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.
STL Converter Capabilities
When converting 3D model or mesh files using our STL converter, we will attempt to convert colour materials into a suitable format for use in the converted file.
| Extension | BLEND |
| Full Name | Blender |
| Type | 3D Model |
| Mime Type | application/octet-stream |
| Format | Binary |
| Opens With | Blender |
The BLEND file extension is the native 3D modelling file format of the ever-popular Blender 3D modelling software. The Blender format originally came into existence in late 1994 and has since evolved into the advanced 3D format we have today.
The format stores complex 3D mesh data along with textures, animations, lighting, and other information related to 3D scene rendering. The format is popular among those creating 3D videogame graphics and animation sequences due to its advanced features and ease of use.
Along with Blender, BLEND files can also be imported into other popular 3D editing software. The open-source nature of the format allows third-party plugins and scripts to be created to run within the Blender editing environment and extend the format's capabilities.
BLEND Converter Capabilities
When converting your STL to BLEND, our tool will attempt to accurately convert any colour or material information.
