PrintStream vs. Forma3D

PrintStream offers extensive management capabilities for Bambu and a variety of 3D printers, whether for individual devices or larger farm operations. Users can easily supervise printing tasks, track temperatures, view camera feeds, and receive notifications, while maintaining control over printers, managing a versioned library of prints, and effectively scheduling jobs. The platform comes with integrated plugins that allow for editing 3D models, slicing within the app, calibrating and tracking filament, and sending maintenance reminders, firmware updates, and alerts, all seamlessly connected to Home Assistant. Its Pro version further expands these functionalities, introducing shared print queues, production orders, and team member management features. Comprehensive print history and workspace analytics provide valuable insights into performance and usage patterns. Accessing PrintStream can be done through a web browser or installed applications on Windows, Linux, and Android systems, each offering native notifications and facilitating the direct import of MakerWorld/Printables downloads into the user's library. Users can choose between hosted cloud options or self-hosting on Windows, Linux, or Docker, ensuring their model and print files are securely stored on their own hardware, even when leveraging cloud solutions. Free plans are offered for personal, non-commercial projects, while Pro and Lifetime licenses are designed to meet the needs of businesses. Additionally, a public 3MF editor is available at no cost and without the need for an account, allowing anyone to easily venture into 3D printing. This diverse range of features and flexibility positions PrintStream as an essential tool for enthusiasts and professionals, enhancing their overall 3D printing experience. Ultimately, it empowers users to maximize their productivity while enjoying an intuitive interface.

Most 3D software assumes a workstation. Forma3D assumes a phone: a native iOS/iPadOS app covering the full 3D print prep cycle — modeling, sculpting, scanning, painting, repair, and slicer-ready export — completely offline. Model from scratch: primitives, 3D text, curve tubes, sketches that extrude into solids, photo-to-relief, lithophanes, SVG tracing, plus procedural bolts, screws, gears, and racks. Edit like a desktop editor: vertex/edge/face access, extrude, inset, bevel, mirror, revolve, bridge, remesh, simplify, subdivide, curve-driven bend. Manifold CSG booleans give watertight results; nine cut profiles split meshes precisely. Sculpt with eleven brushes (clay, smooth, inflate, pinch, crease, masking) across multiresolution levels with symmetry and matcap — Metal compute strokes modulated by Apple Pencil pressure. Paint per-face colors for multi-filament output; the exported 3MF embeds colors plus real slicer settings — layer height, infill, supports, brim, ironing, seam, printer profile — so Bambu Studio and Creality Print assign AMS filaments automatically. Files travel iPhone → MakerWorld → Bambu Handy with no computer. Scan objects via LiDAR + Object Capture at three quality levels. Verify printability with an overhang heatmap; split large models into parts with tongue-groove/peg-and-socket joints; repair holes via bridging and grid fill; measure and scale in millimeters. STL, 3MF, USDZ, ZIP, SVG I/O; encrypted projects, autosave, unlimited undo; 8 X-Ray styles incl. live section cut; ortho/perspective cameras; 43 Blender-style hotkeys; hierarchical objects panel with drag-and-drop; Apple Pencil hover and squeeze gestures; guided tutorials and 16 UI languages. Free download with 3-day trial; subscription or lifetime license.