Step 2: List-fed labeling and naming of part clones

Generate a series of part clones with individual text labels and names in the project tree with data loaded from a CSV file

Jump to:

• Creating the CSV file
• Spawn a part on the platform
• Create part duplicates

Creating the CSV file

For this tutorial, an example CSV is created manually. In practice, this could come from a directory listing or any other plaintext source. Over the course of this tutorial, this CSV file is used on two occasions: creating the part duplicates and setting up the support parametrization table.

Use a text editor of your choice and create a new plain text file with the following content.

multinames
light
regular
strong

Save the file (ideally with the .csv suffix) and place it in a location where it can be accessed in later steps.

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Spawn a part on the platform

For this tutorial, a part from Netfabb's part library is used as a stand-in for any actual parts with which to create a series of support variations in practice.

Adding the example part

1. Launch Netfabb.
2. From the main menu use File > Part library.
3. From the Design category select Bottle opener, click Part configuration and accept the default values with Generate part.

Orienting and arranging

1. From the main menu use Arrange > Move. Lift the part by 50 mm.
2. In the context view switch from the Move to the Rotate tab. Rotate the part by +45° around the Y axis.

The bottle opener model on the platform after rotating and arranging

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Create part duplicates

This step uses the CSV file created earlier.

1. Select the part.
2. From the main menu use Modify > Generate label > Text from list.
3. In the context view of list labeling click Load CSV file.
4. In the CSV import dialog click the button and open your CSV file containing the part names.
5. In the Options section enable the checkbox First row contains headers.
6. Double-check the import result in the Preview section and click OK.
   

   Header text and part names after correct CSV import

7. Select any entry in the generated list.
   Tip: Select the longest entry to find the right text size even for differing lengths without truncation or overruns.
8. Click on the surface of the part and adjust the placement helper.
   Tip: Not strictly necessary but practical: Adjust the Depth to 1.00 mm from the default of 5.00 mm.
   

   Text placed on the top side

9. Click Apply to start the mesh generation and placement of the part copies.
10. Confirm deletion of the original part. For this tutorial it is no longer needed.

Part clones named and labeled in project tree and in the buildroom

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