Its curved surfaces are merely approximations, it does not contain any surface data and cannot retain any metadata. With such widely established ubiquity, the STL file format will likely continue to reign supreme for the foreseeable future.Ī 3D model saved as an STL file takes a lot of “shortcuts” to keep the file simple.

Some modeling or slicer software even have “light” versions that are meant to open STL files exclusively. Thus, almost all 3D modeling software platforms and 3D printers have been designed to store or open STL files. The biggest advantage of saving and sharing files in the STL file format lies in the fact that it’s one of the oldest and simplest 3D file formats ever created. However, using a large number of triangles can quickly bloat the file size of a model saved in the STL file format. By increasing the number of triangles representing a surface, curved surfaces can be better approximated and recreated. The key characteristic of an STL file is that it simplifies a 3D surface as a “tessellation” – basically a series of small triangles. Developed in the late 1980s, it is one of the oldest file formats and is still widely used in today’s field of 3D modeling and printing. STL stands for “stereolithography’ and is considered the granddaddy of all other 3D printer file formats. To work around compatibility issues, creators stuck to sharing formats that are “neutral” or “open-source.” Of the open-source formats, the four we are about to discuss here are some of the most commonly used. This eventually became a problem when people had to collaborate in making a model using different software platforms. This eventually resulted in more than a hundred different file formats, most of which were incompatible to each other. Back in the early years of 3D modeling, each modeling software that was developed and published stored its file in a unique and proprietary format. If we had to write in detail about all the file formats used for 3D models, we would probably end up writing a book. Why do 3D models have so many file formats?

Why just four? Good question, and we’ll get to that shortly. In this article, we take a detailed look at four of the most common file formats used in 3D printing. In the field of 3D printing, this can be done by being consistent with file formats. Good collaboration requires clear communication. With the technology becoming more accessible than ever, there is now a global 3D printing community that has fostered collaboration and sharing of ideas and models. 3D Insider is ad supported and earns money from clicks, commissions from sales, and other ways.ģD printing has certainly evolved from being something that can only be done using expensive, industrial-scale machines to a hobby that can be done from inside your home garage or workshop.

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