3D Shape Nets
Watch the nets of cubes, prisms, pyramids, cylinders, cones and Platonic solids fold into 3D, and print them to build
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Shows the nets of cubes, prisms, pyramids, cylinders, cones and Platonic solids folding into 3D, calculates the surface area and volume, and prints nets at real size to cut out and build.
How to use
- Choose a "Shape". For prisms and pyramids, set "Sides of the base" from 3 to 8; for the cube, pick one of the 11 nets.
- Press "Fold" or move the "Fold amount" slider. Drag to rotate the solid, and select a face to highlight it on the net.
- Enter the "Dimensions" to see the surface area and volume with the formulas. The "Value of π" can be π, 3.14, 3.1 or 3.
- Under "Printable net", choose the paper and "Add glue tabs", then print or save as SVG.
How it works
- For polyhedra the page shows Euler's formula (vertices − edges + faces = 2). Cylinders and cones have a curved face, so they are not polyhedra.
- The 3D view rolls curved faces up as narrow strips; the surface area and volume use the exact formulas.
- A net larger than the paper is reduced and its scale is shown. Cut along solid lines and fold along dashed lines.
Questions and answers
- How many nets does a cube have?
- Eleven, counting nets that are the same after turning or flipping as one. All 11 can be chosen and folded here.
- How do I find the surface area and volume of a cylinder?
- Surface area = 2 × π × r² + 2 × π × r × h and volume = π × r² × h. With r = 3 cm, h = 5 cm and π = 3.14, the surface area is 150.72 cm² and the volume is 141.3 cm³.
- What is the angle of the sector in a cone net?
- Angle = 360° × base radius ÷ slant height. With a radius of 3 cm and a slant height of 5 cm, it is 216°.
- Will the printed net have the right size?
- Yes, when the print scale is 100% (actual size). Check the scale bar in the top right corner with a ruler.