How can I avoid objects merging when exporting with Tinkercad?

Question

I have designed a really simple object in Tinkercad which has two colors and is composed of two cylinders. I want to export this object as a .stl file to 3D print it. I don't want these objects to be merged together so that I can select them individually and choose the colors I want for each other.

However, when I export it with Tinkercad it automatically merges them, which makes it impossible to distinguish them. The object I am working with is an orange cylinder with a white outer ring followed by an orange outer ring as seen below:

As you can see it is very simple, and the objects are not merged together. But when I export it as a .stl, I get only a rounded cylinder with no distinguishable parts. I have also tried to export it as a .obj element but, again, even if the colors are shown, the objects seem to be merged together. How can I fix this?

Answer 1

I see three cylinders, not two. Consider to change the white cylinder to a hole, leaving the two. Perform your export, which should give you a two same-color STL file. Reverse the process, convert the hole to a solid and convert the colored cylinders to holes, then export.

When you import these items into your slicer, they should share a common center, allowing you to assign the desired colors for printing without shifting.

I've created a duplicate of your model in Tinkercad. In the process of exporting, a dialog required to select entire model or selected object only. The correct answer is to select each component in turn, export with appropriate naming.

When imported to Prusa Slicer as a test, the two objects appeared to be merged, but I am able to select each individually.

If this is unhelpful, please describe by editing your question to present the process you use to create the model. I found it was necessary to use the hole feature multiple times to generate the three cylinders, the orange becomes a single upon completion.