Saving and Exporting

Learn how to save your CADit designs to the cloud, locally, or as files, and export for 3D printing in STL or 3MF format.

Saving and exporting

CADit provides multiple ways to save your work and export designs for 3D printing.

Saving your design

Save to cloud

Cloud saving stores your design on CADit's servers, letting you access it from any device.

Requirements: You must be logged in to save to the cloud.

To save to cloud:

  1. Open the menu
  2. Select Save, or press Ctrl+S (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+S (Mac)
  3. Your design syncs to your account

Cloud-saved designs appear in your account's design library and can be opened from any browser where you're logged in.

Save locally

Local saving stores your design in your browser's storage using PouchDB. This works without an account but is tied to the specific browser and device you're using.

To access local designs:

  • Open the Local Designs panel from the menu

Auto-save: CADit automatically saves your work locally every 10 minutes.

Note: Local designs are stored in browser data. Clearing your browser data will remove locally saved designs.

Download as file

Downloading creates a .cadit file on your computer. This is useful for backups or transferring designs between devices.

To download your design:

  1. Open the menu
  2. Select Download or Save as File
  3. Choose a location on your computer

To reopen a downloaded file:

  1. Open the menu
  2. Select Open CADit File
  3. Select your .cadit file

Exporting for 3D printing

CADit can export your designs in formats compatible with 3D printers and slicing software.

STL export

STL is the standard format for 3D printing, supported by virtually all slicers and printers.

To export as STL:

  1. Open the menu
  2. Select Export STL
  3. Choose a location and save

STL files contain geometry only and do not preserve color or material information. Use this format for single-color prints.

3MF export

3MF is a modern format that supports multi-color and multi-material printing.

To export as 3MF:

  1. Open the menu
  2. Select Export 3MF
  3. Choose a location and save

3MF files preserve:

  • Colors assigned to shapes
  • Material information
  • Model structure

Use 3MF when printing with multi-material printers or when you need to preserve color data for your slicer.

Quick tips

  • Save often using Ctrl+S (Cmd+S on Mac) to avoid losing work
  • Use STL for most single-color 3D printing needs
  • Use 3MF for multi-color designs or when your slicer supports it
  • Download a backup before making major changes to your design