The difference in surface texture would not be visible to the naked eye, nor would it be noticed in the output of a 3D printer. For example, a digital model with 200,000 surface triangles can be decimated to 100,000 without any impactful loss of detail. Decimating a scan reduces the number of triangles, which reduces the STL file size. This process includes a step called “mesh decimation.” Some scanners produce STL files with extraordinarily large numbers of surface triangles. The software allows the operator to isolate a specific region or select a filter to automatically clean the entire digital model ( Fig. Therefore, the first modification of the STL file is to clean and repair its mesh.Ĭleaning the mesh involves the elimination of extraneous or redundant (duplicated) surface structures, like using a Buffalo knife to scratch away excess artifacts from a stone model. 3).Ī typical digital model’s mesh comprises hundreds of thousands of triangles, some of which will need to be removed or repaired following a scan. The mesh’s smoothness increases as the number of surface triangles increases ( Fig. “Mesh” is a term used to describe the surface of a 3D model. In addition, STL does not provide copyright information, file security, or the ability to detect errors in the surface mesh. The file format describes only surface geometry, so there is no representation of color items can be printed in just a single color. The simplicity of STL does create some drawbacks. The STL file is perhaps the single most important item in the 3D printing workflow. Moreover, its vector-based (triangle) graphics provide scalability without any loss of resolution. Its universal format enables STL to work with nearly every CAD software program and 3D printer. STL is based on open-source code and is freely available, meaning anyone may inspect, enhance, or share an STL file. Although newer file types can provide more detailed data, the main benefit of STL is its simplicity. This triangulation of a surface causes the faceting of the 3D model. STL describes a 3D model’s surface by using an array of linked triangles to recreate the surface geometry. Even after 30 years of usage, STL remains the most commonly used file type for intraoral scanners. The STL file made it possible to transfer a 3D model from a computer screen to a 3D printer. Its file extension, STL, is believed to be either an abbreviation of the word “stereolithography” or an acronym for Standard Tessellation Language or Standard Triangulation Language. STL is a file format developed in 1987 by Charles Hall to support his stereolithographic 3D printer.
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