What is a .THING file?
A .THING file is a type of 3D model file that is specifically used with MakerBot Desktop software. This software is designed to help users prepare and send their 3D models to a 3D printer for printing. The .THING file acts like a box that can hold several .STL files inside it. These .STL files are the actual 3D models that you want to print. By putting them in a .THING file, you can arrange multiple models to be printed at the same time, exactly how you want them to be positioned.
Inside the .THING file, there is also something called an XML manifest. Think of this as a list or a map that tells the MakerBot Desktop software what's inside the box (the .THING file) and how everything should be arranged for printing.
One of the cool things about .THING files is that they use Zip compression. This means that all the .STL files and the XML manifest inside the .THING file are squished together to take up less space on your computer, just like when you zip a bunch of files together to make them easier to send over email.
If you want to open a .THING file, you need to use the MakerBot Desktop software. This software understands how to unpack the .THING file, read the XML manifest, and show you all the .STL files arranged for printing. Plus, if you need to make any changes to how the models are arranged or to the models themselves, you can do that in MakerBot Desktop before you send everything off to your 3D printer.
In summary, a .THING file is a special file used in 3D printing to hold and arrange multiple 3D models (.STL files) together. It's mainly opened and used with MakerBot Desktop software, which lets you prepare your models for printing in a very convenient way.
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