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STL to 3MF

STL to 3MF: bridge to modern slicing and color printing workflows.

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About This Tool

STL to 3MF packs your classic mesh into a 3MF container, enabling color and part management in modern slicers (the source STL has no color). All processing is done locally in your browser; files are not uploaded, ensuring your data remains private.

Tips

  • 1Source STL has no color; assign colors in the slicer after conversion
  • 2Beneficial for modern engineering file workflows
  • 3Dimensions and scale are preserved

About Configuration Options

General Settings

Coordinate System

DefaultY-up

Determines the 'up' axis of the exported model. Different 3D software uses different conventions. Selecting the wrong system may cause the model to lie on its side.

Y-upRecommended

Convention used by OpenGL, Three.js, and most Web 3D engines. Choose this for models from web or game engines.

Z-up

Convention used by Blender (default), 3ds Max, and some CAD software. Try this if the model appears sideways.

Rotation X

Default0°

Range-180° – 180°

Rotate the model around the X axis (degrees). Useful for correcting axis misalignment or print orientation.

Rotation Y

Default0°

Range-180° – 180°

Rotate the model around the Y axis (degrees). Useful for correcting axis misalignment or print orientation.

Rotation Z

Default0°

Range-180° – 180°

Rotate the model around the Z axis (degrees). Useful for correcting axis misalignment or print orientation.

Rotation Application

DefaultRoot node transform

Choose how rotation is written to the exported model. Baking into vertices rewrites all vertex coordinates so every export format (including geometry-only formats such as STL and STEP) applies it consistently; root node transform keeps the original vertex coordinates, which is friendlier to animated or skinned models, but formats that ignore node transforms (such as STEP) won't apply the rotation.

Bake into vertices

Rotation is written into all vertex coordinates and applies consistently to every export format; geometry data is rewritten.

Root node transformRecommended

Rotation is written as a root node transform while vertex coordinates stay unchanged; better for skinned or animated models, but formats that ignore node transforms (such as STEP) won't apply it.

Format Information

Input format

Extension:
stl
Full Name:
Stereolithography
Type:
3D Mesh
Format:
STL (Binary / ASCII)
Tools:
Cura、PrusaSlicer、Chitubox、Simplify3D
Open With:
Slicer Software、MeshLab、Windows 3D Viewer、STL Viewer Online
Description:
STL is the de facto standard mesh format in 3D printing, storing only triangular surface data since 1987, without color, texture, or material. Almost all slicers (Cura, PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio, ChiTuBox) and printers directly support STL, ensuring its enduring popularity. Two classic pitfalls: STL lacks unit definitions, making millimeters and inches indistinguishable on disk; always verify scale in your slicer. It also has ASCII (readable but 4-6x larger) and binary (compact, default) encodings. For multi-color printing, materials, or parameters, switch to 3MF, which carries richer print information while maintaining slicer compatibility.

Notes:

  • Does not support colors, textures or materials
  • No unit definition; verify scale in your slicer
  • ASCII format is 4-6× larger than binary

Supported Features:

  • Triangle mesh only, simple and universally compatible
  • Binary and ASCII encoding options
  • Directly importable into Cura, PrusaSlicer, Chitubox, etc.

Output format

Extension:
3mf
Full Name:
3D Manufacturing Format
Type:
3D Model
Format:
3MF
Tools:
Bambu Studio、PrusaSlicer、OrcaSlicer、Cura
Open With:
Windows 3D Viewer、3MF Viewer Online、Blender、3D Model Viewer
Description:
3MF is a modern 3D printing format from the 3MF Consortium, based on XML and packaged as a ZIP container. It preserves mesh data and supports per-part color, material, texture, and print properties. It is recommended for multi-color and multi-material printing. Major slicers (Bambu Studio, PrusaSlicer, OrcaSlicer) have native support. Compared to STL, 3MF carries richer information but is more complex. Some older slicers and printers may not recognize it. When converting from other formats, color and material mapping depend on source data. For simple single-color printing, STL remains sufficient. For multi-color, multi-material, or print parameter transfer, choose 3MF.

Notes:

  • Some older slicers and printers may not support 3MF
  • More complex than STL but carries richer information

Supported Features:

  • Per-part and per-vertex color support
  • Material and texture preservation
  • XML-based with ZIP compression
  • Native support in Bambu Studio, PrusaSlicer, OrcaSlicer

How to Use

1

Upload your STL file

Drag in the STL file; dimensions and scale are preserved as-is.

2

Review the model

Check orientation and units in the preview.

3

Download the 3MF

Download the 3MF file to assign colors and parts in your slicer (the source STL carries no color).

Frequently Asked Questions

View all FAQs
Q

Will it automatically have color?

A

No. STL does not contain any color information, so conversion does not add color automatically. You can assign colors in your slicer after conversion, as 3MF supports storing color data.

Q

What are the advantages over STL?

A

3MF is a richer container format than STL. It supports metadata, multiple parts, and color extensions, making it the modern standard for 3D printing. STL only stores raw triangles without units, colors, or structure.

Q

Will dimensions change?

A

No. The numerical size of the mesh is preserved exactly as-is during conversion. If a size difference appears in a slicer, check the unit settings rather than the geometry.

Q

How does the conversion handle units?

A

STL files do not contain unit information. By default, this tool treats the STL model as millimeters. You can specify the desired unit (e.g., inches, centimeters) during conversion to ensure correct scaling in the output 3MF file, preventing unexpected size changes when imported into slicers.

Q

Can the 3MF contain part names or other metadata?

A

3MF supports metadata and named objects, but an STL carries none of that information, so the converted file starts as a single unnamed part. You can set names, colors, and materials in your slicer after conversion.

Q

I converted an STL from a 3D scanner: will it work the same?

A

Yes. Scanned meshes exported as STL convert the same way as any other model. Because scans often contain holes or noise, inspect the result in your slicer and repair the mesh if needed before printing.

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