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.
Catia V5 is a CAD system developed by Dassault Systèmes in 1998, currently widely used in the automotive, aerospace and others industries.
CATIA V5 file extensions are .CATPart and .CATProduct.
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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