The solution was to tessellate the surface of the models with many small triangles (“facets”) and store this data in files.įor example, for a simple cube 12 triangles would be enough, because one side, being a simple triangle, will require just 2 triangles to cover itself. Using tessellation ended up being their choice. At the time, The Albert Consulting Group for 3D Systems was figuring out how to transfer the data about the models to the printer. The first stereolithographic 3D printer was invented in 1987 by Chuck Hall. Examples of tessellations in the art can be found among the works of M. Sometimes even the imaginative ones are used. The shapes used can be simple or complicated. Honeycombs and tiled walls are great real-life examples of tessellation. Tessellation is a tiling of a surface with geometric shapes without gaps and overlaps. Tessellation is used to encode the data about the surface geometry of a 3D object. It’s considered that STL stands for “ Stereo lithography” but there are also several backronyms attributed such as “Standard Triangle Language” and “Standard Tessellation Language”. The STL file format is supported by the vast majority of CAD programs and 3D editors and is used for a variety of purposes: from 3D printing to rapid prototyping and manufacturing. Slicer programs can convert the information it stores into the sets of instructions for the hardware of the 3D printer.

This is the most common file format for 3D printing.

The file extension is “.stl” and the files are usually generated by CAD (computer-aided design) software. There’s no data about its color, texture, and other properties. An STL file can only contain information about the surface geometry of an object. STL files store data about the 3D models.

The format will be explained in depth: its history, advantages and shortcomings, the way it works, and the alternative formats available. This article will cover everything about the STL file format used in 3D printing.

What is an stl file for 3d printing