Welcome to Runebrace
Runebrace is a dedicated support generation tool for resin 3D printing, developed by Artisan Guild. It is designed specifically for miniatures and detailed models, giving you full manual control over every support while providing smart tools to speed up the process.
With Runebrace you can load your model with a simple drag and drop, instantly visualize critical overhang areas highlighted in red, place and fine-tune supports with precision from single grounded columns to branching trees, fill areas efficiently with pattern tools like arcs and grids, hollow your model and add drainage holes, then export the fully supported mesh ready for your slicer.
The workflow is straightforward: drop your file onto Runebrace, add supports, save, and export. The supported file is saved right next to your original, no extra file dialogs needed.
This Quick Start Guide walks you through the essential steps to go from opening Runebrace to exporting your first supported model. For a complete reference of every feature, parameter, and shortcut, see the full User Manual.
Interface at a Glance
Runebrace uses a single-window layout with the 3D viewport at the center. All controls are arranged around it so you never lose sight of your model while working. Surfaces that are nearly parallel to the build plate (the most critical overhangs) are always highlighted in red by the built-in overhang shader, giving you instant visual feedback on where supports are needed.
Runebrace with a model loaded, supports placed, and the right-side parameter panel visible.
| A | Top Toolbar | File operations: Mesh Repair, New, Recent, Load, Save Project, Export Mesh. |
| B | Island Navigation | Top center. Detect unsupported islands, navigate between them, show or hide individual islands. |
| C | Right Panel | Collapsible sections for support presets and parameters, orientation tools, bracing, raft, hollowing, drainage holes, mesh tools, settings, and more. |
| D | 3D Viewport | Your model with the overhang shader (red highlights) and supports (green/yellow). Navigate with right-click to orbit, middle-click to pan, and scroll wheel to zoom. |
| E | Support Tools | Left side and bottom center. Quick-access buttons for Auto-Branch, Manual Branch, pattern tools (arc, line, fill), and more. |
| F | Help Panel | Bottom left. Tabbed reference for keyboard shortcuts organized by category: Support Creation, Support Editing, Selection, Model & Tools, Camera, Slicing, Global & I/O. |
| G | Visibility Toggles | Bottom of the right panel. Quick checkboxes for Bracings, AutoHide, Islands, Raw Normals, Lines, and Wireframe display. |
Open Your Model
The fastest way to get started is to drag and drop an STL, OBJ, or 3MF file directly onto the Runebrace window. The model loads immediately and is placed on the build plate, ready to work with. You can also click Load in the top toolbar to use a file browser.
Orient Your Model
If the model needs to be rotated before you add supports, press R to activate the rotation handles. You can then click and drag the handles to orient the model interactively. You can also use the Rotation X / Y / Z fields in the top-right area of the panel to type exact values. The Lift field raises the model above the build plate if needed.
Rotation, scaling, and lift are automatically locked once you place your first support. This prevents accidental misalignment between the model and its supports. Make sure your orientation is correct before you start supporting.
Runebrace also offers an Auto-Orient feature (in the Orientation Tools section of the right panel) that can automatically find the best rotation to minimize overhangs. This is useful for complex models where the ideal print angle is not obvious.
Detect Islands & Place Supports
Find Where Supports Are Needed
Click Detect in the Island Navigation bar at the top center of the screen. Runebrace will scan the model and mark all unsupported areas (called "islands") with colored markers. Use the arrow buttons ← and → to navigate between islands one by one, and the camera will automatically focus on each one.
Place Your First Support
Click with the left mouse button on any surface of the model to place a grounded support. The support will be created from the surface contact point down to the build plate, following the pathfinding algorithm to find the best route. The size of the support is determined by the currently active preset shown in the right panel.
Use Auto-Branch for Overhangs
Once you have some supports in the scene, press F1 to activate Auto-Branch mode. When you click on the model, Runebrace will try to connect the new support to an existing nearby support instead of going all the way down to the build plate. This is the core of efficient support work: large supports carry smaller branches, creating tree-like structures.
Auto-Branch requires at least one existing support in the scene. The new branch must connect to a support that is larger than itself, because structurally a thin parent cannot hold a thicker child. If no valid candidate is found, Runebrace will place a regular grounded support instead.
Other Placement Methods
Besides grounded supports and auto-branches, Runebrace offers several other placement modes for different situations. F2 with a drag lets you manually connect a branch to a specific support. F4 places a perfectly vertical support. Ctrl + drag creates a two-point pillar between two surfaces of the model. All of these are covered in detail in the full User Manual.
Review and Refine
Select Supports
Click on any support to select it. You can select multiple supports by dragging a rectangle around them, or hold F3 and click to add individual supports to the selection. Press D to deselect all.
Adjust Support Size
With supports selected, use the Diameter sliders in the right panel (Tip, Top, Mid, Base) to adjust their thickness. You can also switch between support presets (Nano, Micro, Mini, Light, Medium, Heavy, and others) by clicking the preset buttons, or cycle through them quickly with Ctrl + Scroll Wheel.
Move or Delete Supports
Drag a support's tip point to reposition it on the model surface. To delete selected supports, press Del or Backspace.
Right-click on any slider to instantly reset it to its default value. This is useful when you have been experimenting with custom sizes and want to get back to the preset values quickly.
Save & Export
Save Your Project
Click Save Project in the top toolbar. Runebrace saves an .ags project file in the same folder as your original model, with "(Supported)" appended to the filename. This file contains the model, all supports, settings, and scene state, so you can reopen it later and continue editing.
Export the Supported Model
Click Export Mesh and choose your format: STL, OBJ, or 3MF. The exported file will also be saved in the same folder as the original model, with "(Supported)" in the name. This is the file you send to your slicer for printing.
The recommended workflow is to keep your unsupported models in a folder, drag and drop each one into Runebrace, Save Project, then Export. Everything stays organized in the same location: original file, project file, and supported mesh side by side.
By default, Runebrace saves and exports without showing OS file dialogs, placing everything next to the source file automatically. If you prefer to choose the destination manually each time, enable Use Standard File Buttons in the General Settings section of the right panel.
Next Steps
You have now completed the basic workflow: load a model, orient it, add supports, and export. But Runebrace has much more to offer. Here are some features worth exploring as you get more comfortable with the tool:
Pattern tools let you fill large areas with supports in a single action, using arcs, lines, polygons, and circle patterns. Bracing adds cross-connections between supports for extra rigidity. Hollowing reduces resin usage by creating a shell version of your model, and drainage holes let trapped resin escape during printing and washing.
Smart Selection helps you find and adjust supports by similarity (tip size or body shape) and height range. Relative Scaling lets you resize all selected supports proportionally. The Measure Tool gives you precise distance readings directly on the model.
The Help Panel at the bottom left of the screen is always available and contains a tabbed reference of all keyboard shortcuts organized by category. It is the fastest way to discover new shortcuts while working.
All of these features and more are documented in the full Runebrace User Manual.