The Material Credits feature allows Organization Administrators to grant users a set allowance of 3D printing material at no cost or restrictions. This feature includes automated rollover periods and mixed-payment support for larger print jobs. The remaining Material Credits value is stored per user and automatically refreshed when the user loads the Cloud portal or starts a new print job.
Material Credits are configured at the organization level. The default credit allowance applies to all users in the organization. Workgroup selection only controls which users receive automatic credit rollover, not who initially receives credits.
1. Configuring Default Material Credits Settings
To set up the default allowance for your organization, navigate to your Organization Settings and locate the Payments tab.
Enable Material Credits: Toggle the Material Credits switch to active.
Weight (grams): Enter the default amount of Material Credits every regular user will receive.
Popup Text: Customize the message users see within the portal. The message currently appears on page loads. Use the {ff} variable in your text to dynamically display the user's exact remaining Material Credits (e.g., You currently have {ff} grams of free filament remaining.").
2. Rollover Periods and Workgroups
You can configure the system to automatically replenish Material Credits on a schedule. This is useful for resetting student allowances each semester or month.
Rollover Period: Choose between weekly, monthly, yearly, or custom dates.
Custom Dates: If using custom dates, enter them in a comma-separated format (e.g., 08/15, 01/15).
Target Workgroup: Select the specific Workgroup that will receive this rollover. Only users within the designated workgroup will have their credits reset on the chosen schedule.
Material Credits rollover follows the Organization's configured timezone.
3. Understanding Charges and Refunds (Mixed Payments)
The system tracks how much Material Credits a user has consumed based on the estimated weight of their print jobs and the percentage of completion. The user's remaining Material Credits are visible next to their account balance in the top right corner of the portal.
How Charges Work: If a user starts a print job that requires more material than their remaining Material Credits allowance, the system automatically splits the cost:
The system calculates the total cost of the G-code file (based on your established per-gram, hourly, and flat fees).
The user's remaining Material Credits are applied to the job first, reducing the total cost proportionally.
The remaining "Job Cost" is then deducted from the user's standard account balance (e.g., CBORD or internal payment gateway).
How Refunds Work: If a print job fails or is canceled before completion, the system calculates the exact percentage of the print that was not completed. Refunds are issued proportionally: the system will return the unprinted weight to the user's Material Credits, and any monetary funds used will be returned to their standard account balance.
Material Credits Maximum Limit: A user's available Material Credits will never exceed the maximum allowance configured in the Organization Settings.
For example, if a user submits several print jobs before the rollover date and those jobs are later canceled after the new rollover period begins, the system may refund unused filament. However, the user's credits will not increase beyond the configured Material Credits limit.