Solved Why do my models start printing on layer 3?

I've finally gotten the hang of my R1. Up until now, I've been printing stuff off Thingiverse and everything has been great. I figured I'd try my hand at designing something from scratch. I need a tiny 20 mm joystick for a push button I have on a digital clock I made. I chalked up a 3D model in 123D Design and exported it as a 3D model.

I dropped it into MatterControl and previewed the layer view. It starts on layer 3. Needless to say, the print fails as the printer tries to print in the air. I tried to create another one in TinkerCad and SketchUp. Same thing. Why is it all the models I create don't start on layer 1, but everything else someone else made prints fine? It's not the printer. It's the file, but what am I doing wrong?

 

what software you printing with? only thing i can think of is ... when things are too thin to print... the slicer will usually ignore... other than that...set to start printing at .6mm?

 

Try running the STL through netfabb

 

Good point. Bad "triangles" etc can confuse the hell out of the slicer.
Does crazy things. Stuff appears and disappears. USUALLY a netfab fix will get it.