Scale modelling · 2026
3D printed dioramas and scale scenes
Can you 3D print a diorama?
Yes, whole or in parts: buildings, ruins, vehicles, figures and details for military, railway, film or display scenes. Figures and fine details are printed in resin, the base and large buildings in FDM. Start with the scale: at 1:35 a person is about 51 mm tall, at 1:72 about 25 mm. You can order it unpainted, primed or painted by the maker. Fabrishare is a network of makers: post your project for free and get quotes with price and lead time within 24–48 hours.
How big is everything at each scale?
Heights worked out for a 1.80 m person and a building of about 10 m (three storeys). The scale is the first decision: it sets the size of the diorama, the technology and much of the price.
| Scale | Mainly used for | 1.80 m person | 10 m building | Usual technology |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1:35 | Military vehicles and scenes | about 51 mm | about 29 cm | Resin for figures and detail; FDM for buildings and base |
| 1:48 | Aircraft and vehicles | about 38 mm | about 21 cm | Resin; FDM for large buildings |
| 1:72 | Aircraft, vehicles and soldiers | about 25 mm | about 14 cm | Resin |
| H0 (1:87) | Model railways and their buildings | about 21 mm | about 11 cm | Resin for detail; FDM for large buildings |
| N (1:160) | Railways in a small space | about 11 mm | about 6.3 cm | Resin |
| 1:400 | Ships and display pieces | about 4.5 mm | about 2.5 cm | High-definition resin |
Below 1:72 the parts get very small: a person at 1:400 is about 4.5 mm tall, which needs high-definition resin. Ships use scales that small, such as 1:700 or 1:400. If printed parts have to sit next to a kit or figures you already own, the scale must match: always state it in the project, because an STL can be printed at any size.
What gets printed for a diorama
2 of the 110 requests registered on Fabrishare between May and October 2026 were dioramas or parts for one: a 28-part film scene and a staircase for a 1:400 ship diorama, both in resin.
Military scenes
Ruins, trenches, sandbags, barbed wire and damaged buildings to set vehicles and figures in. The classic scale is 1:35; 1:72 for bigger scenes in less space.
Scale model cars and motorbikesModel railways
Stations, huts, platforms, bridges, walls and buildings in H0 or N, and pieces no kit offers, such as a real building from your town.
Display scenes
A closed scene on a plinth to show off one or more figures: a street corner, an interior, a landscape with its figure.
Large figures printed in partsFilms and video games
A set, a ship or a recognisable corner of your favourite film or game, for the shelf. From files that may be printed for others.
Single parts
The piece your diorama is missing: furniture, a street lamp, a sign, a small vehicle, a ship's staircase. You can order just one.
Ship model fittingsGaming terrain
If the scene is for playing on rather than just looking at, see the wargame terrain guide.
3D printed wargame terrain
Resin or FDM for a diorama?
Almost every diorama mixes both: each part is printed with the technology that suits it and everything is assembled at the end.
Resin for fine detail
Figures, faces, weapons, framed windows, street lamps, railings and any detail a few millimetres across. It's the only option below 1:72, where a person is a couple of centimetres tall or less.
FDM for the base and buildings
The diorama base, the ground, large buildings and walls. Much cheaper for big parts and light. Layer lines show less than you'd think once primed and painted, and on ruins and stonework they even add texture.
In parts
A diorama isn't printed in one go: buildings, figures, vehicles and details are printed separately, each oriented to come out best. That way they're also painted separately, without masking, and glued onto the base at the end.
Want it delivered painted?
You can ask the maker for more than the print: they can paint it too. Choose the finish in the project and the quote covers printing and painting together.
Unpainted
Parts as they come off the printer, cleaned of supports. For anyone who wants to paint it all themselves: cheapest and fastest.
Primed
With a coat of primer, ready to paint. It saves the most tedious step and shows up any flaws before painting.
Painted by the maker
Painted and assembled on its base, ready for the cabinet. Send colour references or photos of what you have in mind; painting is quoted on size, number of parts and level of detail.
3D printing and painting
What to put in the project
What the maker needs
The more specific you are, the sharper the quotes:
- The scale, and whether it has to match a kit or figures you already own.
- The size of the base or the display case it goes in.
- The files, or links to them; if there are none, photos, plans or a sketch with measurements.
- How many parts there are and which go in resin and which in FDM, if you know.
- The finish: unpainted, primed or painted, with colour references.
- The date, if it's for a competition, an exhibition or a gift.
No file
If the scene doesn't exist as a file (your local station, your grandparents' house, a particular set), some makers model it from photos and measurements. Design is quoted separately from printing.
The file and its licence
3D model shops have a huge range of diorama, building and set files. Many are sold with a licence that lets a maker print them for you and charge for it; free ones often carry a non-commercial licence, which doesn't.
What's never on the table is copying a model kit manufacturer's kits. And film or video game scenes only from files whose designer allows printing them for others.
How to order your diorama
- 1Post your project for free with the files (or photos and measurements), the scale and the size of the base.
- 2Say whether you want it unpainted, primed or painted, and any deadline.
- 3Within 24–48 hours you get quotes with price and lead time. Pick one; the maker prints it (and paints it, if you asked) and ships it to you.
Questions about 3D printed dioramas
Can you 3D print a diorama?
Yes, whole or in parts. Figures and details are printed in resin, the base and large buildings in FDM; each part is printed separately and assembled on the base at the end.
Can it be delivered painted?
Yes. Choose "painted" in the project and send colour references: the maker quotes printing and painting together. You can also order it unpainted or primed, ready to paint yourself.
How much does a 3D printed diorama cost?
There's no fixed price: it depends on size and scale, the number of parts, how much is in resin, whether anything needs modelling and, above all, whether you want it painted. If you have the STL files, the calculator gives you a part-by-part guide; each maker sets the final price in their quote.
Which scale should I choose?
The one you already have: if it goes with a kit or figures, the same scale. Starting from scratch, 1:35 gives large parts that are easy to paint (a person is about 51 mm), 1:72 fits in less space and H0 (1:87) is the model railway scale.
Resin or FDM?
Both: resin for figures and fine detail, FDM for the base, ground and large buildings, which would be expensive and heavy in resin.
Can I order just one part for my diorama?
Yes. A single part (a building, a vehicle, a staircase, a street lamp) is ordered just like a whole diorama. State the scale and, if it has to fit something, its measurements.
Can I order a diorama from a film or video game?
Yes, from files whose designer allows printing them for others: many are sold with that licence. What isn't done is copying a model kit manufacturer's kits.
Do I need the files?
The quickest way is to buy or download them yourself and attach them. If the scene doesn't exist as a file, some makers model it from photos and measurements, and design is quoted separately.
How long does it take?
Quotes arrive within 24–48 hours and each states its lead time. A diorama with many parts, especially a painted one, takes days of work: if it's for a competition or a gift, order with time to spare.