How to Print a Lulu-Style Capybara with Gen3dly: Full Tutorial (Beginner Friendly)

You saw the piggy in the capybara costume — the viral blind-box look — and you want one on your desk tonight. This tutorial takes you from zero to a printed figure: generate an original capybara-style toy with Gen3dly, export it, and print it successfully on any FDM printer.

One important note first: LuLu the Piggy is a Toyzero+ character, so we won’t copy her design. Instead you’ll create an original piggy-in-capybara-costume in the same cute language — same vibe, your own character. Personal use, no IP issues, and honestly more fun. Total time: about 30 minutes of hands-on work plus printing.

What you’ll need

• A free Gen3dly account (20 welcome credits = your first model free)
• Any FDM printer (Bambu A1, Prusa, Creality — all fine) with PLA
• Your slicer (Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer, or PrusaSlicer)
• 5 minutes to read the steps below

Step 1 — Pick your design (2 minutes)

Decide the exact toy before generating. The viral formula has four parts — pick one option per row:

Our walkthrough build: a chubby piggy in a fluffy capybara costume, sitting, 100 mm tall. Sitting is the key choice — flat bottom, no supports, stable print.

Step 2 — Generate with text-to-3D (5 minutes)

In the Gen3dly dashboard, use text-to-3D with this prompt formula: subject + costume + pose + finish + use. Copy-paste starter:

a chubby piggy wearing a fluffy capybara costume, sitting pose, closed happy eyes,
smooth matte vinyl toy look, blind-box collectible style, 3d printable figurine

Three variations to try (each costs one generation — 20 credits flat):

1. Classic cute: add pastel brown tones, minimalist smooth sculpt — cleanest print, fewest details to fail.
2. Detailed collectible: add subtle fur texture on costume, small ears, tiny paws — prettier, check thin parts after (see Step 4).
3. Keychain version: add compact rounded proportions, loop hole on head — print small, gift many.

Pick the preview with the cleanest silhouette: smooth outline, visible ears, symmetrical face. Don’t chase tiny details at this stage — paint adds more charm than geometry ever will (Step 6).

Prefer photo input? A side photo of any plushie (plain background, three-quarter angle) works with image-to-3D — see our image-to-3D guide. Then change the expression or accessory so the result is your own design.

Step 3 — Export the STL (1 minute)

In the preview, rotate fully: front, sides, back, underside. Accept when the silhouette is clean and the bottom looks flattish. Export STL — the format slicers love. (GLB/OBJ export identically for the same 20 credits, but STL skips a conversion step.)

Step 4 — Repair and scale (10 minutes)

AI meshes are starting points. Run this checklist in your slicer before slicing — the full version lives in our printable guide:

1. Repair: right-click → Fix Model (Bambu Studio / OrcaSlicer) or let PrusaSlicer auto-repair on import. Chubby models usually pass first try.
2. Scale: set height to 100 mm (good first size). If your design has thin ears, keep them at ~1.2 mm or thicker — scale up rather than thinning down.
3. Flat base: cut 1–2 mm off the bottom or add a thin base disc. It hides the weakest part of any AI reconstruction (the underside) and guarantees bed adhesion.
4. Check the preview: scrub layer by layer. No floating islands, no missing ears — then you’re clear to print.

Step 5 — Print it (2–4 hours, unattended)

Settings that work for cute-animal models on any FDM printer:

Start the print and walk away. A 100 mm chubby figure at 0.2 mm takes roughly 3 hours — perfect evening print.

Step 6 — Finish it (optional, 15 minutes)

Unprinted charm is already giftable, but 15 minutes of finishing doubles the cute:

• Remove the brim/elephant foot edge with a craft knife.
• Light sanding (220 grit) on the base only — tops stay smooth.
• Acrylic markers for eyes and blush: two dots + pink cheeks is the whole “blind-box face.”
• Matte clear coat if it’ll be handled daily.

Photograph it against a plain background in window light — that’s the TikTok look, and silk PLA photographs best.

Troubleshooting: the 4 failures

1. Ears missing in preview → thin features below resolution. Regenerate with small rounded ears or scale the model up 20%.
2. Model wobbles / tips over → base too small. Cut the bottom flat or scale to 120 mm for a wider footprint.
3. Slicer errors on import → run Fix Model again, then voxel remesh (“make solid”) as backup. Chubby shapes remesh cleanly.
4. Back looks melted → the AI guessed the hidden side. Accept it (backs face walls anyway) or regenerate with symmetrical design added to the prompt.

FAQ

Can I copy LuLu the Piggy exactly? No — she’s Toyzero+ IP. Generate an original piggy-in-costume in the same cute style for personal use instead. Same desk appeal, zero legal risk.

How much does this cost? One Gen3dly generation = 20 credits flat; the free tier’s 20 welcome credits cover it. Filament for a 100 mm figure is a few dozen grams of PLA. Details on the pricing page.

Which printer works? Any FDM printer: Bambu A1/P1S, Prusa, Creality, Elegoo FDM. See our printer review if you’re buying. Resin also works but is overkill for a first toy.

Text or photo input? Text for an original character (recommended here), photo when you want a specific pose. Both cost the same 20 credits.

Can I sell prints of my generated toy? Only if the design is original and the export-time licence allows it — and never of protected characters. Check the licence before selling anything.

Your turn: tonight’s print

Open Gen3dly, paste the starter prompt, pick the cleanest preview, export STL, run the 4-step check, and start the print before dinner. By bedtime there’s a capybara-style piggy on your desk — designed by you.