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Here we detail how to convert your U3D file to an STL file using the export options found within the SolidWorks application. Currently, our converters cannot convert directly from U3D to STL. However, using the built-in export functions of SolidWorks, we can achieve the conversion.
Firstly, you will need to load your U3D file into SolidWorks and select the export to STEP option. Once you have your file in the STEP format, you can use our STEP to STL converter to complete the conversion process.
Here are two simple steps to convert your U3D to STL.
We aim to process all U3D to STL 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 U3D file you submit to us. The resulting STL file, once created is deleted 15 minutes after upload and the download link will expire after this time.
Yes! Our U3D to STL 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 U3D 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 U3D to STL, there is a "Feedback" option that you can use to let us know of any issues you encountered when converting your file.
The STL file format describes an unstructured triangulated surface of the triangles using a 3D Cartesian coordinate system. STL files do not contain any scale information, and the units are arbitrary. We have a more detailed description of an STL file here.
Our tool will save all STL files in binary format. Optionally, our tool will allow you to save to the non-standard color STL format.
| Extension | U3D |
| Full Name | Universal 3D |
| Type | 3D Model |
| Mime Type | model/u3d |
| Format | Binary |
| Tools | U3D Converters, 3D Model Voxelizer, Create U3D Animation |
The U3D file is a 3D file format (Universal 3D) developed by a consortium of well-known companies in 2005 with the idea of creating a standardized file format for storing 3D data, including mesh vertices, textures, bones, and effects.
U3D files are binary in nature, containing a block-based structure that, following later revisions, could be extended with custom blocks.
| 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.
The standard STL file format does not support colored faces, vertices, or texture information. The STL file generated by the tool will contain only raw mesh/triangle data by default, which is perfect for 3D printing.
The tool also has the option to save the file to one of the non-standard formats that support colored faces, such as VisCAM and SolidView which is perfect if you want to further process the STL in software that supports these formats.
Software used to prepare a 3D model file for printing, which is also known as 3D slicer software, cannot usually open U3D files. This is because slicer software authors will support the most common formats used for 3D printing, such as STL and 3MF and do not have the resources to implement 3D object parsers for all the possible 3D formats that are out there.
A small cog in the U3D format
The cog in a Replicator 3D printer
The completed 3D printed cog
Slicer software can, however, handle files formatted to the STL specification. This is because STL, although predating the 3D printing revolution and lacking in some of the features of modern formats, has found almost universal adoption as the format of choice for distributing 3D printable models. Our U3D to STL conversion tool can convert your U3D file into an STL file suitable for loading into the 3D slicer software of your choice. As STL files do not support material colors or textures, our converter will not process these, resulting in a single STL file suitable for use with most 3D slicer software.
Converting from the U3D file format to STL 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 U3D file to a valid STL 3D model. Let's start with the conversion process, which involves the following steps:
In its simplest form, an U3D file is a binary data 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 U3D file format, please see this great article that goes into a lot of detail explaining the U3D format.
With the U3D 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 STL format.
The STL format has been around for many years and has become not only a standard format for storing and transmitting 3D models but also a standard format for 3D printing, something we have talked about previously. STL files can be opened in most modern 3D editing applications without further processing.
To enable the saving of the model, our tool now needs to take the in-memory 3D model we have created in step 2 and convert this to the STL format. As the STL format supports only simple triangles with a single directional normal, if your U3D contains vertex normals, these will be recalculated into a single-face normal. To ensure an efficient file size, our tool will always save any STL file in its binary format.
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