What is the best way of saving CAD to .STL files?
Most common CAD packages will allow you to save in the .stl format. Two options can affect the quality of the .stl file output. Changing the deviation setting will alter the overall output or tessellation of the .stl, and changing the angle tolerance will alter smaller details in .stl files. The more precise these parameters are, the more triangles are placed on the surface of the model. Simple geometries will tend to be a couple of hundred kilobytes in size. Complex models range from 1 to 5MB in size and still produce good parts. For many models, files larger then 5MB may be unnecessary and often result in more time to get your quote and models back. In all cases, export .stl files as Binary files.
