The .STL file format has become the Rapid Prototyping industry's defacto standard data transmission format and is the format required to interact with stereolithography machines. This format approximates the surfaces of a solid model with triangles and lacks engineering data! The STL format was designed to give just the amount of data in the form of meshes to operate the Stereolithography machines but not actual engineering data. This format is very difficult to utilize for any purposes other that the 3D building we do in these machine, not good fro reverse engineering.

Almost all of today's CAD systems are capable of producing an STL file. For the user the process is often as simple as selecting File, Save As, STL. Below are steps for producing high quality STL files from a number of today's leading CAD systems. In all cases, export your STL file as a Binary file. This saves on time and file size.

(Please note, these are only general guidelines and may not work or produce the best possible STL file in some cases. Please consult you user's guide or the software's developers for more information or technical support. Should we determine that your STL file is not adequate for production we will contact you for an updated file.)

AutoCAD
Your design must be a three-dimensional solid object to output an STL file.

1. Set the FACETRES = 10
2. Use the STLOUT command to export your STL file

Alibre

1. File
2. Export
3. Save As > STL
4. Enter File Name
5. Save

I-DEAS

1. File > Export > Rapid Prototype File > OK
2. Select the Part to be Prototyped
3. Select Prototype Device > SLA500.dat > OK
4. Set absolute facet deviation to 0.000395
5. Select Binary > OK

IronCAD

1. Part Properties > Rendering
2. Set Facet Surface Smoothing to 150
3. File > Export
4. Choose .STL

Mechanical Desktop

1. Make sure you save your work before attempting this procedure.
2. Set the FACETRES = 6 (As above in AutoCAD instructions)
3. You will have to "Explode" your parametric solid to export an .stl output (Special note: DO NOT save your work after "Exploding")
4. Use the STLOUT command to export your STL file.

ProE

1. File > Export > Model
2. STL
3. Set chord height to 0. The field will be replaced by minimum acceptable value.
4. Set Angle Control to 1
5. OK

SolidDesigner

1. File > External > Save STL
2. Select Binary Mode
3. Select Part
4. Enter filename
5. Enter Max Deviation Distance of .01mm
6. Click OK

SolidEdge

1. File > Save As
2. Set Save As Type to STL
3. Options
4. Set Conversion Tolerance to 0.001in. or .0254mm.
5. Set Surface Plane Angle to 45.00º
6. Save

SolidWorks

1. Tools > Options > Export
2. STL Options
3. Set Quality to Fine
4. File > Save As
5. Set Save As Type to STL
6. Save

Unigraphics

1. File > Export > Rapid Prototyping
2. Set Output type to Binary
3. Set Triangle Tolerance to 0.0025
4. Set Adjacency Tolerance to 0.12
5. Set Auto Normal Gen to On
6. Set Normal Display to Off
7. Set Triangle Display to On

See also: Transfer and Security, 3DRP