Working with the part library

What is it?

The part library holds a large selection of mesh parts and configurable mesh part generators that range from simple geometric shapes like cubes to technical shapes like nuts and bolts, standardized test parts, and others. You can also add your own mesh parts to be available from within Netfabb without having to navigate to the actual file.

Where do I find it?

1. From the main menu, choose Home > Part library.

This presents you with the part categories. The categories Primitive, Design, Mathematical, and Quality are present by default. A fifth category, Custom, becomes available once you add your own parts to it, should you so require.

The four default library categories

Selecting, adjusting, and loading a part

The part is spawned on the currently selected build platform; so, if you have multiple platforms loaded in the project tree, select the target one before opening the part library, or move the spawned part to the correct platform afterwards.

1. Pick a category.
2. Click on any of the available parts to select it.
3. In the context view, click Part configuration.
   Tip: Doubleclick the part to open part configuration right away.
4. Make adjustments as required.
5. Click Create part to spawn it onto the platform.

Defaults

While adjusting the part, you can save your adjustments as default values for the next time you choose that particular part.

Save as defaults: Overwrites the current default values with new ones as they are displayed. Next time you pick the part, these are the new default values.

Load from defaults: When you have made some adjustments, this loads the current default values.

The values are saved in the Windows® registry at Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\Netfabb\ngprimitives. The only way to get back to actual factory defaults of a part is to delete the keys for it and restart Netfabb.

Custom parts

Adding your own part to the part library uses the part export.

1. Load the part onto the build platform.
2. From the menu, choose File > Export part > Add to part library.
3. Provide Name, Description, and Color (the default display color).
4. Click OK.
5. Close and restart Netfabb to begin having the part available in the library.

A custom part is deleted through its configuration.

1. From the main menu, choose Part library.
2. Switch to the Custom category.
3. Select the custom part to delete and click Part configuration.
4. From the main menu, choose Remove from custom meshes and click OK in the Confirmation dialog.
5. Close and restart Netfabb to finalize the deletion.

Custom part library records are stored at %APPDATA%\netfabb\PartLibrary\.