The printability score, explained
What the 0 to 100 score means, how to read the heatmap and the issues list, and how Fix and Fix all work.
Follow along
Enclosure example
Before you spend four hours and 80 grams of filament, Solid Vibes can tell you whether a part is likely to print. This check is part of Make, and the headline result is the printability score.
What the score is
The score runs from 0 to 100 and summarizes how likely your part is to come out well for the printer, material and process you chose. Higher is easier to print. Each issue found lowers it, and more serious issues lower it more.
Two numbers appear:
- Score for the model as it is now.
- Score after fixes, the score you would reach if you applied the suggested fixes.
The gap between them tells you how much easy improvement is available.
What it depends on
The check is specific to your choices:
| You choose | It changes |
|---|---|
| Process (FDM, SLA, SLS, CNC mill, laser cut, sheet metal, injection mold) | Which rules apply |
| Printer | Bed size, nozzle width, layer height |
| Material | Density, strength, and related limits such as flexibility |
Built-in printer presets cover common machines (for example Prusa MK4, a Bambu-style 256 mm printer, a compact 180 mm printer, Ender 3, and Voron 350). Materials include PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, nylon, resin, several metals, and wood and acrylic for cutting.
FDM printing has the most complete checks. Other process modes show the issues that matter for them, such as tool access, sharp internal corners, undercuts and draft angles. Deeper CNC and sheet-metal checks are coming soon.
The issues list
Every problem found becomes an item with:
- a title that includes the measured value, such as "Overhang (62 degrees)",
- a plain-language explanation,
- a location marked on the model,
- a severity: error (likely to fail), warning (risky), or info (worth knowing),
- and, when possible, a Fix.
The kinds of issue
| Issue | What it means |
|---|---|
| Overhang | A surface slopes past what plastic can bridge without support |
| Thin wall | A wall is thinner than the process can reliably make |
| Bridge | A flat span is too long to print unsupported |
| Bed fit | The part is bigger than your printer's build volume |
| Orientation | The current orientation is risky, and a better one exists |
| Small feature | A detail is too small to reproduce |
| Minimum hole | A hole is too small to come out clean |
| Sharp internal corner | An inside corner has no radius (important for machined parts) |
| Tool access | A cutting tool cannot reach a surface (CNC) |
| Draft angle | A face is too vertical to release from a mold |
| Undercut | A feature traps the tool or mold |
The heatmap
The model is colored by risk. Cool areas are fine. Warm and hot areas are where the problems are. It is the fastest way to see where to look. Each issue in the list is also marked at its location on the model.
What Fix does
Each fix comes in one of three kinds:
| Kind | What happens |
|---|---|
| Automatic | A deterministic change to the Recipe, such as "add a 45 degree chamfer under the port". You get a ghost preview as usual |
| Agent | The fix is a request sent to the agent, for problems that need judgment. It costs credits like any other agent action |
| Orientation | Rotates the part to the recommended printing orientation |
Fix all applies every available fix as one previewable proposal. You can accept it, tweak it, or reject it.
The numbers beside the score
| Metric | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Print time | Estimated hours and minutes |
| Material | Estimated filament in grams |
| Supports needed | Whether the part needs supports, and roughly how much |
| Layer count | How many layers at your layer height |
| Recommended orientation | The best way to place the part on the bed |
| Fits bed | Whether the part fits your printer |
Estimates are approximate. Your slicer, its settings and your printer have the last word, so use the numbers for comparison ("this version saves 40 minutes") more than for exact planning.
What the score cannot know
- Your printer's tuning and quirks.
- Your slicer's settings.
- Environmental effects, like a cold room or a damp spool.
- Whether the part is strong enough for its job. For that, design generously and test it. Quick simulation is coming later.
A two-minute routine
- Open Make, and select process, printer and material.
- Look at the heatmap, then read errors first, warnings second.
- Use Fix on the issues you agree with, or Fix all.
- Check the score after fixes, and the supports estimate.
- Export.
Try it
On the Enclosure template, ask:
Check printability for FDM on an Ender 3 in PLA. Which single issue costs the most points, and what is the cheapest way to fix it?
Then open Make and compare the answer with the heatmap and the issues list.
Did this help?
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