How to use DrawSTL

Step by step

1. 1

   Add a shape

   Pick a box, cylinder, sphere, cone or torus from the left toolbar; the shape lands in the middle of the grid. Type width, height and diameter in millimetres in the right panel. On phones the tools sit in the bottom bar.

2. 2

   Sketch and extrude

   Press S or pick the Sketch tool, then choose the surface first: click a flat face of a part or the bed; use the Top, Front, Right and Isometric views at the top right to reach side faces. Draw a rectangle, circle or polyline and type its position in the X and Y fields as millimetres from the bottom-left corner of the face; distances to the edges show while you draw. Extrude the profile by dragging the arrow or entering a height, and choose solid or hole. For holes, Through all sets the depth from the part thickness automatically and the hole is grouped with that object. On phones you can draw rectangles and circles.

   Snapping and dimensions: while you draw, the cursor snaps to face corners, edge midpoints, hole centers and the centers of parts on the bed; Endpoint, Midpoint, Center, Quadrant and Aligned markers appear. The distance from the shape to the left, right, bottom and top edges is shown on the part; click a dimension and type a new value to move or resize the shape to match. Drag a drawn shape from inside to move it. Hold Alt (the action button on touch tablets) to turn snapping off and keep only the 1 mm grid.

3. 3

   Move, rotate, scale

   Select a shape and press W to move, E to rotate or R to scale. Dragging snaps in 1 mm and 15 degree steps. For exact placement, type X, Y and Z values in the right panel.

4. 4

   Cut holes and combine

   Mark a shape as a hole and group it with another shape; the hole is subtracted from the body. Choose union, subtract or intersect in the group settings. It is non-destructive, so you can still edit the shapes later.

   Section and split: press X or use the Section button at the top right to see inside the part along an X, Y or Z plane; the section is view-only and the STL is unchanged. The Split part tool cuts the selected object into two parts with that plane or a flat face you align to, and can space them apart and lay each cut face on the bed. Splitting is non-destructive and undoes in one step.

   Fillet and chamfer: pick Fillet or Chamfer from the Modify menu in the left toolbar (Hole/Group on phones), click edges on the model, type the radius or chamfer distance in mm and press Apply. For countersunk screw holes, select one hole edge and use Same-size hole edges to pick them all at once; a fillet on the inner corner where two plates meet adds material and makes the part stronger. The feature is non-destructive: change the value or remove it later from the panel.

5. 5

   Start from a template

   Open a box, gear, bolt, bracket, phone stand or name tag from the template gallery. When you change parameters such as tooth count, M size or box height, the model is recalculated instantly.

   Browse templates

6. 6

   Save and share

   Your project is saved to your browser on every change and never uploaded. A link copied from the share menu opens the same scene on another device. Large projects can be downloaded and loaded as .drawstl files.

7. 7

   Download STL and slice

   The Download STL button in the top bar saves the model as a binary STL in millimetres. Open the file in Cura, PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio or OrcaSlicer.

   Slicer tip: lay the widest flat face on the bed and enable supports for overhangs beyond 45 degrees. For functional parts, at least 3 walls and 30% infill is a good start.