
| **Coarse** | Fast export, larger triangles. Good for quick fit checks and test prints. |
| **Standard** | A balance of smoothness and file size for everyday prints. |
| **Fine** | Smooth curves, larger file. Best for show-piece prints with curved surfaces. This is the default. |

## Filament weight estimate
Before you send, the dialog shows an **estimated filament weight** worked out from the model's solid volume, alongside its bounding-box size in millimeters. Set the **filament density** to match the material you plan to print in - it defaults to `1.24 g/cm³` for PLA.

| The estimate assumes a fully solid model, so it's a ceiling, not an exact figure. Real filament use depends on infill, wall count and supports. For a precise number, slice the model in SimplyPrint after sending.

## Logging out or switching accounts
Open the **Send to SimplyPrint** dialog and click **Log out**. Your stored token is cleared and you can sign in with a different account next time. Signing out here doesn't affect any other SimplyPrint plugins you may have installed (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, Blender, SketchUp, FreeCAD, Onshape) - each one handles its own session.

## Uninstall
1. In Alibre, open the **Add-on Manager** on the **Add-on** ribbon tab and untick **SimplyPrint**, then close Alibre.
2. Remove the registry value from an administrator command prompt: `reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Alibre Design Add-Ons" /v 5A71F41D-B204-4A72-BE0B-6B4A42EC5EF0 /f`
3. Delete the add-in folder `%PROGRAMDATA%\Alibre AddOns\SimplyPrint`.
4. Optionally delete `~/.simplyprint/oauth_alibre.json` to remove the stored login token.

## Troubleshooting
* **Sign-in window opens but never returns.** Your browser may be blocking the localhost redirect the add-in uses to receive the sign-in. Try a different default browser, or close any other program using the local port and try again.
* **The Send button is greyed out.** You need to be signed in and have a part or assembly open. Check the status line at the bottom of the dialog - it says whether you're signed in and shows any export or upload errors.
* **The SimplyPrint button is missing.** Open the **Add-on Manager** on the **Add-on** ribbon tab and make sure **SimplyPrint** is ticked. If it's not in the list at all, the add-in isn't registered - re-run the installer (as administrator), or re-add the registry value from the manual install.
* **An assembly comes in at the wrong scale.** Assemblies use Alibre's built-in STL export, which follows your STL export unit setting. Set Alibre's STL export units to millimeters and send again. Parts are always converted to millimeters automatically.
* **Curved parts look faceted in SimplyPrint.** Switch mesh quality to **Fine** for smoother curves. The trade-off is a larger file and a slightly slower export.

## Related articles
* [The Alibre Design integration page](https://simplyprint.io/integrations/alibre)
* [The SolidWorks integration](https://help.simplyprint.io/en/article/the-solidworks-integration-send-designs-straight-to-simplyprint-ey1f30/)
* [The Fusion 360 integration](https://help.simplyprint.io/en/article/the-fusion-360-integration-send-designs-straight-to-simplyprint-bq1h60/)