STL File

Question 1

STL file ( Stereolithography tessellation file)?

Answer 1

• Link between 3D CAD design and the 3D printer hardware.
• File format contains design data (3D surface as an assembly of planet triangles) to allow deciding object designs into slices.

(Simply a mesh of triangles wrapped around a CAD model)

• Modern CAD systems include STL output feature

• files suitable for rapid prototyping
• requires solid modellers rather than surface modellers.

Question 2

STL format?

Answer 2

• CAD systems settings with regards to STL mesh.

• Triangles that are too long, small file size, prototype with visible facets often called “faceting”
• Very small triangle mesh, big file size, long processing time, prototype accuracy or resolution not necessarily better.
• For best fidelity a mesh approximately the size of the layers is used by the Additive manufacturing/Rapid prototyping system.