# Facets - visual glitch or potential print error?

**URL:** https://forum.formlabs.com/t/facets-visual-glitch-or-potential-print-error/78
**Category:** Support & Troubleshooting
**Created:** [May 18, 2013, 10:09pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/facets-visual-glitch-or-potential-print-error/78 "2013-05-18T22:09:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![JasonSpiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f14d63/32.png) [@JasonSpiller](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/JasonSpiller)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2013, 10:09pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/facets-visual-glitch-or-potential-print-error/78/1 "2013-05-18T22:09:17Z")

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Hi

Playing around with the software and my models which are nicely smoothed in 3ds max are very faceted in the formlabs software - will it print faceted or smooth?

Thanks guys

![](https://support.formlabs.com/attachments/token/6ngiyfx2c2pbhpm/?name=facets.png)

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### Author: ![DamienB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@DamienB](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/DamienB)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2013, 12:27am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/facets-visual-glitch-or-potential-print-error/78/2 "2013-05-19T00:27:07Z")

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What you see is probably what you will get so yes the model will have these facets.

Even when your model spline/nurbs/smooth surfaces they will be approximated when you generate the STL mesh.

So to reduce the facets and get a smoother output look at your software export configuration to reduce the apoximation errors.

Beware that the STL can grow pretty fast, and even if the formlabs slicer is efficient, having millions of triangles will slow down your refresh rate.

Cheers

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### Author: ![JimmyLing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/94ad74/32.png) [@JimmyLing](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/JimmyLing)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2013, 1:24pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/facets-visual-glitch-or-potential-print-error/78/3 "2013-05-19T13:24:35Z")

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Is there any tool that can refine the triangular mesh? I download the source below and would like to make it smooth before print

![](https://support.formlabs.com/attachments/token/7lfcbzb3bh7bvoc/?name=car.jpg)

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### Author: ![JasonSpiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f14d63/32.png) [@JasonSpiller](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/JasonSpiller)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2013, 8:41am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/facets-visual-glitch-or-potential-print-error/78/4 "2013-05-20T08:41:25Z")

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Hi Jimmy

Any 3D modelling program can do it (3ds Max, Rhino, Blender, Lightwave, etc…) but the actual tools within each program may be different. In max the meshsmooth and turbosmooth modifiers can massively increase the face count, thereby smoothing the objects surface. You can work in quads or triangles - when you export the file as .stl the mesh is automatically converted into triangles (see Damiens comment).

Regards

J

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### Author: ![JulienLefebvre](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/julienlefebvre/32/203_2.png) [@JulienLefebvre](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/JulienLefebvre)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2013, 12:17am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/facets-visual-glitch-or-potential-print-error/78/5 "2013-05-21T00:17:14Z")

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You need to be in flat shaded mode in your software, the smooth that you see in 3dsmax / maya it s just your video card doing a pass to make it look good.

As for adding&nbsp;tessellation&nbsp;on a low res mesh with triangles, even if you remove the triangles your shape will change unless you add some cuts or chamfer some edges.

If you plan to print 3d meshes from the internet be sure to find a hires version &nbsp;and even the “hires” may be very faceted.