Infill Calculator

A 3D-printed part's material and strength come from two structurally different regions that this calculator treats separately: solid outer walls (the perimeters that define the part's visible surface) and a partially filled interior lattice (the infill). Wall volume is estimated by approximating the model as a cube of equivalent volume — a reasonable simplification for a rough estimate, since exact wall volume depends on the model's real geometry in ways a single volume number can't capture — then multiplying that cube's surface area by your wall thickness. Infill volume is simpler: it's the remaining interior volume multiplied directly by your chosen infill percentage, then adjusted by a pattern efficiency factor, since not every infill geometry uses material with equal efficiency for the density it achieves.

Gyroid infill uses about 5% more material than a basic grid pattern for the same percentage setting because its continuous curved surfaces trace a longer path than straight rectilinear lines, while honeycomb uses about 5% less material thanks to its naturally efficient hexagonal cell structure — the same geometric property that makes honeycomb an efficient material structure in nature and engineering generally. Strength score reflects that infill percentage isn't the only lever on part strength: pattern geometry matters too, so this calculator boosts the effective strength contribution for gyroid (which distributes load in every direction) and honeycomb (strong under compression) above what the same percentage of basic grid infill would provide, capping the final score at 10. Material savings compares your infill-optimized weight against a fully solid print at 100% material, which is exactly the tradeoff infill exists to make — the vast majority of prints don't need to be solid to serve their function, and printing hollow with the right infill saves substantial material and print time for a proportionally small loss in strength.