ZIP comment
zc: token cleared
A signed purchase token hidden in the archive itself. Contains a unique code tied to the account that downloaded the file, invisible to normal software.
_rels/.rels
rPr1 relationship removed
A fake file reference injected into the package index. Points to a path that encodes the purchase token. Present in every watermarked file we have examined.
3dmodel.model
pr: comment + DesignerUserId cleared
Two account identifiers written directly into the main model file: a hidden purchase record comment and your numeric account ID. Both are present in every watermarked file and are removed.
Creation and modification dates
date fields blanked
Dates recorded in the file can reveal when it was downloaded or last opened. Cross-referenced with platform download logs, these help narrow down who had the file at a particular time.
slice_info.config
client version headers removed
Records the exact name and version of the software used to open the file. Can be used to fingerprint a user's setup when combined with other data.
project_settings.config
gcode date stamps removed
The slicer embeds the date it processed the file inside the printer instructions. This can reveal when the file was last opened or modified.
model_settings.config
source_file values cleared
Contains the original filenames from the designer's own computer, including internal project names and folder structure they may not have intended to share.
Vertex coordinates
quantised to 4dp
Data can be hidden in the tiny decimal places of 3D coordinates, invisible to the eye and to the printer. Snapping all coordinates to 4 decimal places (0.1 micron precision) removes any hidden payload without affecting print quality.
Application metadata
slicer version cleared
Records which software created the file and its exact version number. Useful fingerprinting data when combined with other identifiers.
PNG thumbnails
Canvas re-encoded, LSB cleared
Data can be hidden invisibly in the colour values of image pixels. Re-drawing each thumbnail through the browser's own image engine resets all pixel values, destroying any hidden payload while keeping the image visually identical.
Purchase tokens (ZIP comment and relationship entry)
When you download a file from platforms like Makerworld, a unique code is injected into the file in two separate places. This code is tied to your account. If the file later appears somewhere it should not, the platform can use this code to identify who originally downloaded it. This tool removes both copies of the token.
Account identifiers (DesignerUserId, pr: comment)
Your numeric account ID and a second copy of the purchase token are written directly into the model file as hidden XML. These identify the specific account the file was tied to at the moment of download. Both are removed.
Timestamps (CreationDate, ModificationDate, gcode date)
Dates recorded in the file can reveal when it was downloaded or last opened. Cross-referenced with platform download logs, these help narrow down who had the file at a particular time. All date fields are cleared.
Software fingerprinting (Application, slice_info, source_file)
The file records which software and version was used to create it, and even the original filenames from the creator's computer. On their own these are minor, but combined with other data they help build a profile. All are cleared.
Geometry steganography (vertex coordinate precision)
A tracking code can be hidden inside the tiny decimal places of 3D coordinates. A printer only needs accuracy to around 0.01mm, so anything beyond four decimal places is invisible to the machine. Data hidden in those extra digits is destroyed by rounding all coordinates to four decimal places. Print quality is completely unaffected.
Image steganography (PNG thumbnail re-encoding)
Data can be hidden in the colour values of the preview images inside the file by making changes to individual pixels too small for the human eye to see. Re-drawing each image through the browser's own renderer resets every pixel from scratch, destroying any hidden data while leaving the thumbnail looking identical.