Today, we’re doing something ridiculous, magical, and even a little Hobbit-adjacent—we’re 3D printing a life-size halfling. Yep, you heard that right. One-to-one scale. This walkthrough is perfect if you’ve ever wanted to print something bigger than your build plate and actually have it work. Whether you’re printing heroes, goblins, or giant gelatinous cubes, the process is the same. Let’s break it down.
Why Print a Life-Size Halfling?
If you’re new to D&D, halflings are the fun-sized, barefoot badasses of the fantasy world. They’re confident, poised, sneaky, and honestly, just awesome. But even a halfling—at a one-to-one scale—is way too big for most 3D printers. Unless your printer is the size of a refrigerator (or you’re an actual wizard), you’re going to need to get creative.
That’s where Bambu Lab Studio comes in. Using tools like cutting planes, alignment pins, and smart orientation, you can slice your model up like a heroic, barefoot pie—and reassemble it cleanly and easily.
Step-by-Step: How to Cut Large Models in Bambu Lab Studio
Here’s how I broke down a life-size halfling into printable parts using Bambu Lab Studio.
1. Import and Scale Your Model
Start by importing your STL file into Bambu Lab Studio. Then scale it up to 1200%, or whatever it takes to get your model to life-size. As expected, it’ll be way too big for the build plate—but that’s the point.
2. Plan Your Cuts Wisely
Before cutting anything, examine the model carefully. Look for logical seam lines—places where cuts won’t be too noticeable, like:
• Shoulders
• Waist
• Joints (knees, elbows)
• Edges of props (like weapons)
The goal is minimal post-processing pain. Think like a wizard with OCD—your future self will thank you.
3. Use the Cut Tool + Add Connectors
Click on the Cut tool and start making your slices. When slicing:
• Angle the cut to avoid awkward surfaces
• Make sure nothing weird (like fingers or hair) gets unintentionally chopped
Then, click Add Connector. I recommend square pegs—20mm x 20mm is a sweet spot for stability and ease of use. This ensures your parts snap together firmly when printed.
4. Rinse and Repeat
After each cut, move the part to a new build plate. Keep going until every section of the model fits comfortably on your printer’s bed. I ended up with 11 build plates for this halfling, but depending on the model and your layout, you might use more or less.
Pro tip: Combine smaller parts onto one plate to speed things up.
5. Print and Assemble
Once everything is sliced and prepped, start printing! When printing:
• Double-check your scale
• Keep supports light but stable
• Be careful with pins—they’re easy to misalign if you’re not paying attention
When all parts are printed, it’s go time. I was pleasantly surprised by how well everything snapped together. No sanding marathons or rage-quits required.
This process is what I use any time I’m printing something larger than my build plate—especially life-size, one-to-one scale D&D characters. It’s reliable, repeatable, and leads to clean results with minimal cleanup and easy assembly.
Whether you’re printing halflings, orcs, or dragons, mastering the slice-and-pin method in Bambu Lab Studio is a game-changer for your maker toolbox.