Creallo Atlas user guide
A walk through the main features and how to use them. Most of them run locally on your own PC, with no sign-in.
01 Getting started
Installing
Windows, macOS and Linux are all supported. The download button on the home page gives you the installer built for the system you are on. Once installed, the program updates itself to the latest version whenever it starts.
Opening a file
Drag and drop a 3D file onto the window and it loads immediately. You can also pick one with the ‘open’ icon in the toolbar. To open files with a double-click, set Creallo Atlas as the default app under Settings → File association.
Formats it can open
.step.stp.iges.igs.brep.brp
.stl.obj.ply.off.3mf.glb.gltf
02 Navigating the screen
Mouse controls (orbit · pan · zoom)
To match the mouse preset of the CAD you came from, change it under [Settings → Interface].
Orbit
Left-click and drag
Pan
Drag with the wheel (middle button)
Zoom
Scroll the wheel
Display modes
Four shading modes.
Shaded Ctrl + 4
Renders surfaces alone, with no outlines.
Shaded with edges Ctrl + 6
Outline edges drawn over the surfaces, so shapes read clearly.
Hidden lines Ctrl + 5
Edges behind the part projected as dashed lines, revealing the internal structure.
Wireframe Ctrl + 7
Surfaces hidden, leaving only the wireframe of edges.
The part tree
Load an assembly and the part tree is built on the right automatically. The original part names and colours carry over intact, and visibility, colour and transparency can be controlled per component.
Dimensions panel
Bounding box, volume, surface area, polygon (triangle) and vertex counts for the selected part are totalled live. Select several parts and the combined figures are calculated at once.
03 Measuring dimensions
Four precision measurement modes. Pick one in the tool panel on the right, then click a point or a face on the model and the value appears at once.
Distance
The shortest straight-line distance between two picked points.
Wall thickness
The true material thickness between two opposing surfaces.
Gap / clearance
The open distance and play between separate parts.
Diameter / radius
Diameter of circular holes and cylindrical faces, and radius of curvature.
04 Defect inspection
Cross-section
Cutting planes on the X, Y and Z axes give you a live cross-section of the internal geometry. Drag the slider handle to move the cut and flip which side is kept, so internal voids, undercuts and interference are plain to see.
Wall thickness check Shift + W
Areas below the threshold are visualised as a colour map on the model surface. The map responds live to the minimum and maximum thickness you set, so it reveals under-fill risks in injection moulding and fragile spots in 3D printing before you commit to a part.
Mesh diagnosis
Analyses and marks open edges (unclosed geometry), flipped normals, non-manifold edges and self-intersections. It is the check to run on mesh (STL) data before it goes into a manufacturing process.
05 Part transform
Control the position and angle of the selected part precisely. As well as mouse control, numeric entry places it at exactly the position and angle you want.
Rotate R
In the rotate panel, enter the rotation angle for each of the X, Y and Z axes in degrees. With several parts selected, they rotate together about the centre of the selected group.
Translate T
In the translate panel, enter the travel along the X, Y and Z axes in millimetres. Use it to fine-tune assembly tolerances and clearances between parts, or to align to the origin (0,0,0) and place on the base plate.
06 Exporting files
Export in STL and STEP formats. Save the whole assembly, or select individual components in the part tree and extract them as separate files.
These need a Creallo account
The three sections below require you to sign in with a Creallo account. Everything else runs on your own computer without signing in.
07 Mesh repair (Auto Fix)
Auto fix
Repairs the geometric errors found by the mesh diagnosis in one click. It closes open edges (holes), aligns flipped normals, and cleans up non-manifold edges and duplicate triangles. Run the diagnosis again afterwards to verify the result.
Self-intersection
Detects the sections where surfaces pass through or interlock with each other and rebuilds them into a valid solid mesh. Self-intersections left in place cause volume and slicing errors, which feed straight into the cost estimate and print quality.
Split & merge
Splits several shells that sit physically apart inside one file into independent parts. The other way round, separate parts can be merged into a single mesh group — useful for pulling just the components that need machining out of an assembly model.
09 Cost estimate
Open a 3D model, press the estimate button, and the three main processes — 3D printing, CNC and vacuum casting — are priced side by side on one screen. The original 3D CAD file never leaves your machine; only the geometric values the estimate needs, such as volume and surface area, are processed.
- These are reference figures for a quantity of one, derived from geometry (excluding VAT, delivery, post-processing, minimum order value and lead time).
- A firm quotation, a detailed DFM review and the order itself continue on the Creallo platform. Orders are not placed from inside the program.
Need more help?
If the guide did not answer it, or you have a feature request or a fault to report, get in touch any time.