1.0 BETA · WINDOWS

FDM tree supports.
Resin-fine tips.

TrestleFDM grows sturdy filament trees under your miniature and lets them touch it only through a fine resin-style tip. They hold every overhang and snap off with a tiny mark. Export a 3MF and print it in any slicer.

Instant download · No install · Works with Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer, PrusaSlicer and Cura

Dwarf warrior tilted back 40 degrees on TrestleFDM tree supports: the face is free, thick orange trunks hold the back and the axes
Tilted back like a resin print: no supports on the face, 0 unsupported spots, generated in 7 seconds.

The best of both support styles

FDM supports are strong but leave scars. Resin supports leave tiny marks but snap on a filament printer. TrestleFDM combines the two.

Slicer tree supports

Strong, but wide contact areas leave rough patches on faces, fingers and hair.

Resin-style supports

Tiny marks, but long thin pins break as soon as the nozzle brushes them.

TrestleFDM

Thick filament trunks and branches, and only the last fraction of a millimetre is a fine tip.

Close-up under the tilted dwarf: branches merge into thick trunks, each ending in a fine contact tip on the back and the axe
Branches merge into thick trunks. Only the small cone at the end touches the model.

Built for miniatures on FDM printers

Every default was measured on real slicer G-code and test prints, not guessed.

Hybrid tree supports

Branches merge into trunks that thicken as they descend, on wide feet that do not snap at the base. Only the tip is thin.

Layer-by-layer contact check

The print is simulated layer by layer to find islands, hanging edges, corners of flat faces and the bottom line of arms and legs. You get the fewest contacts that still print clean.

Reaches the tight spots

Inside a mouth, between teeth or under a chin, a support can stand on the model. It ends on a fine tip too, so it leaves only a small mark.

Edit by hand

Left click to add a point and right click to remove one, with a live preview of the pin. Undo and redo cover every step.

Orient, scale, repair

Find the best face to lay the model on, rotate it with handles, scale it in mm or %, and repair broken meshes in one click.

Any slicer

Exports one 3MF with the model, supports and raft. In Bambu Studio and OrcaSlicer the supports bring their own print settings. Opens in PrusaSlicer and Cura too.

See it in action

Open a model, generate, and check every support in a fast 3D viewer that handles millions of triangles.

TrestleFDM window: model settings on the left, 3D view with generated supports, support settings on the right

Inside the app

A closer look at what TrestleFDM does for you, and what you can control.

Underside of a test shelf: blue dots on every corner, green dots in rows along each hanging edge and spread over the flat face

Finds the edges that would sag

FDM prints fail first at the edges: the outer wall of a layer reaching over nothing. TrestleFDM slices your model layer by layer, finds every hanging edge and corner, and puts contacts right on them, with an even spread across flat faces.

  • Corners of flat faces always get a point
  • Rows of points along hanging edges, then across the face
  • Islands, where a print starts in the air, are never skipped
The same test shelf held by orange tree supports ending in fine tips along its edges

Then grows the trees

Every contact gets a fine tip, the tips merge into branches and the branches into thick trunks on wide feet. Flat shelves, round discs and long overhangs all get the same treatment.

Back of the dwarf miniature with contact dots coloured by reason and a colour key in the corner

See every contact, and why it is there

Turn on Show contact dots to see each point colour-coded by the reason it was placed, with a key and a count for every colour. Points that are not needed are left out, so you get clean prints with fewer marks.

Basic settings: overhang angle, support density, support thickness, raft, braces, supports touching the model, manual points only Advanced settings: contact pins, detection, tree, feet, braces and raft parameters

Simple by default, every setting if you want it

The Basic tab covers what most prints need: overhang angle, density, trunk thickness, raft, braces and whether supports may stand on the model. Manual points only lets you place every contact yourself.

The Advanced tab opens every engine setting, from tip size and pin length to branch angle, foot size and raft margins. Changed values turn amber, and one click resets them.

Three steps to a print-ready file

No Blender, no add-ons, no setup. Unzip and run.

Open your model

STL, OBJ or 3MF. Pick the 0.2 or 0.4 mm nozzle preset and a density: Light, Normal or Dense.

Generate supports

Usually seconds, even on detailed miniatures. Add or remove points by hand if you want.

Export and slice

Export a 3MF, or open it straight in Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer, PrusaSlicer or Cura. Keep the slicer's own supports off.

Nothing hidden

If a spot would print in the air, TrestleFDM marks it in red and tells you why. Some spots can only be held by a support standing on the model, and the status bar offers to fix them in one click.

TrestleFDM icon

TrestleFDM 1.0 beta

US$7+ pay what you want

US$7 minimum, one-time. Pay more if you want to support development.

  • Windows app and command-line tool
  • 0.2 and 0.4 mm nozzle presets
  • 3MF and STL export for any slicer
  • No install, no account, works offline
  • Instant download (0.5 MB ZIP)
Buy now — from US$7

Secure checkout by Payhip. Card or PayPal.

FAQ

Do I need Blender or another program?

No. TrestleFDM is a standalone Windows program. It only needs your slicer to print the file it exports.

Which slicers does it work with?

Any slicer that opens 3MF or STL. It is tested with Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer, PrusaSlicer and UltiMaker Cura. In Bambu Studio and OrcaSlicer the supports and raft also bring their own print settings. Turn off the slicer's own supports, because the supports are already in the file.

Does it work with a 0.4 mm nozzle?

Yes. Pick the 0.4 preset and TrestleFDM sizes the tips and the layer check for that nozzle (0.12 mm layers by default). The 0.2 preset is for the finest miniatures.

What do I need to run it?

Windows 10 or 11. There is nothing to install: unzip and run TrestleFDM.exe. A graphics card makes the viewer smoother, but it is not required.

Mac or Linux?

Not yet. TrestleFDM is Windows only for now.

What does “beta” mean here?

The support engine is tested on real prints and real slicer G-code, but this is the first public release. If something does not work on your model, email me and I will look at it.