{"slug": "forget-trees-add-fins-to-your-3d-prints-instead", "title": "Forget Trees, add Fins to your 3D Prints Instead", "summary": "Matthew Trahan released support-fins, an open-source 3D printing support tool built with assistance from Claude that generates fin-shaped supports baked directly into STL models instead of grid or organic tree supports, and it can run locally or via printfins.com. The concept was originally pitched by Slant3D, which added fin supports manually in CAD software, and Trahan's version aims to use as little material as possible while snapping off cleanly, with optional tines to reinforce the connection to the model. Trahan said the fins may eventually be offered as a slicer plugin rather than a one-time STL modification.", "body_md": "Perhaps one of the most contentious issues in 3D printing is that of supports, both because they’re an uncomfortable reminder of how gravity affects our prints and because the very idea of there being ‘one right way’ is bound to get you into some spirited discussions. That said, [Matthew Trahan] figured that neither regular grid supports nor organic tree supports are the answer here, and [that the better answer is found in fins](https://github.com/gittrahan/support-fins).\n\nThe problem with existing support approaches especially with FDM prints is that they can be fairly wasteful in terms of material, and they can leave serious marks on the printed object’s surface that require post-processing. These fins on the other hand are designed to require as little material as possible and snap off as cleanly as possible. The tool, developed with the assistance of Claude, can either run locally or be accessed via [printfins.com](https://printfins.com/).\n\nCurrently the idea is that these fins are baked directly into the STL model so that it’s a one-time thing, but it may eventually become available as a slicer plugin. The basic concept was pitched by [Slant3D], who gets credited in the video below, although in their approach they used CAD software to add the fin supports manually.\n\nThe fins are there to provide the support base, while small tines can be added to reinforce the connection to the model. These do make it it less easy to snap off with minimal scarring, of course. Conceivably these fins could be made even more light-weight by adding gaps, but that probably would add to the print time.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/forget-trees-add-fins-to-your-3d-prints-instead", "canonical_source": "https://hackaday.com/2026/09/23/forget-trees-add-fins-to-your-3d-prints-instead/", "published_at": "2026-09-23 17:00:20+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-09-23 17:28:39.443114+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-tools", "generative-ai"], "entities": ["Matthew Trahan", "Claude", "Slant3D", "support-fins", "printfins.com", "GitHub"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/forget-trees-add-fins-to-your-3d-prints-instead", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/forget-trees-add-fins-to-your-3d-prints-instead.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/forget-trees-add-fins-to-your-3d-prints-instead.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/forget-trees-add-fins-to-your-3d-prints-instead.jsonld"}}