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Objet500 User Guide
Source Files
Objet500 printing systems produce three-dimensional models designed with
most CAD tools and some other 3D applications.
Objet Studio supports these file formats:
• STL
• SLC
• VRML
GrabCAD Print (for Connex3 printers) supports STL, VRML, OBJ and 3MF files.
In addition, GrabCAD Print supports native CAD formats from these programs:
Creo, SOLIDWORKS, NX, CATIA and Inventor. To see the complete list of file
formats supported by GrabCAD Print, go to: help.grabcad.com/print/file-formats.
All Objet500 systems feature the capability of producing different types of model
files simultaneously.
STL Files
STL is short for STereoLithography or Standard Triangulation Language. This
language views any object as a collection of surfaces, and describes each
surface of the object as a collection of triangles.
For example, a square can be described as two triangles; a cube (six squares) as
12 triangles. Curved surfaces need more triangles to describe them. The higher
the tolerance (for smooth surfaces), the more triangles are needed.
Most CAD software can export STL files. Objet Studio/GrabCAD Print opens
these files for printing models on the p rinter.
SLC Files
SLC is short for Stereo-Lithography Contour. SLC files describe two-
dimensional contours of the three-dimensional models. These contour lines are
polylines.
SLC files are ASCII (text) files that save models as a series of slices. This means
that models based on SLC files cannot be orientated; only their scale (size) and
position on the build tray can be controlled. For this reason, the model's
orientation must be suitable for production before it is saved as an SLC file.
Because of the nature of SLC files, the appearance of models in Objet Studio
may be different than the solid-object images displayed from STL files.
VRML Files
VRML i s a 3D file format which includes color information. VRML provides the
ability to apply different colors to a model while designing models in a CAD
program. VRML i s a 3D file format which includes color and texture information.
VRML provides the ability to apply different colors and textures to a model while
designing models in a CAD program.
DOC-07027 Rev. I
3 Introducing the 3D Printer
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