So, you have purchased a CAD file from 3DJewelryModels.net and you have downloaded the file. You will notice that the file is a zip file. A zip file compresses the files that are placed into it so that download times are shorter, storage is less and all your files are in one file. You need to unzip your file by extracting the files to a location on your hard drive.
Usually, inside a zip file from 3DJewelryModels.net are jpg and stl files. The jpg files are pics of the model you have purchased. The stl file is a file format native to the stereolithography CAD software created by 3D Systems. STL format is very popular and has been adopted as a go to file format to share 3D models. The STL file is used to 3D print your jewelry model.
So to get your files you will need to extract the files inside of the zip file to your hard drive. The program I use to do this is 7-Zip. It is open source and free. Nice.
You need to download the correct 32 bit or 64 bit 7-Zip program compatible with your computer’s operating system.
2. Install 7-Zip by double clicking the 7-Zip install file. Follow the instructions to install.
3. After 7-Zip is installed, you can use it by right clicking on the zip file you want to use.
4. Once you click the 7-Zip, a drop down menu will appear. From there you can open the archive to view your files, extract files or add to the zip file.
5. I tend to either use “Open Archive” or use the “Extract Here” command. “Extract Here” extracts the files into a new folder, named the same as the zip file, at the location the zip file is located. If you select “Open Archive”, the program opens the window shown below. From there you can view the contents of the zip file, extract, add, test, etc.
That’s it. Once the files are extracted, you can proceed with using the stl files as you see fit. I hope that helps.