Custom 3D Modeling for 3D Printing

Six Steps, From What You Have to a Part That Fits.

A project starts with whatever you already have and ends with a file you can print. In between there are six steps, and the same six steps run every time: you upload, we review, you get a quote, we build the model, we verify that it will print, and then, only if you want it, the part is printed and shipped. You do not need CAD software, a scanner or a technical drawing to begin. A phone photo, a hand sketch with a few dimensions, or a broken part in your hand is enough for step one. Nothing is printed and nothing is finalised until you have seen the model and approved it.

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Six steps, in the order they happen

Every project moves through the same six steps: Upload, Review, Quote, Model, Verify, and Print / Deliver. The order is not decoration. Nothing is modelled before we know what information is missing, nothing is printed before the model has been verified, and nothing is finalised before you have seen it.

For each step below, the same three things are stated: what you provide at that point, what we do with it, and what exists at the end of the step that did not exist before.

Six Steps, From What You Have to a Part That Fits.

What each step asks of you, and what it returns

Upload — you send photos, a sketch, a broken part, an existing file, a measured drawing, a scan, or a written description; it does not need to be tidy or complete. We read all of it against the interfaces the part has to fit, and the step ends with a short written list of what we already have and what is still missing.
Review — you answer a few specific questions if something cannot be read from what you sent. We confirm whether the information is actually enough to model from, and the step ends with an agreed scope: what will be modelled, to which dimensions, and which assumptions we will make.
Quote — you tell us whether you also want the part printed and where it has to arrive. We price the modelling, keep any printing or finishing as a separate line, and the step ends with a fixed project price you can accept or decline.
Model — you send corrections that come up while the model is being built. We build the solid model to the measured dimensions and to the print process, and the step ends with a revision you can open, rotate and inspect before anything is produced.
Verify — you review the check report and confirm the critical dimensions. We test wall thickness, overhangs, clearances, hole and thread sizes and watertightness, and the step ends with a model that slices cleanly. A model that cannot print is not finished.
Print / Deliver — you decide whether to print with us, print locally, or stop at the files. If you choose printing we print, inspect and ship the part; if not, the step ends with your deliverable files: print-ready STL, STEP, 3MF or editable CAD.

What we check before a model counts as finished

Verification is not a formality squeezed in at the end. It is the step where a model that looks right on screen is separated from a model that will actually assemble and survive use.

Watertightness — no holes, no flipped faces and no zero-thickness walls, so the slicer produces a solid toolpath instead of guesswork.
Wall thickness — set for the process and for the load the part carries, rather than left at whatever default the modelling tool suggested.
Overhangs and orientation — the part is placed the way it will really print, so supports land where they can be removed without damaging the surface.
Clearances and fits — holes, slots, threads and snap features are sized to assemble after printing, not sized on screen where nothing shrinks.
Critical dimensions — the interfaces you measured are re-checked against the model, one by one, before the file is released.
File integrity — the exported STL, STEP or 3MF opens as a single closed solid in a clean viewer, not as a mesh that only looks closed in one program.

Where projects stall, and how it is handled

Almost every delay comes from one of three places, and each has a routine answer.

Stage	What holds it up	What we do about it
Review	Photos that never show the mating surfaces	We send back a short list of exactly which measurements to take, and nothing is charged while that is outstanding.
Model	A dimension that cannot be confirmed from anything you sent	We mark the assumption in the file and flag it before release, instead of quietly guessing and hoping the fit is forgiving.
Verify	A wall too thin, or a shape that cannot print in one piece	We propose a change of section, a different orientation, or a split part, and you decide before anything is made.

Six Steps, From What You Have to a Part That Fits. — MMFORM LAB

Printing is a separate, optional step

The model is what you are buying. If you also want a physical part, we can print a prototype, a functional part or a small batch, and inspect it before it ships. If you would rather take the files to a printer you already use, that is a completely normal ending to the process.

Once the model is approved, we package the agreed STL, STEP, 3MF or editable CAD files and send a download link by email. Larger file packages can be delivered through SwissTransfer, with the transfer link sent to the same project email thread.

Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox or WeTransfer are also possible when they fit your workflow. The delivery method changes, but the rule does not: the final package is sent after approval, and you should download it and keep your own backup.

It is also the step where fit gets proven. A test fit on a printed prototype is cheap; a revision after a batch has been produced is not, which is why the order of the six steps never gets rearranged for speed.

Nothing is printed and nothing is finalised until you have seen the model and approved it.

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Frequently asked questions

Do I have to know what kind of file I need?

No. Most customers arrive with a photo or a broken part and no file at all. We will tell you which output makes sense for your case: a print-ready mesh for a printer, a solid STEP file for a machinist, or an editable parametric model if you plan to change the part again later.

How long does each of the six steps take?

It depends on the part, so we keep it honest instead of promising a fixed number for everything. Your enquiry gets an answer within our 3-hour reply target, and standard projects run 2–8 business days once the scope is confirmed. The Review step is usually same-day; the Model step depends on complexity and on how quickly you can confirm dimensions.

What if I only want the file and not the printed part?

That is the normal case. Printing is optional and always a separate line on the quote, so you can take the STL, STEP or editable CAD and have the part made wherever you like. Nothing in the workflow assumes you will print with us, and nothing is held back if you do not.

Can the design change after the model has been built?

Yes, inside the scope agreed at the Review step — the revision rounds described there are included in the project. Larger changes, such as a different part altogether or a redesign of the interfaces, are quoted as new work rather than absorbed silently. Changes are easiest before Verify and cheapest before anything is printed.

What happens if my information is not enough to model from?

We say so at the Review step, before any modelling is charged, and we tell you exactly what would fix it. In practice that is usually three or four measurements, or one better photograph of the interface. You are never left holding a paid model that was built on guesses.

Is my project kept confidential through all six steps?

Yes. We do not publish client names, part details or photographs without written permission, at any stage of the process. If your project needs a signed agreement before files change hands, say so in the first enquiry and it will be arranged before anything is sent.

Six Steps, From What You Have to a Part That Fits.

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