How to print scale building models for architecture model makers

Q: Is LunarWerx 3D Print free to use?

Yes, the tools are free to use. You use them on the website, and the tools run only in your browser. Signing in keeps your settings, recent test plates and print results with you on every computer. Check the site for the current details before you rely on a tool for a large project.

A tool-neutral guide to printing scale building models for architecture model makers, with preparation steps, tool options and common mistakes.

By TexHouse · 2026-10-24

TexHouse is published by the makers of LunarWerx 3D Print, Vector3D and MeshyDL, which are compared here alongside other tools.

A good scale building model starts with a file whose faces point the right way, a printer bed that is level and clean, and a short test print of any surface you want smooth before the full model. LunarWerx 3D Print is a set of browser tools that work out ironing settings for your printer, check a part for injection moulding and design 3D-printable foam inserts. ^[1]

Option	What it does	Fee
LunarWerx 3D Print	For it, the tool works out settings for your printer, material and finish and exports a ready 3MF file, a common project file format for 3D printing. ^[1]	Free to use ^[1]
Slicers and print preparation tools	Check each tool's own documentation for what it does	Not published

What you need before you start

Before you print a scale building model, have the model at the scale you chose and check that it is ready to print. Start with the drawing set or model file at that scale, and confirm that the walls, floors and roof are closed so the printer can make solid parts. Check the file for faces that point the wrong way, because these can make a slicer treat a wall as empty or inside out. A slicer is the program that prepares the file for the printer, and you need one before anything is printed. Have a level, clean print bed, since a tilted bed makes thin walls and window frames come out uneven. Keep calipers nearby so you can measure a small test piece against the drawing. Choose the material you plan to use for the finished model and print a test in it first, because the same settings can give different results on different materials. Finally, write down the scale, the material and the settings you used, so the next model at the same scale starts from a known point.

Step by step

These steps work with any printer and slicer, and each one builds on the step before it.

Confirm the scale. Check that the model is at the scale you planned, and measure one known dimension in the file against the drawing so the numbers match before you export anything.

Check the surfaces. Open each part of the model and look for missing or reversed faces, which often show up as holes or dark patches in the preview. On load it turns backwards-facing faces of an STL outward and tells you how many it fixed. ^[1]

Split large pieces. Cut the building into sections so each one fits your printer's bed, and label the pieces so they go back together.

Test the top surfaces. Roofs, floors and terraces are flat top surfaces, so test the finish on a small piece before the full print. For it, the tool works out settings for your printer, material and finish and exports a ready 3MF file, a common project file format for 3D printing. ^[1] It makes a 9-pad or 16-pad test plate, and you mark each pad as worked or not. ^[1]

Pick the surfaces to iron. You can click flat top surfaces, and the export adds a separate region with its own ironing settings over each picked surface. ^[1]

Print a test, then the full model. Print the test plate and mark each pad as worked or not before you print the full model.

Inspect and record. Check walls, window openings and top surfaces against the drawing, measure key points with calipers, and write down what changed.

Tools that can do it

Two kinds of tool can help with printing scale models. Slicers and print preparation tools are the programs that prepare the file for the printer, and each one's own documentation says what it does. Check those documents for scale, wall and bed options before you pick one.

LunarWerx 3D Print is a set of browser tools that work out ironing settings for your printer, check a part for injection moulding and design 3D-printable foam inserts. ^[1] It runs in a web browser ^[1], and you use it on its website, which is hosted on Cloudflare. ^[1]

For the ironing step, it works out settings for your printer, material and finish and exports a ready 3MF file. ^[1] It can make test plates around those settings, and you mark each pad as worked or not. ^[1] You can also click flat top surfaces, and the export adds a modifier part over each one. ^[1]

It also turns backwards faces right side out in an STL file, and says how many it fixed. ^[1] It runs only in your browser. Signing in keeps your settings, recent test plates and print results with you on every computer. ^[1]

The tools are free to use. ^[1]

Common mistakes to avoid

Printing before checking the file is the most common mistake. A file with backwards faces can print with holes or missing walls, and the preview is the quickest place to catch it.

Skipping the test of a top surface is another mistake. Roofs and floors show ironing marks and uneven finish that only appear once the material has been tested, so test first and then print the full model.

Using the drawing scale without a check is a mistake too. A model that looks right on screen can come out too large or too small if the scale was wrong at export, so measure a known dimension before you print.

Leaving the bed unlevel makes thin walls and window frames uneven, so level the bed before any large print.

Forgetting to write down the settings loses the result of a good test. Keep a short record for each model so the next one starts from what worked.

Frequently asked questions

How do you print a scale building model for architecture?

Start by confirming the scale against the drawing, then check the file for faces that point the wrong way and split any piece too large for your bed. Test the finish of the top surfaces before the full print, and keep a record of the settings that worked. Use the slicer for your printer to prepare the file. The steps on this page apply whichever tools you choose, and each tool's documentation gives the exact options it offers.

Can LunarWerx 3D Print fix backwards faces in a model file?

When you open an STL file with faces turned backwards, LunarWerx 3D Print turns them right side out and says how many it fixed. ^[1] The tool runs in a web browser ^[1], and you use it on its website, which is hosted on Cloudflare. ^[1] Check the preview of the fixed file against your drawing before you print, so you can confirm that the walls and openings look as expected.

Is LunarWerx 3D Print free to use?

Yes, the tools are free to use. ^[1] You use them on the website, and the tools run only in your browser. Signing in keeps your settings, recent test plates and print results with you on every computer. ^[1] Check the site for the current details before you rely on a tool for a large project.

Can LunarWerx 3D Print choose which surfaces to iron on a building model?

You can click flat top surfaces, and the export adds a separate region with its own ironing settings over each picked surface. ^[1] Before the full print, the ironing helper works out settings for your printer, material and finish, and exports a ready 3MF file. ^[1] It can also make a 9-pad or 16-pad test plate around those settings, and you mark each pad as worked or not. ^[1]

What is ironing on a 3D printed building model?

Ironing is a finishing pass in which the nozzle goes back over a flat top surface to smooth it. Check first which surfaces of the model are flat tops, such as roofs, floors and terraces, since those are the surfaces you can pick. The result depends on your printer and material, so test a small piece before printing the full model. LunarWerx 3D Print works out ironing settings for your printer, material and finish. ^[1]