| 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.
STL Converter Capabilities
As materials containing color information is supported by the STL format, our tool will do its best to include this in the converted file.
| Full Name | Stanford Triangle Format |
| Extension | PLY |
| Type | 3D Model/Point Cloud |
| Mime Type | application/octet-stream |
| Format | Text |
The PLY file format, commonly referred to as the Stanford Triangle Format, is a 3D file format that comes in either plain text or binary formats. The PLY format is a mature format and is supported by many popular 3D editing applications.
Due to its ability to handle full-color 3D point clouds, the format is commonly used as a medium of exchange when working with 3D scanners. There are also many 3D models available online in the PLY format.
PLY Converter Capabilities
As materials containing color information is supported by the STL and PLY formats, our tool will do its best to include this in the converted PLY file.
