# Is there a way to export in 3mf file format?

**URL:** <https://discourse.slicer.org/t/is-there-a-way-to-export-in-3mf-file-format/46130>\
**Category:** Support\
**Tags:** 3d-printing\
**Created:** [February 12, 2026, 7:05am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/is-there-a-way-to-export-in-3mf-file-format/46130 "2026-02-12T07:05:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![HelloAll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/59ef9b/32.png) [@HelloAll](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/HelloAll)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2026, 7:05am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/is-there-a-way-to-export-in-3mf-file-format/46130/1 "2026-02-12T07:05:43Z")

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Hi. I’m new to 3D Slicer. Is there a way to export files in 3mf format to make printing different segments with different colors easier?

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**Author:** ![pieper](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/pieper/32/8_2.png) [@pieper](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/pieper)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2026, 3:00pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/is-there-a-way-to-export-in-3mf-file-format/46130/2 "2026-02-12T15:00:32Z")

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> [@HelloAll](#):
>
> 3mf format to make printing

Not that I’m aware of, but it probably would not be hard for someone to add.

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**Author:** ![lassoan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/lassoan/32/13_2.png) [@lassoan](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/lassoan)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2026, 5:28am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/is-there-a-way-to-export-in-3mf-file-format/46130/3 "2026-02-14T05:28:16Z")

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You can ask any modern AI chatbot to write the Python script for you that writes a model node in Slicer to a 3mf file. The prompt can be something like this: `Generate Python code that writes a 3mf file from a model node in Slicer`.

To make this file format conveniently available in the scene save or node export options then you can ask the AI chatbot to create a “scripted file writer plugin” using [this file](https://github.com/Slicer/Slicer/blob/main/Applications/SlicerApp/Testing/Python/SlicerScriptedFileReaderWriterTest.py) as an example. If the file writer works well and you share it with us then we can add it to an extension, such as the `Sandbox` so that anyone can install it by a few clicks.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lassoan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/lassoan/32/13_2.png) [@lassoan](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/lassoan)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2026, 6:48am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/is-there-a-way-to-export-in-3mf-file-format/46130/4 "2026-02-14T06:48:51Z")

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I went ahead and implemented this. If you install the Sandbox extension tomorrow or later then you will be able to save model nodes in .3mf format.

> <https://github.com/PerkLab/SlicerSandbox/blob/master/ExportModelTo3mf/ExportModelTo3mf.py>

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**Author:** ![Esteban\_Barreiro](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/esteban_barreiro/32/5430_2.png) [@Esteban\_Barreiro](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/Esteban_Barreiro)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2026, 12:54pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/is-there-a-way-to-export-in-3mf-file-format/46130/5 "2026-05-30T12:54:11Z")

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Hola!

I can’t find the 3mf file extension when I try to export, tried the right click option over Data module, the Save Data alternative, but nothing…

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lassoan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/lassoan/32/13_2.png) [@lassoan](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/lassoan)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2026, 1:00pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/is-there-a-way-to-export-in-3mf-file-format/46130/6 "2026-05-30T13:00:37Z")

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3MF export option is available after you install the Sandbox extension.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Esteban\_Barreiro](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/esteban_barreiro/32/5430_2.png) [@Esteban\_Barreiro](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/Esteban_Barreiro)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2026, 12:51pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/is-there-a-way-to-export-in-3mf-file-format/46130/7 "2026-07-23T12:51:14Z")

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Hi Andras, thanks for your answer. I already installed the Sandbox extension, and still can’t find the exporter on v 5.10.0.

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**Author:** ![lassoan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/lassoan/32/13_2.png) [@lassoan](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/lassoan)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2026, 1:41pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/is-there-a-way-to-export-in-3mf-file-format/46130/8 "2026-07-23T13:41:14Z")

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Please use the current Slicer version (either latest stable - which is Slicer-5.12, or latest preview) and let me know if you find any problems.