3D FILE FORMATS
Every format stores something different.
STL only has triangles. OBJ adds materials. GLB adds textures and animation. 3MF declares millimetres and colours. Pick the format that matches your goal, not the one your tool exported by default.
STLSTL: the triangle-only formatWhat an STL file really contains: triangles, normals and no unit. When to use it for 3D printing, and what you lose compared to OBJ, GLB or 3MF.OBJOBJ: geometry plus optional materialsWhat an OBJ file contains, how MTL and textures work, and when to convert OBJ to STL or GLB for printing or the web.GLBGLB: one binary file for the webWhat a GLB contains: geometry, PBR materials, textures and animations in one binary file. When to use it for the web, AR or game engines.GLTFglTF: the JSON scene, unpackedWhat a glTF file stores: a JSON scene, external .bin buffers and texture files. How it differs from GLB, and when to pack it.PLYPLY: the scanner's mesh formatWhat a PLY file stores: vertices, faces, normals, colours and scanner properties. When to convert PLY to STL or OBJ.STEPSTEP: exact CAD, not a meshWhat a STEP file stores: B-Rep surfaces, units and assemblies. When to convert it to STL or GLB, and what tessellation changes.3MF3MF: units and materials in one packageWhat a 3MF package contains: millimetres, colours, materials and multiple objects in one ZIP. When to use it instead of STL.