Eden260V User Guide
3 Introducing the 3D Printer
DOC-32020 Rev. F
3-3
Source Files
Eden260V printing systems produce three-dimensional models designed with
most CAD tools and some other 3D applications.
Objet Studio supports these file formats:
•
•
Eden260V systems feature the capability of producing different types of model
files simultaneously.
STL Files
STL is short for
STereoLithography
or
Standard Triangulation Language
. This
language views any object as a collection of surfaces, and describes each
surface of the object as a collection of triangles.
For example, a square can be described as two triangles; a cube (six squares) as
12 triangles. Curved surfaces need more triangles to describe them. The higher
the tolerance (for smooth surfaces), the more triangles are needed.
Most CAD software can export STL files. Objet Studio/ opens these files for
printing models on the printer.
SLC Files
SLC is short for
Stereo-Lithography Contour
. SLC files describe two-
dimensional contours of the three-dimensional models. These contour lines are
polylines.
SLC files are ASCII (text) files that save models as a series of slices. This means
that models based on SLC files cannot be orientated; only their scale (size) and
position on the build tray can be controlled. For this reason, the model’s
orientation must be suitable for production before it is saved as an SLC file.
Because of the nature of SLC files, the appearance of models in Objet Studio
may be different than the solid-object images displayed from STL files.
