LayerForgeReduce triangles
AI models and scans can have millions of triangles. Cut that down to make files smaller and slicing faster, without changing the print.
Runs in your browser. Your file is never uploaded.
Why fewer triangles?
A typical AI-generated figure arrives with one to two million triangles and weighs 50–100 MB. Your printer's nozzle can't reproduce detail anywhere near that fine, so most of the file is wasted. Fewer triangles means smaller files, faster slicing and a less sluggish slicer.
How it works
The simplifier removes triangles where the surface is flattest first, and keeps them where the shape changes quickly. When it's done, it tells you the furthest any point on the surface moved, in millimetres, so you know whether the change would show up in a print.
How to reduce triangles
- Drop your file into the box above.
- Choose how much to keep, then press Reduce.
- Turn on wireframe and spin the model to compare. Not happy? Change the amount and reduce again.
- Download the result as STL or 3MF.
Questions
Will reducing triangles spoil the print?
Not if you keep enough. A 0.4 mm nozzle can't show detail much finer than about 0.1 mm, so a model that moves by less than that prints the same. The tool tells you how far the surface moved.
How much should I keep?
For AI-generated models and scans with millions of triangles, 5–20% usually looks identical in print. For CAD parts with flat faces you can often go much lower. Spin the preview with wireframe on to check.
Is it free, and is my file uploaded?
Free, no sign-up, and it runs entirely in your browser. Your file never leaves your PC.
Which file types work?
STL, OBJ and 3MF in. Download the result as STL or 3MF.
Got 45 GB of models? LayerForge shrinks the whole library
LayerForge fixes, shrinks and sorts thousands of models in the background, and runs your printers too. Coming to Kickstarter with lifetime licences.