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# The Onshape integration: send CAD models straight to SimplyPrint

# The Onshape integration: send CAD models straight to SimplyPrint

The SimplyPrint app for Onshape lets you export parts and assemblies straight from a browser document and upload them to your SimplyPrint account in one click. Pick STL or 3MF, dial in resolution and units, press **Send**, and the file lands in SimplyPrint ready to slice and print - no downloads, no SD cards, no extra software on your machine.

## What you can do
* Export STL or 3MF directly from Onshape to SimplyPrint
* Works on Part Studios (pick the parts you want) and full Assemblies (one combined file)
* Tune resolution (coarse / medium / fine), units (mm / cm / m / inch / foot), scale, and STL orientation
* Chunked uploads for huge designs - multi-hundred-megabyte parts just work
* New parts added to the Part Studio are picked up automatically
* Runs entirely in the Onshape browser UI - nothing to install locally

## Install from the Onshape App Store
The SimplyPrint app is free and runs inside Onshape. You'll need an Onshape account (the free tier works fine) and a SimplyPrint account.

1. Open the [SimplyPrint listing on the Onshape App Store](https://cad.onshape.com/appstore/apps/Additive%20Manufacturing/6a073562076d270cdb51ce4b).
2. Click **Subscribe** on the listing and approve the OAuth permissions Onshape asks for. This grants the app read-only access to your documents so it can read part geometry.
3. Open any Onshape document. A **SimplyPrint** tab appears on the right-hand panel of every Part Studio and Assembly. The first time you open it, you'll be asked to connect your SimplyPrint account too.

| Already subscribed in Onshape but the tab isn't showing? Click the **+** at the top of the right panel and add SimplyPrint to the document.

## Where to find it
Once subscribed, the app shows up on the right-side panel of every Onshape document:

**Right panel on Part Studios**
A **SimplyPrint** icon is added to the right-side panel of any Part Studio. Click it to open the export panel and pick the parts you want to send.

![SimplyPrint tab on the right panel of an Onshape Part Studio](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/f/2/2/ff22a914001c1000/01-part-studio-panel_11z55b2.png)

**Right panel on Assemblies**
The same **SimplyPrint** icon shows up on Assemblies. There's no part picker here - the whole assembly is exported as a single combined file.

![SimplyPrint tab on the right panel of an Onshape Assembly](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/f/2/2/ff22a914001c1000/02-assembly-panel_sgst5t.png)

## How to send a model to SimplyPrint
1. Open the document you want to print in Onshape.
2. Open the **SimplyPrint** panel from the right-hand sidebar.
3. The first time, click **Connect SimplyPrint**. A browser tab opens with SimplyPrint's sign-in page - approve the request and return to Onshape. You stay signed in for future exports.
4. **Part Studio:** tick the parts you want to send. **Assembly:** the whole assembly is exported - no picker needed. Tweak the export options (format, resolution, units, scale, orientation).
5. Click **Send**. SimplyPrint opens in a new tab with the file uploaded, ready to slice, queue, or print on one or more printers.

## Export options explained

### Format
| Option | When to use |
| ---- |
| **STL** | Universal mesh format. Exports instantly (synchronous). Pick this if you're not sure - every slicer reads it. |
| **3MF** | Newer format that preserves units, colours, and per-part metadata. Onshape generates 3MFs asynchronously, so there's a short wait while the export is built and polled. |

### Resolution
Controls how finely Onshape tessellates the model into triangles. Higher resolution means smoother curves and larger files.

| Preset | What you get |
| ---- |
| **Coarse** | Fast export, larger triangles. Good for quick test prints and rough fit-checks. |
| **Medium** | Balanced - the recommended default for most prints. |
| **Fine** | Smooth curves, larger file. Best for show-piece prints with curved surfaces. |

### Units
Choose the unit system the exported file should use: **mm**, **cm**, **m**, **inch**, or **foot**. Slicers expect **millimeters** by default - stick with mm unless you have a specific reason to change it.

### Scale
A numeric multiplier applied to the exported geometry. Leave it at **1.0** unless you know you need to scale the part up or down before slicing.

### Y-axis up (STL only)
Onshape's coordinate system treats Z as vertical, but some slicers (and some downstream tools) expect Y as vertical. Tick this if your slicer brings parts in lying on their side.

## Part Studios vs Assemblies
Onshape splits design work into two document types, and the SimplyPrint panel handles each one slightly differently:

* **Part Studio** - a design space containing sketches and one or more parts. The panel shows a checklist of every part in the studio; tick the ones you want and they're combined into a single STL/3MF (or one file per part for 3MF).
* **Assembly** - combines multiple parts and sub-assemblies into a finished model. The panel exports the whole assembly as one combined mesh, no picker needed. Mate constraints are baked into the export.

If you only want a single part out of a multi-part assembly, open the underlying Part Studio instead and send from there.

## Working with Onshape configurations
Onshape lets a single Part Studio or Assembly hold multiple **configurations** - variants driven by parameter values (for example a bracket that comes in three hole spacings, or a part with metric vs imperial threads).

The SimplyPrint panel always exports the configuration that's **currently active in the viewport**. To print a different variant:

1. Switch the configuration in Onshape using the configuration list at the top of the feature tree.
2. Wait for the viewport to update.
3. Hit **Send** in the SimplyPrint panel - the new variant exports with whatever options you had set.

If you need to print every configuration in a sweep, send each one in turn - they arrive in SimplyPrint as separate files you can queue together.

## Tips for big assemblies
Onshape assemblies can hold thousands of parts, and the mesh you export is only as detailed as you ask for. A few rules of thumb:

* **Resolution scales the mesh more than scale does.** Going from Fine to Medium typically halves the file size with barely any visible difference on most prints. Drop straight to Coarse for low-fidelity test prints.
* **Hide what you won't print.** The Assembly export bakes in everything visible in the viewport. Hide hardware (screws, dowels, bearings) that you're not actually 3D-printing before sending.
* **Print sub-assemblies separately.** For really large designs, open each sub-assembly individually and send it as its own file - that way the SimplyPrint queue treats each one as a discrete job you can stage onto different printers.
* **STL is faster than 3MF.** If you don't need 3MF metadata (multi-material, per-part colours), STL is synchronous and arrives instantly.

## Large files
SimplyPrint accepts uploads of any size from Onshape. Files over \~99 MB are automatically split into chunks during upload so they survive flaky connections and won't time out - you don't need to do anything special, just wait for the progress bar.

## Working as a team
Onshape is collaborative by design - multiple people can be inside the same document at once - and the SimplyPrint app fits that model:

* **Each user subscribes individually.** The app is added to a user's Onshape account, not to the document. Every team member who wants to send to SimplyPrint subscribes to the app from the Onshape App Store on their own account.
* **Shared SimplyPrint workspace.** Have everyone sign in to the same SimplyPrint workspace and your queue, printers and history are visible to the whole team.
* **Document-level access still applies.** The app can only read documents the signed-in Onshape user already has access to - revoking someone's Onshape access also revokes their ability to send that document via SimplyPrint.

## Signing out or switching accounts
Open the SimplyPrint panel in any Onshape document and use the **Sign out** option at the top of the panel. Your SimplyPrint token is cleared and you can connect with a different account next time. Signing out in Onshape doesn't affect any other SimplyPrint plugins you may have installed (Blender, SketchUp, Fusion 360, etc.) - each handles its own session.

To remove the app entirely from your Onshape account, go to the Onshape App Store, open your subscriptions, and unsubscribe from SimplyPrint.

## Requirements
* An Onshape account (free tier works)
* A SimplyPrint account
* A modern browser with third-party cookies allowed for simplyprint.io (needed for the OAuth callback to return to Onshape)

## Troubleshooting

**"Connect SimplyPrint" window opens but never returns.**
The OAuth callback needs to return through simplyprint.io back into the Onshape iframe. Allow third-party cookies for simplyprint.io in your browser settings, or open the dialog in a private/incognito window briefly to confirm it works there. Safari's Intelligent Tracking Prevention can interfere - try Chrome or Firefox if you're stuck.

**My new part isn't in the export list.**
The Part Studio panel polls Onshape every few seconds for changes. If a part you just added isn't showing, click the refresh icon at the top of the panel, or close and reopen the SimplyPrint tab.

**3MF export seems slow.**
3MF generation runs asynchronously on Onshape's side - SimplyPrint polls until it's ready, which can take a few seconds for large parts. STL exports are synchronous and arrive instantly. If you don't need 3MF-specific metadata (colours, per-part info), stick with STL for faster exports.

**I can't find the SimplyPrint panel in my document.**
Click the **+** at the top of the right-hand panel inside Onshape and add **SimplyPrint** to the document. The app is per-document, so older documents from before you subscribed may need this manual add.

**Upload fails halfway through on a huge model.**
The app chunks uploads over 99 MB automatically, but very slow networks can still time out individual chunks. Try a wired connection, or drop the resolution to **Medium** to produce a smaller file.

**The wrong configuration was exported.**
The app always exports the configuration currently active in the Onshape viewport. Switch the configuration in Onshape's config list, wait for the viewport to refresh, and send again.

**The app icon shows but the panel is blank.**
A browser extension (ad blocker, privacy extension, content blocker) may be blocking the app's iframe from loading. Disable extensions for `*.`onshape.com and refresh - if that fixes it, allowlist the SimplyPrint domain in your extension.

## FAQ

**Do I need a paid Onshape account?**
No - the SimplyPrint app works on every Onshape tier, including the free hobbyist and EDU plans.

**Can I use the app offline?**
No. Onshape itself is cloud-based, and so is the SimplyPrint app - both need an internet connection.

**Does the app modify my Onshape documents?**
No. The OAuth scope is read-only; the app reads geometry to build the export but never writes back.

**Can I share my exports with other team members automatically?**
Yes - sign in to a shared SimplyPrint workspace and every export from any team member's Onshape lands in the same queue.

**How do I uninstall the app?**
Open your Onshape account settings, find your app subscriptions, and unsubscribe from SimplyPrint. The panel will disappear from your documents on next reload.

**Where is my data stored?**
Geometry sent through the app is uploaded to your SimplyPrint workspace's storage. The app itself doesn't keep a copy after the upload finishes - rerunning an export pulls fresh geometry from Onshape.