STL (STereoLithography) is a file format native to the stereolithography CAD software. This file format is supported by many other software packages; it is widely used for rapid prototyping, 3D printing and computer-aided manufacturing. STL files describe only the surface geometry of a three-dimensional object without any representation of color, texture or other common CAD model attributes. The STL format specifies both ASCII and binary representations. Binary files are more common, since they are more compact.
3DXML is an open-standard proprietary 3D file format developed and supported by Dassault Systemes. 3DXML files are typically created as exports from Dassault Systemes' 3DEXPERIENCE application. The 3DXML file is a zip archive file consisting of a BOM file and one or more 3D representations stored in either XML or binary format. Compact file size allows users to transfer 3D XML quickly and embed it into websites, emails, and various MS Office documents. Therefore, the format is commonly used to integrate 3D data into technical documentation.
A CAD file is an output of a CAD software, containing key information about the designed object: its geometry and topology representation, 3D model hierarchy, metadata, and visual attributes depending on the format of the file.
Read moreIn the sixth part of the series, we cover the ubiquitous mesh format tying 3D and reality through 3D printing applications
Read moreCAD Exchanger imports and tesselates FBX, glTF, OBJ, PLY, and STL files, making them ready for further optimization by RapidCompact.
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