Tips to open STL file

Can't open the STL file? You are not the only one. Thousands of users face similar problems every day. Below you will find tips on how to open STL files as well as a list of programs that support STL files.

STL file extension

File Name Stereolithography Format
File Category CAD Files

The STL file is supported on 3 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the STL files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the STL file on each system platform.

Operating systems
  • 5
  • 3
  • 3
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

What is STL file?

The STL file has been categorized as CAD Files. In addition to this file, the CAD Files category includes 158 related files. Stereolithography Format appears on 3 operating systems as a functional file. Although it can be found with greater or lesser success on any operating system, it will only be useful on Linux, Mac OS, Windows. The main program that supports this format is TurboCAD. This was created by IMSI/Design, LLC.. This file type can also be opened by 10 other programs. You can use CATIA, GOM Inspect, Geomagic Explorer, 3D Object Converter in case TurboCAD cannot be used.

How to open STL file?

The main problem with Stereolithography Format is that the STL file is incorrectly associated with programs. This causes the file STL to open by system applications not designed for this purpose, or to display a message that there is no associated program. This problem can be easily remedied.

The first thing you should do is just "doubleclick" on the STL file icon you want to open. If the operating system has an appropriate application to support it and there is also an association between the file and the program, the file should be opened.

Step 1. Install TurboCAD

The first step is to check if the computer has the TurboCAD program installed. To do this, enter the name TurboCAD into the system search engine. If it is not, installation may solve the problem, as most applications create file associations during installation. Later in this article you will find a list of programs that can open STL files.

Step 2. Create association of TurboCAD with STL files

If, despite the installed application, the STL file does not start in the TurboCAD application, you must create a file association. The association can be created using the drop-down list available by right-clicking on the file and selecting Properties. Information about the file and the program that the file is associated with are available here. Changes can be made using the "Change" button. The program should be visible in the window, otherwise it should be selected manually using the "Browse" button and the program installation directory should be indicated. The "always use the selected program ..." field will set the TurboCAD application as the default for handling the STL file.

Step 3. Update TurboCAD to the latest version

The fault may also lie with the TurboCAD program, it is possible that Stereolithography Format requires a newer version of the program. Some applications allow you to update from the program level, and for others you need to download the installer from the IMSI/Design, LLC. page and install.

Step 4. Check for the following problems with the STL file

The problem may also be with the file itself if the above steps don't work. File problems can be divided into the following:

Very often, the file may be size 0 or incomplete. This suggests truncating the STL file contents when downloading or copying. The file should be downloaded again, making sure that the process has finished correctly.
The computer may have fallen victim to a computer virus or hacker. A quick virus scan using an up-to-date antivirus program should clear up any doubts. Some antivirus vendors also provide free online scanners. However, it is important to scan the entire system, not only the file STL or the program directory. As a result of the scan, sometimes it is not possible to recover STL files, which are deleted if there is a backup of this file, then after restoring it, it must also be scanned.
Older version of STL file may not always be supported by the latest software version. These problems are known and are often very easy to fix using the software developers's website.
The file may be corrupted in a number of ways. The repair method must be adapted to the type of file and damage. Some programs offer the option of recovering data from damaged STL files. You can restore the file from a backup or use N/A help.
When reading, a message appears that the file was encrypted or corrupted. The encrypted file STL except for the special designation, works normally, but only on the device where it was encrypted, before transferring it to another machine, decryption is required.
The operating system protects files in some locations (e.g. the root of the system partition) against unauthorized access. These directories are write-protected to them and it's very hard to fix this problem. If possible, you can try to move the STL file to another location.
This problem only occurs with more complex files. You may find that another program you are using is preventing you from working with the file. Running programs (including those in the background) should be verified. Sometimes you have to wait for the session to the file STL to close. However, some background programs may block the STL file while scanning. If nothing helps, please reset the device.