Guide · Section 5
Metadata, Part Types & Triangle Sets
The 3MF tab in the N-panel (press N in the 3D Viewport) gives you read and write access to everything stored alongside the geometry in a 3MF file — scene-level metadata, per-object info, slicer part type overrides, and named triangle sets.
The panel can be seen in Object mode and Edit mode for metadata, and in Sculpt mode for triangle sets. The part type dropdown only appears when an object is active.
Scene Metadata
The Scene Metadata sub-panel is open by default. It shows all the standard 3MF metadata fields attached to the current scene.
| Field | What it is |
|---|---|
| Title | The scene name — editing this renames the Blender scene |
| Designer | Author name |
| Description | Short description of the model |
| Copyright | Copyright notice |
| License Terms | License information |
| Creation Date | Read-only — set when the file was first created |
| Modification Date | Read-only — updates automatically on export |
Custom Fields
Any non-standard metadata keys that came in with the file appear below the standard fields. Each entry has an edit (pencil) and delete button.
To add your own: click + at the bottom of the section and enter a key and value. Standard field names are rejected — custom keys are for anything not covered by the built-ins.
Metadata edits take effect on the scene immediately and are written into the next export. You don't need to save the .blend file first.
Object Info
The Object Info sub-panel shows a quick read of the active object: its name, vertex count, face count, and X/Y/Z bounding box dimensions.
Part Type
The Part Type dropdown assigns an Orca/BambuStudio modifier subtype to the object. The slicer uses this to change print behavior inside the object's volume.
| Part Type | What it tells the slicer |
|---|---|
| Normal Part | Standard printable geometry — default |
| Modifier | Overrides print settings (layer height, infill, etc.) inside the intersection with the parent object |
| Support Enforcer | Force supports inside this volume |
| Support Blocker | Prevent supports inside this volume |
| Negative Part | Subtract this volume from the parent object |
When you assign a non-Normal type, the addon applies a distinctive viewport material color to the object so you can see at a glance which objects are modifiers versus printable parts.
Part types are an Orca/BambuStudio-specific feature. PrusaSlicer unfortunately doesn't seem to offer the same pathway, and a config file would need to be embedded in the 3mf file which would pile on printer/slicer/filament settings alongside the part types.
Object Metadata
The Object Metadata sub-panel appears when the selected object has 3MF metadata on it. The most common entry is 3mf:partnumber — a part identifier from the original file. These fields are read-only and preserved for round-trip export.
MMU Paint Status
Appears (collapsed) when the selected mesh has an active paint texture. Shows active status, the default extruder index, and each filament's hex color. Useful for checking paint setup without switching to Texture Paint mode.
Slicer Info
Appears (collapsed) when slicer-specific data was detected on import. Shows the source slicer name, application metadata, BambuStudio format version if applicable, and the names of any stashed config files being carried for round-trip. Read-only — the stashed configs are managed automatically.
Triangle Sets
Triangle Sets let you assign names to groups of faces for the 3MF Triangle Sets Extension. They show up in the slicer as named regions and export as s:trianglesets extension data.
The workflow uses Blender's native face sets in Sculpt mode.
Creating Triangle Sets
- Switch to Sculpt mode on the mesh.
- Use Blender's face set tools to define your regions — the W menu in Sculpt mode has face set creation options. Blender assigns a numeric ID to each set automatically.
- Open the Triangle Sets sub-panel in the 3MF tab. It only appears in Sculpt mode when face set data is present.
Naming Face Sets
The panel shows a row for each face set ID with its current name and face count.
- Unnamed sets show a warning indicator.
- Click the pencil icon next to any set to rename it.
- Clear All Names removes all custom names from the mesh.
Renaming stores the mapping in a 3mf_triangle_set_names property on the mesh — it doesn't change the underlying face sets, just what they're called in the exported file.
Export Behavior
Named triangle sets export via the s extension namespace in Standard 3MF format. They round-trip cleanly: import a file with triangle sets and the panel will already be populated with the names and assignments from the original file.