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ShapeMason

Inspect, check and preview

Look before you convert: what’s in a file, whether it will convert cleanly, and what the result looks like.

Pre-flight a downloaded model

Section titled “Pre-flight a downloaded model”

“Before I spend an evening on this download, I want to know if it’s going to cause problems. Is it broken? Is it the right size?”
Input Any supported file (model.3mf, part.stl, art.svg, drawing.dxf)
Output A report on screen, or JSON; no files written
Works with Any download source, before importing anything into CAD
Available in Web app · App · CLI
Open the file and read Analysis in the report.

What it does. For a mesh, lists each object’s triangles, shells, open and non-manifold edges, whether it is watertight, its color, size and volume, and flags a largest dimension under 3 mm or over 3000 mm as a likely unit mistake. For vector art, it counts closed profiles and open paths and lists the fonts text needs.

Why. It catches broken meshes and wrong units before they cause a confusing failure later.

Tips

  • Open or non-manifold edges mean you’ll want repair or a surface body.
  • Use the object names it lists with Object (--object).

Validate a library of models automatically

Section titled “Validate a library of models automatically”

“Lots of people add parts to our project. I want something that checks automatically so nobody adds a broken file.”

An open-hardware project keeps its printable parts in Git and wants every change checked, so a broken model never gets merged.
Input A folder of models, any supported types
Output Nothing written; an exit code and an optional JSON report
Works with GitHub Actions, GitLab CI and other CI; Git hooks
Available in CLI
Terminal window
shapemason validate -r models/
shapemason validate -r models/ --json > report.json

What it does. Converts every file without writing anything, prints nothing unless something needs attention, and exits 0 (clean), 2 (warnings) or 1 (failure). A batch exits with its worst result.

Why. Problems are caught in review, not when someone downloads the part.

Tips

  • Decide whether warnings (exit 2) fail the build; many projects pass them with a note.
  • Pin the ShapeMason version in CI. Output is identical for a given version on every platform, so results are repeatable.
  • The CLI’s telemetry is off whenever CI is set.
  • The app and web app show the same outcome per file as ✓, ⚠ or ✕.

Thumbnails for a catalog, README or shop listing

Section titled “Thumbnails for a catalog, README or shop listing”

“I need nice, matching pictures of each design for my shop page, without taking screenshots one by one.”
Input part.stl, badge.svg or any supported file
Output part.preview.png or .svg
Works with GitHub READMEs, Etsy, Printables and MakerWorld listings, docs sites
Available in Web app · App · CLI
The preview’s Picture mode shows the same picture the CLI makes (as SVG).

What it does. Draws 2D results with profiles filled per layer and open paths in red, and meshes as a CAD-style isometric view, one color per body. The pictures on these docs are made this way.

Why. Consistent images with no screenshots or render setup.

Tips

  • Previews are SVG unless you ask for PNG (--png, or a .png name); --width sets the PNG’s width in pixels (default 1200).
  • --open opens the picture when it’s done.