Our free and fast tool will convert most 3D mesh or STL (Standard Triangle Language) model files to a standard VTK (Visualization Toolkit) 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 VTK file and will be ready for download shortly afterwards. For more information about the STL to VTK 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 | VTK |
| Full Name | Visualization Toolkit |
| Type | 3D Model |
| Mime Type | application/octet-stream |
| Format | Binary |
| Tools | VTK Converters, 3D Model Voxelizer, Create VTK Animation, Text to VTK, VTK Viewer |
The VTK file format is a 3D modeling and graphics format supported by the Visualization Toolkit. Created in the '90s, the Visualization Toolkit provides a series of data and visual tools for advanced 3D modeling applications. Some example functions of the toolkit include polygon simplification, mesh repair and smoothing, and more.
The format has evolved over the years. It started out as a simple text-based format that could be edited within a simple text editor. Additional features have been added over the years, with the most recent version of the format supporting an XML-based format.
Any model converted to the VTK format will be stored in a triangulated mesh format.
Converting from the STL file format to VTK 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 VTK 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 VTK 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 VTK format.
You can convert from both text and binary STL files. If your STL file contains color information we will bring this over.
We aim to process all STL to VTK 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 VTK file, once created is deleted 15 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 VTK file quickly.
Yes! Our STL to VTK 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 VTK, 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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