What is the 3MF format and what can it be used for in ChemOffice?

The 3MF file format is a 3D printing file format that has been developed to help improve communication of 3D printing files between different software applications. It has been designed to be more versatile than the STL file format, which is the most commonly used 3D printing file format. Co-developed by the 3MF consortium (including Microsoft and Autodesk) it has been designed to be an all-in-one format that can handle both mesh and surface data, as well as color data making it easier to transfer files between different software applications, while ensuring that the files are printable.

 

The 3MF file format is also designed to be more user-friendly than the STL file format. It includes support for features such as variable layer thicknesses and multiple materials. This makes it possible to create complex 3D prints with multiple colors and textures. While the more common STL format remains the standard, more and more 3D printing companies and software applications are adopting the 3MF format. Since ChemOffice 21.0, chemists can save their 3D molecules (obtained with the 3D Clean-up function) as 3MF files that can then be 3D-printed.

 

Have you already 3D-printed some of your work? Do you want to share with us what that looks like?