Staying organized - file naming conventions

I was involved in a discussion on Facebook regarding how to name files for 3D printing. As one creates and/or downloads more and more models over time, finding and printing the right model becomes more difficult.

I organized my approach and thought I’d share it here.

Feel free to chime in with what you do to stay organized and efficient.

File Name Components

I (most of the time) include these as part of the file name:

  • 01 [Name of part] (print this part before 02 [part] , 03 [less important part], etc.)
  • S1_025 (scaled up 1.025% - I do this for specific-dimensioned parts, as my printer prints a little small)
  • Z1_10 (sometimes I scale Z differently than X/Y - for exaggerating relief on a medallion, for example)
  • L0_2 (0.2mm layer height - I use 0.1 by default - this is an exception)
  • F30 (30% fill - I usually use 10% - this is an exception)
  • X3 (3 copies plated together)
  • 4H05M (4 hours, 5 mins to print - initially using estimate from my slicer, updated with actual times once printed)

Other File Name Suggestions

  • Noah Langseth suggested including the color of the part in the name.
  • If you switch between filament types/temp profiles, including PLA or ABS (or whatever) in the gcode name is a good idea. Personally, I think switching between filament types leads to more clogs, so I stick to ABS.

Directory Names

  • I pull a lot of files from Thingiverse, so I include the Thingiverse “thing” number in the directory name so I can go back to the original if/when needed.
    Example: “V29” on Thingiverse becomes a directory called “Safety whistle 1179160”

  • If there are a lot of parts making up a model, I’ll include a GCODE subdirectory for just the gcode files. These will usually be numbered as well as named (see bullet #1 above) to allow sorting and prioritizing of printing. This allows coordination of cleaning and assembling some pieces while printing continues.

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