STL Export Options
You can set the export options when you export SolidWorks part or assembly
documents as STL files.
To set the STL export options:
Click File, Save
As.
Select STL (*.stl)
for Save as type, then click Options.
Select from the options described below, then
click OK.
Click Save to export the document.
Output as
Select either Binary or ASCII
as the file format. Binary files are smaller than ASCII files, but they
are not supported in some other systems. Select the type supported by
the target system.
Unit.
Select the unit of measure.
Resolution.
Controls the tessellation of non-planar surfaces for Stereolithography
(STL) output. A lower deviation setting produces a more finely tessellated
STL file. Files generated with higher accuracy settings (increased tessellation)
are larger in size and slower to generate.
Coarse
or Fine. Preset resolutions.
Custom.
Move the Deviation
slider to adjust the deviation Tolerance, which controls whole-part
tessellation. Lower numbers generate files with greater whole-part accuracy.
Move the Angle
slider to adjust the angle Tolerance, which controls smaller detail
tessellation. Lower numbers generate files with greater small-detail accuracy,
but those files take longer to generate.
As you move the two sliders, the corresponding concentric
circles adjust accordingly. The circles show, approximately, how the tessellation
will vary as a result of the settings. (See Preview
below.)
Show
STL info before file saving. Displays a SolidWorks
dialog box (when you click Save
in the Save As dialog box) that
contains the following information: Triangles
(number), File Size, File
Format, and the directory path and file name.
Preview.
Displays a faceted model preview in the graphics area and displays the
Triangles (number) and File
size information in the Export
Options dialog box.
Do not translate STL output data to
positive space. Makes exported parts maintain their original position
in global space, relative to the origin.
Save all components of an assembly
in a single file (assemblies only). Saves the assembly and its
components in a single .stl file.
Check for interferences (assemblies
only). Performs an interference check on an assembly document prior to
saving. Export of an assembly with coincident or interfering bodies to
a single .stl file produces a
file that may be unsuitable for some rapid prototyping systems. It is
recommended that you check for interference between the components prior
to saving the assembly document. For more information, see Interference Detection.
Output coordinate system. Select
a coordinate system to apply for export. If you select --
default --, no transformation matrix is applied.