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Meshes make the world go round

Bring stuff in

Import meshes (STL, OBJ, GLB/glTF, FBX, 3MF), instance other CAD and voxel parts, or drop in a reference photo.

You don't have to model everything from scratch. CubbyCAD imports common 3D mesh formats, lets you reuse other parts from your workspace by reference (so one source part can appear in many scenes and stay in sync), and lets you place a flat reference image to trace or measure against.

Use mesh import to bring in a downloaded model or a scan; use part references and voxel references to build assemblies out of parts you've already made; and use a reference image as a blueprint or backdrop while you model on top of it.

Importing a mesh into the scene
Overview. An imported STL model placed in the scene.

How to use it

  1. Import a mesh

    Click the blue Import button in the geometry palette (it lists STL · OBJ · GLB · FBX · 3MF · SVG), or choose Import mesh… from the Add menu or the File menu's Import submenu. Pick one or more files.

  2. Place the import

    Imported meshes are converted into the project's millimeter, Y-up space and dropped onto the floor; compressed glTF/GLB (Draco and meshopt) is decoded automatically. Each import then appears as a tile in the palette to drag into the scene.

  3. Reuse a CAD part

    Part reference: open the Parts panel and find your part under the Normal parts section, then drag its tile into the viewport to place a live instance. Hover a tile and click the edit pencil to jump into editing the source part.

  4. Reuse a voxel part

    Voxel reference: in the same panel, drag a tile from the voxel parts section into the scene — it drops in as a baked mesh instance; the edit pencil opens that voxel part for editing.

  5. Open a part file

    Use File ▸ Open part (.cubby)… to load a .cubby/.bcad part into your workspace.

  6. Add a reference image

    Run File ▸ Import ▸ Import reference image… (or search "photo"/"blueprint"/"trace" in the command palette) and pick a PNG or JPEG. It drops in as a flat plane at the origin.

  7. Adjust the image

    Select the reference image and use the properties panel to set its Width, Height, Opacity, and Double-sided toggle, and use the transform gizmo to position it.

A reference image
In the editor. An imported reference image next to the completed part.

Tips

  • STL, OBJ, plain GLB/glTF, and SVG import on every plan. FBX, 3MF, and Draco-compressed glTF/GLB require the advanced-import entitlement — if locked, those files are skipped (free-format files in the same selection still import) and you're prompted to upgrade.
  • Unit conversion is automatic: FBX is treated as centimeters and glTF/GLB as meters, both converted to millimeters, and imports are seated so the bottom rests on the floor.
  • Part and voxel references stay linked to their source — edit the source part once and every instance updates.
  • Reference images accept only PNG and JPEG, are resized to about 1024px on the longest edge, default to 70% opacity and double-sided, and are ignored by booleans and STL export — so they never end up in your printed model.
  • Mesh import is transparent about failures — if a file can't be parsed it surfaces an error toast naming the file(s), rather than failing silently.

Try it in your browser

Open CubbyCAD and put Bring stuff in to work — it runs in the browser, no install.

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