MathMe learning guide · Files & physical models
Choose the right 3D export format
A file for a printer, a file for a 3D scene and a picture for a report serve different purposes. Choose the destination before exporting.
| Format | Useful for | Check before using |
|---|---|---|
| GLB | A portable 3D scene with materials | Scale, orientation and appearance in the receiving app |
| STL | A triangle surface for a printer’s slicer | Dimensions, closed surfaces and disconnected parts |
| OBJ | Geometry exchange with another 3D tool | The receiving tool’s unit and material settings |
| PNG | A picture for a slide or report | Resolution, framing and background |
| A project sheet with views and explanations | Settings, units and the formulas you want to discuss |
Save the editable project first
A mesh export records geometry, while MathMe’s project file preserves the project’s editable settings. Save a project copy before preparing a final export so you can change the pattern, object count or dimensions later.
Check units with a known dimension
MathMe’s browser GLB export uses metres and its STL export uses millimetres. STL does not provide a reliable universal unit label, so the receiving slicer’s interpretation matters. Confirm one known dimension in the destination tool instead of assuming the picture’s apparent size is correct.
If you scale a model by a factor of 10 in every direction, its surface area grows by 100 and its volume by 1,000. A unit mismatch can therefore have a large effect on a physical print.
A visible overlap is not automatically a joined solid
Two shapes can look joined because they overlap on screen. A browser export can still contain separate intersecting meshes. The geometry service can calculate a boolean union that removes internal overlap and creates the resulting surface.
For a worked example, take two cubes of side 2 and offset one by 1 along an axis. Each cube has volume
8, but their shared region has volume 4. The union has volume 8 + 8 − 4 = 12, not 16.
That difference matters when interpreting a whole-model measurement.
Use the geometry tools when needed
Join, Cut and Overlap perform boolean operations on closed shapes. Print-ready export can join and repair a model, then export formats including STL and 3MF. These operations require the hosted geometry service; the print-ready option also requires the relevant plan. Check pricing and allowances for your account.
An open sheet has no enclosed inside. Repair can resolve some mesh problems, but it cannot make every surface a suitable physical object. Read any notes returned by the export tool, especially warnings about open parts.
Inspect the result in your slicer
- Confirm overall dimensions and orientation.
- Look for unexpected gaps, intersecting parts or disconnected islands.
- Preview layers and check that thin features survive slicing.
- Select supports, material and printer settings for the actual machine.
- Use a small test print when fit or fine detail matters.
MathMe does not choose printer settings or certify a model’s strength. Keep the editable project, the exported file and the settings you used together so the result can be reproduced.
For a first project, try a small spiral or an extruded 2D outline.