<p>I see three cylinders, not two. Consider to change the white cylinder to a hole, leaving the two. Perform your export, which should give you a two same-color STL file. Reverse the process, convert the hole to a solid and convert the colored cylinders to holes, then export.</p>
<p>When you import these items into your slicer, they should share a common center, allowing you to assign the desired colors for printing without shifting.</p>
<p>I've created a duplicate of your model in Tinkercad. In the process of exporting, a dialog required to select entire model or selected object only. The correct answer is to select each component in turn, export with appropriate naming.</p>
<p>When imported to Prusa Slicer as a test, the two objects appeared to be merged, but I am able to select each individually.</p>
<p>If this is unhelpful, please describe by editing your question to present the process you use to create the model. I found it was necessary to use the hole feature multiple times to generate the three cylinders, the orange becomes a single upon completion.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-05-16T18:26:36.907Z
hi @fred_dot_u, thanks for your advice. I have tried in an online slicer and it seems correct what you tell me. However, is there another way to do it just using Tinkercad? This is a very simple model and it is easy to do this process. However with more complex models i would like to know how can i do this in TinkerCad. I want to know if there is a way of exporting objects made out of several items that are not merged in the process. If it is impossible, can you recommend me another program (online or not) where i can 3D model and this doesn't happen?
Iker Busteros
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-05-16T18:54:48.260Z
Fusion 360 (hobbyist version, free) will do this but it's not going to be a single step process, regardless of the selected software. My suggestion was specific to Tinkercad, but you ask how to do it "just using Tinkercad." You'll always have to use a slicer. Note the edits to my original answer.
fred_dot_u
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-05-15T14:26:52.030Z
2024-05-16T18:57:21.163Z
2024-05-16T18:57:21.163Z
fred_dot_u
<p>I have designed a really simple object in Tinkercad which has two colors and is composed of two cylinders. I want to export this object as a .stl file to 3D print it. I don't want these objects to be merged together so that I can select them individually and choose the colors I want for each other.</p>
<p>However, when I export it with Tinkercad it automatically merges them, which makes it impossible to distinguish them. The object I am working with is an orange cylinder with a white outer ring followed by an orange outer ring as seen below:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/GPo3qiOQ.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/GPo3qiOQ.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>As you can see it is very simple, and the objects are not merged together. But when I export it as a .stl, I get only a rounded cylinder with no distinguishable parts. I have also tried to export it as a .obj element but, again, even if the colors are shown, the objects seem to be merged together. How can I fix this?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-07T04:05:17.680Z
when you export, it will ask if you want to export everything or just the selected shape. you can't have several shapes in one STL, so you need to export each part into a different file.
dandavis
<3d-design><tinkercad>
How can I avoid objects merging when exporting with Tinkercad?
Iker Busteros
# How can I avoid objects merging when exporting with Tinkercad?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-05-15)

I have designed a really simple object in Tinkercad which has two colors and is composed of two cylinders. I want to export this object as a .stl file to 3D print it. I don't want these objects to be merged together so that I can select them individually and choose the colors I want for each other.

However, when I export it with Tinkercad it automatically merges them, which makes it impossible to distinguish them. The object I am working with is an orange cylinder with a white outer ring followed by an orange outer ring as seen below:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/GPo3qiOQ.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/GPo3qiOQ.png)

As you can see it is very simple, and the objects are not merged together. But when I export it as a .stl, I get only a rounded cylinder with no distinguishable parts. I have also tried to export it as a .obj element but, again, even if the colors are shown, the objects seem to be merged together. How can I fix this?

**Tags:** 3d-design, tinkercad
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: when you export, it will ask if you want to export everything or just the selected shape. you can't have several shapes in one STL, so you need to export each part into a different file.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2024-05-15. Score: 2

I see three cylinders, not two. Consider to change the white cylinder to a hole, leaving the two. Perform your export, which should give you a two same-color STL file. Reverse the process, convert the hole to a solid and convert the colored cylinders to holes, then export.

When you import these items into your slicer, they should share a common center, allowing you to assign the desired colors for printing without shifting.

I've created a duplicate of your model in Tinkercad. In the process of exporting, a dialog required to select entire model or selected object only. The correct answer is to select each component in turn, export with appropriate naming.

When imported to Prusa Slicer as a test, the two objects appeared to be merged, but I am able to select each individually.

If this is unhelpful, please describe by editing your question to present the process you use to create the model. I found it was necessary to use the hole feature multiple times to generate the three cylinders, the orange becomes a single upon completion.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: hi @fred_dot_u, thanks for your advice. I have tried in an online slicer and it seems correct what you tell me. However, is there another way to do it just using Tinkercad? This is a very simple model and it is easy to do this process. However with more complex models i would like to know how can i do this in TinkerCad. I want to know if there is a way of exporting objects made out of several items that are not merged in the process. If it is impossible, can you recommend me another program (online or not) where i can 3D model and this doesn't happen?  
> **username_2**: Fusion 360 (hobbyist version, free) will do this but it's not going to be a single step process, regardless of the selected software. My suggestion was specific to Tinkercad, but you ask how to do it "just using Tinkercad." You'll always have to use a slicer. Note the edits to my original answer.  

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