| Extension | BMP |
| Full Name | Bitmap Image File |
| Type | Image |
| Mime Type | image/bmp |
| Format | Binary |
| Opens With | Paint.Net |
BMP files are used to store bitmap images in a simple and uncompressed manner. Introduced by Microsoft in the 1980s as a standard image format for use with their Windows operating system, the format has evolved over the years and is still relevant today.
Due to the uncompressed nature of BMP files, they can quickly grow in size when using high resolutions. Modern formats such as PNG and JPEG can be used as an alternative when dealing with larger images or images where transparency is a requirement (PNG only).
The BMP format supports different pixel colour depths, allowing creators to minimise file sizes if their content has a lower colour depth. Due to their age and popularity, BMP files can be opened in most modern image editing applications without requiring conversion tools.
The STL, or Standard Triangle Language, file format has been around since the '80s and is supported by most modern 3D modelling applications. In particular, the STL format has become something of a standard format within the area of 3D printing, despite the rise of more modern formats such as 3MF.
STL files come in two flavours: binary or text format. The text format is human-readable, making it easy to perform manual edits, but can lead to very large file sizes. As you can imagine, the binary format is much more compact and represents the majority of the STL files you are likely to encounter.
The format itself is very simple; the 3D model is represented by a sequential list of triangles, with each triangle defined with 3 points consisting of their X, Y, and Z positions, along with an additional vector that contains the face normal (the direction the face is pointing). There is an additional attribute block for each triangle; however, this is largely unused and thus unsupported.
