
In Blender, you need to right-click the bottom bar and check “Scene Statistics”.Ĭheck out this Bearded Yell STL file in Blender, which shows 2,804,188 triangles and has a file size of 133MB. If you see a large STL file in a design software (CAD), it can actually show you how many triangles a model has. Larger files are ones where there are smoother surfaces and large in actual size because it means there are more triangles. These files work very well to create 3D models and can be quite small or large files depending on how many triangles form the model.

It’s preferred because it’s an incredibly simple format. It is basically a 3D model file which is created through a series of meshes or set of several small triangles to form a 3D geometry.

The STL file is the main 3D printing file type that you’ll see used in the 3D printing industry. Let’s take a look at some of these file types. These design files can’t work directly with a 3D printer though, since they require processing through a software called a slicer, which basically prepares the G-Code file which can be 3D printed.

You also have some less common types of 3D printer files such as OBJ and 3MF which are different versions of 3D model design types. The main type of files 3D printers use are STL files and G-Code files to create the 3D model design, as well as create the file of instructions that 3D printers can understand and follow. Can You Use G-Code Files for 3D Printers?.Do All 3D Printers Use STL Files? Filament, Resin & More.
