Plan your SVG to STEP / STP project
Bring a vector outline into a CAD workflow as an extruded solid. Set physical dimensions and region heights before export. Increase curve detail for smoother segmented outlines when your source includes curves.
A practical starting project is a logo insert or spacer modeled from a closed SVG outline. First establish the intended overall size, then decide which regions need their own height. Inspect a first export in the receiving application before adding more detail. This catches unit interpretation and disconnected geometry early, when correcting the source is easier.
Prepare SVG paths for a solid model
SVG is a useful starting point for icons, logos, signs, and outlined lettering. Export actual vector paths from your drawing tool and keep a copy of the editable original. Convert live text to outlines so the same shapes are available without installing fonts. Expand symbols and resolve clipping masks before conversion. Filled shapes and visible strokes can define geometry, but a linked bitmap remains an image and is omitted rather than traced into a three-dimensional surface.
When an SVG includes physical width and height, those dimensions guide its initial scale. Without explicit physical units, the converter uses 96 pixels per inch. A 96-unit drawing therefore should not be assumed to be 96 millimeters wide. Compare a known feature with the displayed size and set the intended width if needed. For artwork with several disconnected marks, inspect whether you want individual pieces or a shared backing before choosing your export settings.
Use STEP solids for CAD exchange
STEP and STP are two filename extensions for the same exchange format. TinyJig writes a .stp file with solid CAD geometry and explicit millimeter units. It is not an STL mesh renamed with another extension. However, the vector import approximates curved outlines with straight segments at the selected curve-detail setting. The resulting CAD solid does not recover original analytic circles, Illustrator layers, sketch constraints, or a parametric feature history.
Inspect the imported solid in your CAD system before using it in an assembly or sending it to a supplier. Pay attention to small holes, segmented curved edges, and the overall bounding dimensions. Increasing curve detail can improve the silhouette at the cost of a larger, more complex solid. This converter creates extrusions; if your part needs straight sheet-metal bends, internal tabs, or added flanges, use the dedicated sheet-metal workspace and export the formed model from there. Supplier acceptance depends on the actual geometry and their current requirements.
Set the physical size before adding depth
A vector can look the same on screen at many different sizes. Before extruding it, choose a display unit and check the overall width against a known measurement from your source drawing. TinyJig keeps width and height proportional, so changing one dimension scales the outline rather than stretching it. The measurements describe the imported artwork, which can occupy less space than its original artboard. Use the top view to inspect the outline and its width and height dimension lines without perspective distortion.
Dimension fields accept ordinary numbers, fractions, and arithmetic with units. For example, 1 3/4 in and 1 + 3/4in both describe one and three-quarter inches; 3mm + 1 in combines metric and imperial lengths. A number without a unit uses the field’s selected display unit. Check the evaluated value before continuing. Switching the display unit changes how the measurement is shown, rather than intentionally resizing the part. Physical scale should also be checked after importing the downloaded model into another application.
Build height with regions and a backing plate
The default extrusion gives every region a starting height. Open a region’s controls to override that value for raised lettering, recessed-looking backgrounds, or stepped details. Select several regions together when they need the same height. A height override remains independent of later default-height changes until you choose the option to use the default again. This makes a two-level badge easier to adjust: change the background once, then change its raised details as a group.
Separate letters and islands remain separate pieces unless geometry connects them. A backing plate can join those islands into a single object. With a plate enabled, region extrusion heights are measured above the plate, so its thickness contributes to the total model height. Combining solids unites overlapping geometry; it cannot bridge an empty gap by itself. Hide a region to exclude it temporarily, or delete an unwanted region from the document. Undo lets you recover an accidental edit while the workspace remains open.
Inspect holes, curves, and orientation
A hole must be represented by the source geometry, usually an inner contour or a compound path. Painting a white shape over another shape is a visual design technique, not a reliable way to define a through-hole. Inspect the imported regions before giving them depth, then orbit the solid to check both faces. If a letter’s counter or a mounting hole is filled, correct the contour relationship in the source drawing and import it again.
Curve detail controls how curved outlines are approximated. More detail can produce a smoother silhouette, but also increases geometry size and conversion work. Start with a moderate setting and inspect small circles and tight corners at their intended physical size. Rotation around Z turns the artwork in its flat XY plane; extrusion extends in the perpendicular direction. Camera dragging changes your view of the model, rather than the physical orientation of its exported geometry.
Review the downloaded model in its destination
Export is one step in a larger design workflow. Open the result in your slicer, CAD application, or 3D viewer and compare its bounding dimensions with TinyJig’s measurements. Check that holes remain open, separate pieces are intentional, and the total height includes any backing plate. A successful download confirms that a file was generated; it does not establish print strength, machining tolerances, or approval by a fabrication service. Those choices depend on your material, process, and destination application.