Converting CAD Files to STL Format

This procedure may vary slightly, depending on the CAD software used, but the following instructions generally apply.

To convert a file to STL format (in a CAD program):
1.   From the File menu, select Save As.
2.   In the Save As dialog box, open the Save As Type drop-down list and select *.STL.
3.   Click Options and set the following parameters:
•   Total Quality—approximately 0.01 mm (deviation tolerance / linear-dimension tolerance)
•   Detail Quality—approximately 5° (angle tolerance)

Note: Lowering these values produces more accurate models, but results in larger files and longer loading and processing times. For this reason, it is generally not recommended that you use lower values.

4.   In the file format option, choose binary or ASCII. (Both binary and ASCII formats can be used in Objet Studio. However, binary files are smaller, so this option is recommended.)
5.   Click OK or Save.

After converting the model files, it is recommended that you check them for defects before opening them in Objet Studio and producing the model. You can do this in a third-party STL-repair application (such as Magics™, by Materialise®).