Our free and fast tool will convert most 3D mesh or STL (Standard Triangle Language) model files to a standard DAE (COLLADA - Collaborative Design Activity) file that can then be edited further in most popular 3D editing packages such as Blender or 3D printed without any further processing. Our conversion tool can also batch convert multiple STL files; up to 25 files at a time can be converted.
To convert your STL file, click the Upload button above and select the file to convert. Once selected, the file will be converted to a DAE file and will be ready for download shortly afterwards. For more information about the STL to DAE conversion process, see the conversion information section below.
| Extension | STL |
| Full Name | Standard Triangle Language |
| Type | 3D Model |
| Mime Type | application/vnd.ms-pki.stl |
| Format | Text & Binary |
| Tools | STL Converters, 3D Model Voxelizer, Create STL Animation, Compress STL, Text to STL, STL Viewer |
| Open With | Blender, Daz Studio, MeshLab, CAD Assistant |
The STL file format has its roots in the 1980's and is the native file format for 3D Systems stereolithography CAD software. The format defines a triangulated mesh with vertices and faces and is a popular format for sharing 3D printable model files.
There were several formats that attempted to extend the STL format, namely SolidView and VisCAM, whose formats included limited 15-bit color information for each mesh face, which is often ignored by most modern 3D software. The STL format can be either text or binary; our tools will support both formats.
Standard STL files do not contain material or color information, so this cannot be imported. There are, however, two formats (VisCAM and SolidView) that attempt to add color information to the STL file format. If our tool detects this additional color information, it will attempt to import this information.
| Extension | DAE |
| Full Name | COLLADA - Collaborative Design Activity |
| Type | 3D Model |
| Mime Type | text/xml |
| Format | Text |
| Tools | DAE Converters, 3D Model Voxelizer, Create DAE Animation, DAE Asset Extractor, Text to DAE, DAE Viewer |
| Open With | Blender, MeshLab |
The DAE format (also known as COLLADA) is a 3D file format used to describe 3D models, meshes, and 3D worlds using a simple text-based structure. The format was introduced in 2004 by Sony Computer Entertainment and is currently managed by the Khronos Group.
DAE files are a text/XML-based file format containing 3D geometric information used to describe 3D objects and meshes such as vertices, faces, animations, materials, camera/lighting elements, and other related metadata. The format has widespread usage and support, with applications such as Blender and MeshLab being able to read and write to it.
Our tool will save any texture files separately; these additional files will be included with your final DAE file at the time of download.
Converting from the STL file format to DAE can be a complex process, and any tool used for this conversion process needs to be able to handle a variety of data conversion tasks as well as identify any defects within the 3D model and fix them. Here we will explain the conversion process used by our tool to accurately convert your STL file to a valid DAE 3D model. Let's start with the conversion process, which involves the following steps:
In its simplest form, an STL file can be either a plain text or binary file containing 3D data such as vertices, faces, normals, and more. When combined, these make up the 3D model you see on your screen.
For more information regarding the STL file format, please see this great article that goes into a lot of detail explaining the STL format.
With the STL file data read, our tool generates an internal representation of the full 3D model and will attempt to fix any geometry issues encountered. Along with repairing any issues with the 3D model, the tool will remove any duplicated vertices and prepare the model for exporting to the DAE format.
With the conversion process entering its final stages, our tool now needs to take the in-memory 3D model we have created in step 2 and convert it to the DAE format.
You can convert from both text and binary STL files. If your STL file contains color information we will bring this over.
Yes! If your STL file contains textured geometry, the texture image files along with the texture coordinates (UV data) will be exported with the final DAE file.
Many 3D file conversion websites use the same off-the-shelf components to convert files, these often lack features and full STL file compatibility. Our bespoke file conversion tools offer full STL file compatibility and have been developed in-house by a team of developers, some of whom have over 30 years of experience working with 3D graphics file formats, meaning our tools will convert your STL file quickly and accurately with maximum compatibility.
Yes! Our STL tool supports full batch conversions. You can upload up to 25 and STL files at a time. Our tool will convert them all as quickly as possible. Once completed, you can either download the DAE files individually or download them all in a single ZIP file.
First click the "Upload..." button, select your STL file to upload. Select any configuration options. When the STL to DAE conversion has completed, you can download your DAE file straight away.
We aim to process all STL to DAE conversions as quickly as possible, this usually takes around 5 seconds but can be more for larger more complex files so please be patient.
We aim to create the most accurate conversions with our tools. Our tools are under constant development with new features and improvements being added every week.
Yes, of course! We do not store the STL file you submit to us. The resulting DAE file, once created is deleted 20 minutes after upload and the download link will expire after this time.
No. All our conversion tools process your STL file on our dedicated conversion servers, meaning you can use our tools on low-spec computers, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices and receive your converted DAE file quickly.
Yes! Our STL to DAE tool will run on any system with a modern web browser. No specialist software is needed to run any of our conversion tools.
Yes. Although you can use an Ad Blocker, if you like our STL conversion tool please consider white-listing our site. When an Ad Blocker is enabled there are some conversion limits on some of our tools and processing/conversion times will be longer.
Yes. When you have converted your STL to DAE, there is a "Feedback" option that you can use to let us know of any issues you encountered when converting your file.
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