Why duplicate print files are so easy to accumulate
A model downloaded twice does not look like a duplicate on disk. The second copy arrives as benchy(1).stl, or inside a folder named after the listing rather than the model, or as part of a bundle that repackages files you already had. Filenames diverge; contents do not.
That is why this tool compares file contents. Two files are reported as copies only when every byte matches, so a renamed file is still caught and a genuinely revised version is not falsely flagged.
How the comparison works
Files are grouped by size first. Two files cannot be identical unless they are the same length, so only the size collisions are read and fingerprinted with a SHA-256 hash. On a large library that avoids reading the overwhelming majority of files at all, which is what keeps a scan of several thousand models quick.
Files larger than 512 MB are listed but not compared, and are reported as not compared rather than quietly assumed unique.
Where the previews come from
3MF files and most sliced G-code already contain a preview image written by your slicer, so the embedded image is read directly. STL files contain no preview at all — that is why they show as blank icons in a file browser — so the mesh is read and rendered here instead. Previews are generated only for files as they scroll into view.
Getting from the export back to the actual file
The CSV lists each file’s folder and path, a duplicate_group number so you can see which rows are copies of each other rather than just how many exist, and — if you fill in the folder location field — a full path and a clickable file:// link.
That field is needed because a browser is not allowed to tell a web page where a folder lives on disk. It only ever sees paths relative to the folder you picked. Pasting the location once is what lets the export turn models/benchy.stl into a real, openable path.
The links open from Excel, LibreOffice, and by pasting into File Explorer or Finder. Google Sheets blocks file:// links as a security measure, so there they appear as plain text you can still copy. Every card also has a copy-path button, which is usually the quickest route: copy, then paste into your file manager’s address bar.
Is anything uploaded?
No. The scan, the previews, and the duplicate comparison all happen in your browser. No file contents, filenames, or folder paths are sent anywhere, and there is nothing to sign up for. Closing the tab discards everything.
What this tool deliberately does not do
It will not delete anything. It shows you what is duplicated, how many copies exist, and how much space you would get back, then leaves the deleting to you in your own file manager. A tool that scans a whole drive should not also be the thing that removes files from it.
Which file types are supported
STL, 3MF, OBJ, STEP, and G-code are scanned and compared. Previews are available for STL, 3MF, and G-code; OBJ and STEP are listed and compared but shown with a file-type badge rather than a rendered preview.
From a tidy folder to a shop that knows what it can print
Organizing files answers where a model is. It does not answer the more useful question: can I actually print it right now? That depends on the filament on your shelves, which printer is free, and what the job costs against what it sells for.
Makeratory connects filament inventory, printers, product recipes, production, and cost so that question has an answer. The free calculators and guides here stay free and account-free regardless.
Estimate filament left on a spool → · Price a print → · Start a free workspace →