Baby Elephant Free 3D Model

What is an STL file?

The STL file format is commonly used for 3D printing and CAD (Computer Aided Design). The name STL is an acronym for "stereolithography", a common 3D printing technology. It is also sometimes referred to as Standard Triangle Language or Standard Tessellation Language.

Each file consists of a series of linked triangles that describe the surface geometry of a 3D model or object. The more complex the design, the more triangles are used and the higher the resolution.

You can recognize an STL image by its .stl file extension and its lack of color and texture.

Opening an STL file

Depending on the operating system you are using, there are several software & tools to open an STL file.

Famous software that supports .STL models: Blender, Autodesk Fusion 360, Autodesk Meshmixer, Autodesk 3ds Max, Autodesk Maya, SolidWorks, PTC Creo, Siemens NX, TinkerCAD, PrusaSlicer, Ultimaker Cura, Chitubox, Lychee Slicer, OpenSCAD, FreeCAD, Wings 3D