Hi guys, I have a problem with the previews of the icons in Bambo Studio projects. It no longer lets me see the preview of Bambo Studio files, but it does show the previews of STL or other files. Do you know how to fix this? Thanks to anyone who can help me.
bye
I think you will need to tell us what “It” is so that we know where you are looking.
A simple first test is to press F5 in Windows Explorer.
If the thumbnail still does not appear, the file association for that extension may be broken.
Right-click the file and open Properties, or select it and press Alt+Enter. Then click Change and assign the file type to a program that can display it. It does not need to be 3D Viewer. Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer, or any other program with a built-in model viewer should work.
In my example below, the 3MF files were not showing thumbnails. That was because I had recently cleared the thumbnail cache during Disk Cleanup. Before taking this screenshot, I reassigned STL files to Windows 3D Builder. Not every system has that installed, and it may no longer be available from the Microsoft Store.
I then switched the association back to 3D Viewer, which also provides a preview animation for STL files. That extra feature is optional. The important part is simply assigning the file type to a compatible viewer.
It is the folder that contains the bambustudio projects
Windows? Mac? Linux? Explorer? Finder? Dolphin? Nemo? Other?
Hi, is windows 11.
bye bye
Hi, thanks for your reply. I tested your solution but it only works for STL files. It is still useful for 3MF files. It doesn’t work, or rather, it doesn’t show the preview on the icon, but in the preview pane this is still inconvenient because the previews on the icon are convenient for finding the file immediately. Thanks anyway. I’m attaching an image of the folder. Bye.
I can already see several issues here. It looks like your file associations may have been overwritten by applications that cannot properly display these file types in File Explorer.
However, it is very difficult for people to help you if you keep posting new questions without providing the information that has already been requested.
Please provide the following:
On my system, OrcaSlicer is the default app for 3MF files.
For STL files, Microsoft 3D Viewer is the default app.
We are trying to identify how your system became misconfigured in the first place.
If we can see which program is currently assigned to STL and 3MF files, we may be able to determine which application overwrote your settings and caused File Explorer thumbnails to stop working. Knowing the root cause will help you to identify if this happens again and will provide you with a remedy that will allow you to fix it going forward.
hi, thank you for you patient….
a screenshot of my folder view options
for 3MF files.
For STL files,
bye
Well, there is your likely answer.
Formlabs PreFormLauncher appears to have been installed or updated after Bambu Studio. That likely changed the file association for one or more 3D file types, and it may also have affected thumbnail or preview handling.
You have a few options:
Change the file association manually
Set the affected file type back to Bambu Studio and then test whether thumbnails return.
Repair or reinstall Bambu Studio
This may restore its file associations and related handlers, but it is not guaranteed. If you do this, export your profiles first if you know how, so you do not risk losing them.
Install another slicer such as OrcaSlicer
That may re-register the file type. After that, you can test whether thumbnails work and decide whether to keep it installed.
Another option is to use a dedicated 3D preview utility. F3D supports many 3D formats and can help fill in gaps where Windows or slicers do a poor job with thumbnails and previews.
That said, I would first test the file association fix before adding another program.
In Windows, there is a difference between a preview and a thumbnail icon. The preview handler provides the sample image in the right-hand preview pane of an Explorer window. The thumbnail generator replaces the file type’s default application icon with an icon-sized picture of the model. The preview handler and the thumbnail generator for a file type can be different, and may be unrelated to the default application.
The file types I use most for 3D printing are .step, .stl, and .3mf. Only .3mf has any preview and thumbnail support, and that may disappear in a few months. Windows Powertoys can be installed to add .stl support, but it offers nothing for .step files. I’ve installed the F3D app, which provides preview support for all three types, and thumbnails for .stl, step, and generic .3mf files. I still need the Microsoft handler to see Studio .3mf previews.
I have not found any way to see thumbnails for .3mf project files saved by Studio or OrcaSlicer. Previews are shown. I have thumbnails for .3mfs exported by Fusion or Onshape, or exported from Studio as a Generic .3mf, but I never have a thumbnail for a file saved as a Studio .3mf. Open a generic .3mf (with thumbnail) in Studio, make no changes, save the project, and the thumbnail changes to the Studio icon. Neither will the F3D viewer open a Studio .3mf for viewing.
I have tried to compare project files, but I cannot detect the difference between a generic and a Studio .3mf.
It also looks like Visualizzatore 3D (a 3d viewer) took over the 3mf file association.
Translated from Italian it means: 3D Viewer. That’s the default Microsoft app.
I wondered about that but I was also seeing it being described as a different program, but then that might have just the general term of “3d viewer” triggering that.
And was wondering about the OP statement “but it does show the previews of STL or other files”
which makes it sound like (to me) that viewing stl files was not an issue.. I do realize there is probably a few language layers here.
Teseoo, in your file manager do you have View for that folder set to icons or list or details?
This is set to Details
Changeing to large Icons
Shows this
Edit: Changeing the View to Tiles will also display images.
Unfortunately, I’ve already tried all the options, but the icons don’t appear. The thumbnail icons for projects created by bambustudio aren’t visible. I have no problem with the STL files; the thumbnail icons are visible. This is very annoying.
hi
yes of course I did this, I can’t understand how they appear on you… what version of Windows is it?
hi
This is windows 10. The properties on my 3mf files show they are associated with Bambu Studio, not 3d viewer. (Apri con bambu Studio)
I tried with bambu studio orca slicer 3d viewer and f3d, but nothing…..
You are running out of practical options.
The Windows Explorer issue you are describing has specific remedies that were already mentioned above. If those did not work, then the next reasonable step is to uninstall and reinstall all 3D printer-related applications that may have changed your file associations, preview handlers, or thumbnail handlers.
If that does not work, the remaining option is the nuclear one: reset or reinstall Windows 10. Since Windows 10 is now out of mainstream support, that requires more system-level Windows skill than you have shown so far in this thread.
Before you start uninstalling everything manually, use Revo Uninstaller Free instead. It is a deeper uninstaller tool that can remove leftover files, folders, and registry entries that normal uninstallers often leave behind.
Do not skip the “Create Restore Point” step. That gives you a way to roll back if the cleanup causes unwanted side effects.
Be careful where you click on the Revo site. They make it easy to land on the trial download instead of the free version, especially if English is not your first language.
Revo Uninstaller Free:
Direct download:
https://revouninstaller.b-cdn.net/revosetup.exe
