| Full Name | Graphics Interchange Format |
| Extension | GIF |
| Type | Image |
| Mime Type | image/gif |
| Format | Binary |
GIF files are a popular image format on the internet and are a common format used in the distribution of internet memes. GIF files have been around since the dawn of the internet and were designed to offer high-resolution image capabilities within a small file size.
Due to their ability to be used as an animation format, GIF files have become particularly popular as the format of choice for distributing internet memes. Their lack of full 24-bit color support has, however, seen the PNG format used in preference to GIF for many applications.
Uses
GIF files are particularly useful for storing animation sequences, and this is one of the main reasons for the format's popularity. In the early days of the internet, the use of GIF files to store photographic images and other web assets declined in favor of more modern formats such as JPG and PNG.
| Full Name | Standard Triangle Language |
| Extension | STL |
| Type | 3D Model |
| Mime Type | application/vnd.ms-pki.stl |
| Format | Text |
The STL file format is used for storing 3D models and is a common format for distributing 3D printable models. STL files emerged in the 1980s as a format for storing a 3D mesh as a simple list of triangles. Due to its age and simplistic format, it has gained widespread support within 3D modeling and CAD applications.
As a result of the simple file format and its widespread support amongst 3D editors, the STL format has found itself as the format of choice for the distribution of 3D printable objects. There are many websites that offer 3D printing downloads in the STL format.
Mesh Geometry
As mentioned, STL files make use of a simple structure for containing the 3D mesh data. The 3D model is stored as a continuous list of triangles, with each triangle containing three vertices specifying the location in 3D space of the triangle, which, along with a single vector normal, is all that is required to render the model contained within the STL file. There are two formats of STL files: plain text and binary. When used with large and complex 3D models, the text format leads to very large file sizes and should be avoided, with the binary format offering more efficient storage of the mesh data.
