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Projects & Sub-Projects

Projects are the core organizational unit in LayerNexus. They group parts, documents, hardware, and print jobs into a manageable hierarchy.

Creating Projects

  1. Go to Projects in the navigation bar.
  2. Click New Project.
  3. Fill in the details:
Field Description
Name Project name (required)
Description Optional description or notes
Cover Image Optional cover image displayed in lists and detail views
Default Slicer Profile Optional default OrcaSlicer profile for all parts
  1. Click Save.

Cover Images

Projects support cover images that are displayed in:

  • Project list (card headers)
  • Project detail view
  • Sub-project tables

You can upload an image file or paste from the clipboard — the upload form includes JavaScript-powered clipboard paste support.

Sub-Projects

Projects can contain sub-projects, creating a hierarchy with quantity multipliers.

Example

Quadcopter (×1)
├── Motor Mount (×4)
│   ├── mount_base.stl (×1) → effective: 4
│   └── mount_cap.stl (×1) → effective: 4
├── Frame Arm (×4)
│   └── arm.stl (×1) → effective: 4
└── Controller Case (×1)
    ├── case_top.stl (×1) → effective: 1
    └── case_bottom.stl (×1) → effective: 1

How Quantity Multipliers Work

Each sub-project has a quantity field. The effective quantity of parts is calculated recursively:

  • A part with quantity 1 in a sub-project with quantity 4 has an effective quantity of 4.
  • Multipliers compound across nesting levels.

This affects:

  • Filament calculations — total filament usage accounts for effective quantities
  • Cost estimates — costs multiply with effective quantities
  • Hardware requirements — hardware counts multiply with effective quantities

Creating Sub-Projects

  1. Open a parent project.
  2. Click Add Sub-Project.
  3. Set the name, quantity, and other details.
  4. The sub-project appears in the parent's detail view.

Parts Management

Parts represent individual 3D-printable components within a project.

Adding Parts

  1. Open a project.
  2. Click Add Part.
  3. Fill in the details:
Field Description
Name Part name
STL File Upload the STL file
Quantity Number of copies needed
Color Part color (auto-populated from Spoolman)
Material Filament material (auto-populated from Spoolman)
Filament Usage Estimated filament in grams (updated after slicing)
  1. Click Save.

3D Preview

After uploading an STL file, you can view a 3D preview directly in the browser using the built-in Three.js viewer. Rotate, zoom, and pan to inspect the model.

Hardware Parts Catalog

LayerNexus includes a reusable hardware catalog for non-printed components.

Hardware Categories

Hardware parts are organized into categories:

  • Screws, Nuts, Bolts
  • Motors, Electronics
  • Bearings, Linear rails
  • And more

Adding Hardware to Projects

  1. Open a project.
  2. Navigate to the Hardware section.
  3. Click Add Hardware.
  4. Select from the hardware catalog or create a new hardware part.
  5. Set the quantity and any project-specific notes.

Hardware costs are included in the project's total cost calculation.

Project Documents

Attach files to projects for reference documentation.

Supported File Types

Type Extensions
Documents .pdf, .txt
Markup .md (Markdown)
Images .png, .jpg, .svg
CAD .step, .dxf

File Size Limit

The maximum file size for project documents is 75 MB.

Uploading Documents

  1. Open a project.
  2. Navigate to the Documents section.
  3. Click Upload Document.
  4. Select the file and click Upload.

Cost Estimation

LayerNexus calculates costs across the entire project hierarchy, including sub-projects.

Cost Components

Component Source
Filament cost Based on filament usage per part and spool pricing
Electricity cost From printer cost profiles
Depreciation From printer cost profiles
Maintenance From printer cost profiles
Hardware cost From hardware catalog pricing

Costs are aggregated recursively across sub-projects, respecting quantity multipliers.

Next Steps