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.
An SKP file is a three-dimensional model created by SketchUp, a 3D design program. It contains a model with wireframes, shades, edge effects, and textures.
The SKP file enables conceptual designs to be created, viewed, and shared quickly and easily. When you create a new document and save it in SketchUp the SKP file is created to store the document and its contents. SKP files can also be used to store SketchUp components. Components may be made by you or another user and can be imported into an SKP document to be inserted into your model.
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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