From AR model to printed part
USDZ is Apple's format for AR: what Object Capture and many iPhone scanning apps produce, and what product pages offer for "View in AR". Printing one means converting it to STL or 3MF at the right size.
Scale
USD scenes declare their scale with metersPerUnit; Mes3D applies it, so the
geometry arrives in metres. Slicers assume millimetres, so the converter
preselects metres and multiplies by 1,000. A 15 cm scan stays 150 mm.
If the summary shows an implausible size, the scan itself was not at real scale — fix it in your slicer after converting, or pick another source unit.
Scans need a check before printing
- Holes. Object scans usually have an open base where the object stood. The summary's watertightness line will say so. Most slicers close small holes; a large opening needs a mesh tool.
- Density. Scans can have far more triangles than any printer resolves, which makes slicing slow. See STL file size and triangle count.
- Thin parts. Fine details that look good in AR may be thinner than a nozzle can print.
What is kept
| From the USDZ | In the STL | In a 3MF |
|---|---|---|
| Geometry, at its scene position | Yes | Yes |
| Solid material colours | No | Yes |
| Photographic textures | No | No |
| Animation, physics, anchors | No | No |
On a phone
USDZ conversion works in Safari on iPhone and iPad, and the result can be saved to Files. The Mes3D app opens USDZ, STL and other formats and adds AR, measuring and STL/OBJ/3MF export on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android.