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Software for bioprinting
allows us to identify and to replace the problematic multi-platform software suite that was developed
head movements, to insert new control points, and for CAD. It works with the STL file format and
to relocate existing points with just a few clicks. specialized CATIA model formats. NX is a
Output files of the gCode Editor are compatible software for design, engineering analysis, and
with PetriPrinter. The first and the most critical manufacturing. It works with STL, CATIA, STEP,
part of these software tools are the gCode API, Parasolid, DXF, DWG, 3MF, Initial Graphics
which can encapsulate gCode commands into Exchange Specification (IGES), ACIS formats,
high-level programming language functions such or image, or Virtual Reality Modeling Language
as C# or Python . GCodeAPI.NET includes such data for the import. For the export, it works with
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commands as temperature, speed, extrude, line, all these formats and also PLY, portable document
arc, relative, and absolute position. The scheme of format (PDF), or СSG files. SolidWorks is a CAD
using the gCodeAPI.NET is presented in Figure 2. and computer-aided engineering (CAE) software
Collectively, these software tools represent a useful that works with the STL file format and widely-
and user-friendly software to make gCode analysis used neutral solid modeling formats such as IGES,
easier and less time-consuming. It is a control DXF, DWG, STEP, and ACIS. Pro/Engineer is a
software for the bioprinting process which can help software for solid modeling or CAD, CAE, and
to make research processes more effective because CAM. It is used to import and export file formats
of the accurate and straightforward prescribing of such as ACIS, IGES, and Parasolid formats, which
the machine movements and fast and easy finding are specialized widely-used general file formats
some problematic machine movements in the raw for solid modeling but not for bioprinting. Тhe
gCode. platform for the CAD system for tissue scaffolds
(CASTS) has been developed later based on Pro/
4.2.2 CAD-based software
Engineer [47,48] . For the input model, CASTS uses
The most general approach in model creation for imaging software such as materialize interactive
bioprinting is CAD-based software and the STL medical image control system (MIMICS) to
file format. The most popular commercial software convert the patient data from magnetic resonance
is based on the Boundary Representation modeling imaging (MRI) or computer tomography (CT)
principles and Constructive Solid Geometry. to the IGES, neutral CAD file format. An output
Such software are computer-aided 3D interactive model in this software is saves in the STL file
application (CATIA) (Dassault Systems), NX format.
(Siemens PLM Software), SolidWorks (Dassault The use of CAD-based software in bioprinting
Systems), and Pro/Engineer (PTC) . CATIA is a is discussed in detail with concrete CAD systems
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in this section. The first one is TinkerCAD
(AutoDesk, Inc., San Rafael, CA, USA), it is a
simple online Web 3D modeling system that does
not require any specific and in-depth knowledge
from users. Due to its simplicity, experts in
bioprinting could exploit it for modeling of basic
geometric primitives. Cylindrical primitives
modeled in TinkerCAD were used for shape
definition of bioprinted samples in works [49,50] .
The authors of Jeon et al. printed a cuboid.
[51]
More complex primitives of TinkerCAD were
used in works Lehner et al. and Jeon et al. .
[52]
[53]
In the mentioned articles, the authors used letters.
Figure 2. The schematic diagram of using the More sophisticated models printed from organic
gCode API . materials can be seen in Markstedt et al. , in which
[54]
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46 International Journal of Bioprinting (2020)–Volume 6, Issue 3
