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Convert Your 3D Mesh/Model DAE Files to STL

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Our free and fast tool will convert most 3D mesh or DAE (COLLADA - Collaborative Design Activity) model files to a standard STL (Standard Triangle Language) 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 DAE files; up to 25 files at a time can be converted.

To convert your DAE file, click the Upload button above and select the file to convert. Once selected, the file will be converted to a STL file and will be ready for download shortly afterwards. For more information about the DAE to STL conversion process, see the conversion information section below.

How to Convert your DAE to STL Online?

Here are two simple steps to convert your DAE to STL.

Upload a DAE

Click the "Upload a DAE File" button and select a DAE to upload. The maximum file size is 100MB.

Download your STL

Click the download link once completed to receive your STL file.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I convert my DAE file to STL?

First click the "Upload..." button, select your DAE file to upload. Select any configuration options. When the DAE to STL conversion has completed, you can download your STL file straight away.

How long does it take to convert my DAE to STL?

We aim to process all DAE 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.

How accurate is the DAE to STL conversion?

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.

Is it safe to convert my DAE to STL on ImageToStl.com?

Yes, of course! We do not store the DAE 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.

Can I convert DAE to STL on Windows, Linux, Android, iOS or Mac OS?

Yes! Our DAE 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.

What if I am using an Ad Blocker, will that affect things?

Yes. Although you can use an Ad Blocker, if you like our DAE 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.

My DAE file contains textures, how do I upload these?

If your DAE file has separate texture (PNG, JPG etc.) files, you can drag and drop these onto the upload tool along with the main DAE file. Our tool will intelligently detect which of these additional files belong with the DAE file. Alternatively, you can place these additional files, along with the DAE file within a ZIP or other compressed archive file and upload that.

What STL formats can I convert to?

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.

I have several DAE files; can I batch convert my DAE to STL?

Yes! Our DAE tool supports full batch conversions. You can upload up to 25 and DAE files at a time. Our tool will convert them all as quickly as possible. Once completed, you can either download the STL files individually or download them all in a single ZIP file.

Comparing DAE and STL Features

 

DAE Features

  • Mesh Geometry (Vertices and Faces)
  • Vertex Normals
  • Face Normals
  • Vertex Colors
  • Face Materials (Excluding textures)
  • Textures
  • Point Cloud
  • Multiple Objects Per File
  • Object Transforms (Translation, Rotation, and Scale)
  • Bones/Joints
  • Animations
  • Suitable for 3D Printing

STL Features

  • Mesh Geometry (Vertices and Faces)
  • Vertex Normals
  • Face Normals
  • Vertex Colors
  • Face Materials (Excluding textures)
  • Textures
  • Point Cloud
  • Multiple Objects Per File
  • Object Transforms (Translation, Rotation, and Scale)
  • Bones/Joints
  • Animations
  • Suitable for 3D Printing

File Format Information for DAE to STL

ExtensionDAE
Full NameCOLLADA - Collaborative Design Activity
Type3D Model
Mime Typetext/xml
FormatText
ToolsDAE Converters, 3D Model Voxelizer, Create DAE Animation, DAE Asset Extractor, Text to DAE, DAE Viewer
Open WithBlender, MeshLab

Description

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.

DAE Notes

If your DAE file is uploaded with accompanying texture files, these will be included in the conversion process.

Supported Features

  • Mesh geometry
  • Material colors
  • Textures (PNG, JPG formats)
ExtensionSTL
Full NameStandard Triangle Language
Type3D Model
Mime Typeapplication/vnd.ms-pki.stl
FormatText & Binary
ToolsSTL Converters, 3D Model Voxelizer, Create STL Animation, Compress STL, Text to STL, STL Viewer
Open WithBlender, Daz Studio, MeshLab, CAD Assistant

Description

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.

STL Notes

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.

Supported Features

  • Mesh geometry
  • Face colors via the VisCAM and SolidView formats
  • Binary and text versions are supported

Converting Your DAE File for 3D Printing

Software used to prepare a 3D model file for printing, which is also known as 3D slicer software, cannot usually open DAE 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 DAE format

A small cog in the DAE format

The cog in a Replicator 3D printer

The cog in a Replicator 3D printer

The completed 3D printed cog

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 DAE to STL conversion tool can convert your DAE 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.

How does it work?

Converting from the DAE 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 DAE file to a valid STL 3D model. Let's start with the conversion process, which involves the following steps:

Step 1: Read the Source DAE File

In its simplest form, an DAE file is a plain text file containing human-readable 3D data such as vertices, faces, normals, and more. When combined, these make up the 3D model you see on your screen.

When our tool reads this 3D data, all we are interested in are the vertices, faces, and normals, as this is the only data that can be accurately converted into the final STL file.

The DAE file can contain other data, such as material definitions and textures, that describe how a particular set of 3D geometry should be rendered. As we are creating an STL file, which does not support materials and textures, we will be ignoring this data if it is present in the DAE file.

For more information regarding the DAE file format, please see this great article that goes into a lot of detail explaining the DAE format.

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Step 2: Process File Data

With the DAE 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.

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Step 1: Read the Source DAE File

Step 3: Saving 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 DAE 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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