STL files are used to represent simple 3D models, defined using triangular 3D faces.
Initially it was introduced as native format for 3D Systems Stereolithography CAD system, but due to its extreme simplicity, it was adopted by a wide range of 3D modelling, CAD, rapid prototyping and 3D printing applications as the simplest 3D model exchange format.
STL is extremely bare-bones format: there are no complex headers, no texture / color support, no units specifications, no distinct vertex arrays. Whole model is specified as a collection of triangular faces.
There are two versions of the format (text and binary), this spec describes binary version.
This page hosts a formal specification of .stl file format of 3D Systems Stereolithography using Kaitai Struct. This specification can be automatically translated into a variety of programming languages to get a parsing library.
// This is a generated file! Please edit source .ksy file and use kaitai-struct-compiler to rebuild
import io.kaitai.struct.ByteBufferKaitaiStream;
import io.kaitai.struct.KaitaiStruct;
import io.kaitai.struct.KaitaiStream;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import io.kaitai.struct.ConsistencyError;
import java.util.Objects;
import java.util.List;
/**
* STL files are used to represent simple 3D models, defined using
* triangular 3D faces.
*
* Initially it was introduced as native format for 3D Systems
* Stereolithography CAD system, but due to its extreme simplicity, it
* was adopted by a wide range of 3D modelling, CAD, rapid prototyping
* and 3D printing applications as the simplest 3D model exchange
* format.
*
* STL is extremely bare-bones format: there are no complex headers, no
* texture / color support, no units specifications, no distinct vertex
* arrays. Whole model is specified as a collection of triangular
* faces.
*
* There are two versions of the format (text and binary), this spec
* describes binary version.
*/
public class Stl extends KaitaiStruct.ReadWrite {
public static Stl fromFile(String fileName) throws IOException {
return new Stl(new ByteBufferKaitaiStream(fileName));
}
public Stl() {
this(null, null, null);
}
public Stl(KaitaiStream _io) {
this(_io, null, null);
}
public Stl(KaitaiStream _io, KaitaiStruct.ReadWrite _parent) {
this(_io, _parent, null);
}
public Stl(KaitaiStream _io, KaitaiStruct.ReadWrite _parent, Stl _root) {
super(_io);
this._parent = _parent;
this._root = _root == null ? this : _root;
}
public void _read() {
this.header = this._io.readBytes(80);
this.numTriangles = this._io.readU4le();
this.triangles = new ArrayList<Triangle>();
for (int i = 0; i < numTriangles(); i++) {
Triangle _t_triangles = new Triangle(this._io, this, _root);
try {
_t_triangles._read();
} finally {
this.triangles.add(_t_triangles);
}
}
_dirty = false;
}
public void _fetchInstances() {
for (int i = 0; i < this.triangles.size(); i++) {
this.triangles.get(((Number) (i)).intValue())._fetchInstances();
}
}
public void _write_Seq() {
_assertNotDirty();
this._io.writeBytes(this.header);
this._io.writeU4le(this.numTriangles);
for (int i = 0; i < this.triangles.size(); i++) {
this.triangles.get(((Number) (i)).intValue())._write_Seq(this._io);
}
}
public void _check() {
if (this.header.length != 80)
throw new ConsistencyError("header", 80, this.header.length);
if (this.triangles.size() != numTriangles())
throw new ConsistencyError("triangles", numTriangles(), this.triangles.size());
for (int i = 0; i < this.triangles.size(); i++) {
if (!Objects.equals(this.triangles.get(((Number) (i)).intValue())._root(), _root()))
throw new ConsistencyError("triangles", _root(), this.triangles.get(((Number) (i)).intValue())._root());
if (!Objects.equals(this.triangles.get(((Number) (i)).intValue())._parent(), this))
throw new ConsistencyError("triangles", this, this.triangles.get(((Number) (i)).intValue())._parent());
}
_dirty = false;
}
/**
* Each STL triangle is defined by its 3 points in 3D space and a
* normal vector, which is generally used to determine where is
* "inside" and "outside" of the model.
*/
public static class Triangle extends KaitaiStruct.ReadWrite {
public static Triangle fromFile(String fileName) throws IOException {
return new Triangle(new ByteBufferKaitaiStream(fileName));
}
public Triangle() {
this(null, null, null);
}
public Triangle(KaitaiStream _io) {
this(_io, null, null);
}
public Triangle(KaitaiStream _io, Stl _parent) {
this(_io, _parent, null);
}
public Triangle(KaitaiStream _io, Stl _parent, Stl _root) {
super(_io);
this._parent = _parent;
this._root = _root;
}
public void _read() {
this.normal = new Vec3d(this._io, this, _root);
this.normal._read();
this.vertices = new ArrayList<Vec3d>();
for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
Vec3d _t_vertices = new Vec3d(this._io, this, _root);
try {
_t_vertices._read();
} finally {
this.vertices.add(_t_vertices);
}
}
this.abr = this._io.readU2le();
_dirty = false;
}
public void _fetchInstances() {
this.normal._fetchInstances();
for (int i = 0; i < this.vertices.size(); i++) {
this.vertices.get(((Number) (i)).intValue())._fetchInstances();
}
}
public void _write_Seq() {
_assertNotDirty();
this.normal._write_Seq(this._io);
for (int i = 0; i < this.vertices.size(); i++) {
this.vertices.get(((Number) (i)).intValue())._write_Seq(this._io);
}
this._io.writeU2le(this.abr);
}
public void _check() {
if (!Objects.equals(this.normal._root(), _root()))
throw new ConsistencyError("normal", _root(), this.normal._root());
if (!Objects.equals(this.normal._parent(), this))
throw new ConsistencyError("normal", this, this.normal._parent());
if (this.vertices.size() != 3)
throw new ConsistencyError("vertices", 3, this.vertices.size());
for (int i = 0; i < this.vertices.size(); i++) {
if (!Objects.equals(this.vertices.get(((Number) (i)).intValue())._root(), _root()))
throw new ConsistencyError("vertices", _root(), this.vertices.get(((Number) (i)).intValue())._root());
if (!Objects.equals(this.vertices.get(((Number) (i)).intValue())._parent(), this))
throw new ConsistencyError("vertices", this, this.vertices.get(((Number) (i)).intValue())._parent());
}
_dirty = false;
}
private Vec3d normal;
private List<Vec3d> vertices;
private int abr;
private Stl _root;
private Stl _parent;
public Vec3d normal() { return normal; }
public void setNormal(Vec3d _v) { _dirty = true; normal = _v; }
public List<Vec3d> vertices() { return vertices; }
public void setVertices(List<Vec3d> _v) { _dirty = true; vertices = _v; }
/**
* In theory (per standard), it's "attribute byte count" with
* no other details given on what "attribute" is and what
* should be stored in this field.
*
* In practice, software dealing with STL either expected to
* see 0 here, or uses this 16-bit field per se to store
* additional attributes (such as RGB color of a vertex or
* color index).
*/
public int abr() { return abr; }
public void setAbr(int _v) { _dirty = true; abr = _v; }
public Stl _root() { return _root; }
public void set_root(Stl _v) { _dirty = true; _root = _v; }
public Stl _parent() { return _parent; }
public void set_parent(Stl _v) { _dirty = true; _parent = _v; }
}
public static class Vec3d extends KaitaiStruct.ReadWrite {
public static Vec3d fromFile(String fileName) throws IOException {
return new Vec3d(new ByteBufferKaitaiStream(fileName));
}
public Vec3d() {
this(null, null, null);
}
public Vec3d(KaitaiStream _io) {
this(_io, null, null);
}
public Vec3d(KaitaiStream _io, Stl.Triangle _parent) {
this(_io, _parent, null);
}
public Vec3d(KaitaiStream _io, Stl.Triangle _parent, Stl _root) {
super(_io);
this._parent = _parent;
this._root = _root;
}
public void _read() {
this.x = this._io.readF4le();
this.y = this._io.readF4le();
this.z = this._io.readF4le();
_dirty = false;
}
public void _fetchInstances() {
}
public void _write_Seq() {
_assertNotDirty();
this._io.writeF4le(this.x);
this._io.writeF4le(this.y);
this._io.writeF4le(this.z);
}
public void _check() {
_dirty = false;
}
private float x;
private float y;
private float z;
private Stl _root;
private Stl.Triangle _parent;
public float x() { return x; }
public void setX(float _v) { _dirty = true; x = _v; }
public float y() { return y; }
public void setY(float _v) { _dirty = true; y = _v; }
public float z() { return z; }
public void setZ(float _v) { _dirty = true; z = _v; }
public Stl _root() { return _root; }
public void set_root(Stl _v) { _dirty = true; _root = _v; }
public Stl.Triangle _parent() { return _parent; }
public void set_parent(Stl.Triangle _v) { _dirty = true; _parent = _v; }
}
private byte[] header;
private long numTriangles;
private List<Triangle> triangles;
private Stl _root;
private KaitaiStruct.ReadWrite _parent;
public byte[] header() { return header; }
public void setHeader(byte[] _v) { _dirty = true; header = _v; }
public long numTriangles() { return numTriangles; }
public void setNumTriangles(long _v) { _dirty = true; numTriangles = _v; }
public List<Triangle> triangles() { return triangles; }
public void setTriangles(List<Triangle> _v) { _dirty = true; triangles = _v; }
public Stl _root() { return _root; }
public void set_root(Stl _v) { _dirty = true; _root = _v; }
public KaitaiStruct.ReadWrite _parent() { return _parent; }
public void set_parent(KaitaiStruct.ReadWrite _v) { _dirty = true; _parent = _v; }
}