How do I save my own 3D component as a 3D Clipart (.3dclip) file in Aspire so I can reuse it in future projects?

Building your own 3D clipart library is one of the most valuable habits an Aspire user can develop. Aspire saves your own components as 3D Clipart (.3dclip) files. This format keeps the component structure, so when you import the file again it brings back all the components that made up the clipart piece.

Which File Format Do My Own Files Use?

• .3dclip: what Aspire exports when you save your own component or Level as clipart. It maintains the component structure at the time of saving. It is imported with Aspire only.
• V3M: a proprietary format used for purchased 3D clipart from Vector Art 3D and Design and Make. Aspire (and VCarve Pro) imports V3M files as a new component with the same name as the file, but Aspire's own export is .3dclip, not V3M.
• CRV3D: an Aspire project file. Importing one creates a single new component from all the components that were visible when it was saved.

Step-by-Step: Saving a Component as 3D Clipart

1. Finish modeling the component to your satisfaction. If you want it to import as one clean piece, consider baking it first (see the entry on baking).
2. In the Component Tree, select the component you want to save.
3. Use Model > Export as 3D Clipart. This exports the selected model as a .3dClip file. Alternatively, right-click the component in the Component Tree and choose the option to export the selected component as a .3dClip file.
4. In the Save dialog, choose a location, ideally a dedicated clipart folder that you manage.
5. Name the file descriptively, for example eagle-landing-front-facing rather than component1.
6. Click Save.

To save a whole Level: right-click the Level in the Component Tree and use the export option at the bottom of the menu. The complete contents of the Level are saved as a .3dClip file, and when re-imported it comes into Aspire as a group.

Using the File in a New Project

Use File > Import > Import Component / 3D Model, pick the .3dclip file, and the components are imported at the size and position the part had when it was saved. They arrive as normal components, so you can scale them, change Shape Height, set the combine mode, and use Fade, Tilt and Distort.

Where to Store Your Files

Keep your clipart in a folder structure you control, for example:

My Clipart/
  Animals/
    Eagles/
    Bears/
  Borders/
    Rope/
    Ornamental/
  Portraits/
  Textures/
  Signs/

The Clipart tab's Library Browser lets you add folders you use often. Click Add Folder, choose the folder, and click OK. The Library Browser shows the clipart in that folder and its subfolders. The Local Files browser lets you look through other folders. The Clipart tab is documented for V3M and .crv files, so if your .3dclip files do not show up there, import them with Import Component / 3D Model instead. Folders can be removed from the library with Remove Folder, which does not delete the files.

V3M files include thumbnails, and Windows Explorer can show them.

Best Practices for Building a Library

• Save at a standard reference size. Build components at a size you will recognize (for example a 6 inch wide eagle) and note the size in the file name or a text file beside it.
• Keep the source project file. Save a .crv3d project alongside each .3dclip so you can go back and modify the component later.
• Check the result before saving. Make sure the component looks right in the 3D view.
• Name everything clearly. Include subject, orientation and style, for example rose-open-front-simple or scroll-left-ornate.
• Save large. A component can be scaled down in a project without losing much, while scaling up risks losing detail.

Exporting an STL for Other Software

To share a model or use it in other programs, use Model > Export as STL. The mesh holds less detail than Aspire's components, so you choose how to limit it under Limit Triangles By...:

• Approximate tolerance: how closely the mesh may approximate the model. A smaller number gives better detail and smoothness but a larger file.
• Maximum number of triangles: limits the triangle count. A larger number gives better detail but a larger file.

The Back face of triangulation options let you form a closed mesh by creating a back face automatically, or leave the back open. The STL can be imported back into the software, used for 3D printing, or edited in programs such as Blender.

Common Mistakes

• Saving without a descriptive name. A library of component1 through component47 is useless.
• Not organizing into subfolders. A flat folder of hundreds of files is hard to browse.
• Forgetting to keep the source .crv3d project, which leaves no starting point if you need to change the component.
• Expecting to export your own work as V3M. Aspire exports .3dclip.