Documentation
Exporting files
STEP in the header writes the model as a STEP file for other CAD programs. STL / 3MF opens Save As Mesh for 3D printing: 3MF, binary or ASCII STL, or OBJ. A sketch’s right-click menu has Save As DXF for laser cutting and CNC. Save keeps the whole design, history included, as an .protojoint.json file.
Which formats can I export?
| Format | Where | For |
|---|---|---|
| STEP (AP203) | STEP button in the header | Other CAD programs, machine shops, CAM software |
| 3MF, STL (binary or ASCII), OBJ | STL / 3MF button, or right-click a component or body | 3D printing slicers, rendering, game engines |
| DXF | Right-click a sketch in the browser | Laser cutters, CNC routers, drawing programs |
| SVG and DXF for laser cutting | Laser ▾ › Export for laser… or Export all plates… | LightBurn and xTool Creative Space: colour layers, kerf compensation, plates nested on sheets |
| Robot description (zip): URDF, MJCF, SDF, ROS 2 package | URDF button in the header, or right-click a component | ROS 2 and RViz, MuJoCo, Gazebo |
| CSV cut list | The cut list of a T-slot frame (K) | Ordering aluminium extrusions |
| ProtoJoint (.protojoint.json) | Save, or Ctrl+S | Keeping the editable design |
What does a STEP export contain?
The solids of the design, each component placed where it stands in the assembly and every linked copy counted. STEP carries exact geometry, so another CAD program can measure it, add features or make drawings from it; the feature history and the parameters stay in your ProtoJoint design.
How do I export for 3D printing?
Click STL / 3MF, or right-click a component (the top one is the whole design) or a body and choose Save As Mesh. Then choose:
- Format: 3MF (which records its unit inside the file), binary STL, ASCII STL or OBJ.
- Unit: millimetres, centimetres, metres, inches or feet; the design’s own unit is the default.
- One file, or one per body: several files come as a single zip.
- Refinement: Low, Medium or High, scaled to the size of what you export, or Custom with surface deviation, normal deviation, maximum edge length and aspect ratio.
Hidden bodies are left out, each body is written where it stands in the assembly, and the mesh is watertight. Your settings are remembered for next time.
How do I get a DXF of a sketch?
Right-click the sketch in the browser and choose Save As DXF. Lines, circles and arcs are written as they are; ellipses, splines, conics and equation curves as polylines; text as text. Coordinates are the sketch’s own, in the design’s unit, which the file records. Projected and construction geometry and points can be included, each on its own layer, and centerlines go on a CENTER layer. The file is an AutoCAD R12 DXF, which laser and CNC software reads.
For laser work with kerf compensation and colour layers, see Laser and CNC.
How is my design itself saved?
The design is saved in the browser automatically as you work. Save writes it to an .protojoint.json file with everything in it: sketches, constraints, features, parameters, components, joints and settings. Open loads such a file, and Insert part adds one to the current design as a component. The format is plain JSON, so a design can be kept under version control.
Can I export a robot description?
Yes: URDF, MJCF, SDF and ROS 2 packages are covered in Robot export.