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How to convert PTC Creo (Pro/Engineer,.asm,.prt) to STL (StereoLithography)?

PolyTrans|CAD+DCC performs mathematically precise CAD, DCC/Animation, GIS and BIM 3D file conversions into all key downstream 3D packages and file formats. Okino software is used and trusted throughout the world by many tens of thousands of 3D professionals in mission & production critical environments, backed by respectable personal support directly from our core development team.

PTC Creo

Creo is a family of Computer-aided design (CAD) apps supporting product design for discrete manufacturers and is developed by PTC. The suite consists of apps, each delivering a distinct set of capabilities for a user role within product development. They generally compete with SolidWorks, UG NX, CATIA, Solid Edge and Autodesk Inventor.

For over 3 decades Okino has been a primary conversion partner of PTC, especially for our core business focussing on the conversion of their native ProE/Creo (ASM and PRT) and ProductView (PVS, PVZ) files.

Their current product naming can be a bit confusing:

• Creo Elements/Pro - previously Pro/Engineer
• Creo Elements/Direct - previously CoCreate
• Creo Elements/View - previously ProductView

Okino licenses the real and actual ProE/Creo runtime toolkits from PTC directly and hence can guarantee perfect file conversions. Suggested conversion methods include:

• Via native 'Creo Elements Pro' (Pro/E) files, .asm and .prt.
  
  
• Via PTC .neutral assembly and part files.
  
  
• Via STEP and IGES files.
  
  
• Via native ProductView PVS/PVZ files.

STL

STL (StereoLithography) is one of the industry's oldest (and simplest) 3D file formats created back in 1987 for 3D Systems' first commercial 3D printer. It is widely used for rapid prototyping, 3D printing and CAM. Okino has provided one of the very first and still primary STL export conversion systems for close to 3 decades.

Please take note that there is no 3D file format which is much simpler than STL. It is not a high-end, high fidelity 3D conversion file format as many people have come to wrongly believe. Rather, STL defines just a raw triangulated polygon mesh with no smoothing information (vertex normals), no uv texture coordinates, no assembly hierarchy part naming or any material assignments. 3MF and VRML2 are often much better file formats for moving 3D datasets into downstream programs and/or 3D printers.

The Okino STL exporter WEB page provides good graphical tutorial about how to convert CAD file data into STL and also how to clean a 3D model which is 'almost water tight'.

PTC Creo import converter's overview

How to Convert CAD to STL

STL export converter's overview