ZIP to STL Converter
Model downloads and CAD exports often arrive as a ZIP full of folders, mixed formats and readme files. Upload the archive as it is and get the printable parts back as STL files, without unpacking anything yourself.
3D Model Converter
or drop STL, OBJ, MTL … files here ·
Max 95 MB per file· Up to 20 files· Deleted after 30 minutes
Files are processed on our servers and deleted after 30 minutes.
STL and OBJ store no units. If a part shows up 10× or 25.4× too small or too big in the slicer, the units were read wrong — set them here.
Blender, CAD programs and slicers use Z-up; glTF, Unity and most game engines use Y-up. Switch it if the model lies on its side after import.
Used when converting STEP or IGES solids to a mesh. Fine gives smooth curves but larger files; coarse is enough for quick previews.
Only used for PNG, JPG or SVG input. Relief raises dark areas; a lithophane is a thin panel that shows the photo when lit from behind; extrude turns a logo or SVG outline into a flat solid shape.
Width of the printed model; the height follows the image's aspect ratio.
Maximum raised height for a relief or lithophane, or the thickness of an extruded shape. Lithophanes usually use 2–3 mm.
Solid plate under the relief so the print holds together. 0 means no base.
How to use this tool
- 1
Upload the ZIP
Drop the archive straight from your downloads folder, up to 95 MB. Several ZIPs can go in one batch.
- 2
Keep parts separate
Merge into one mesh is off, so every part inside becomes its own STL. Under Advanced settings you can set Mesh detail for STEP parts and Model units for OBJ files saved in meters.
- 3
Convert and download
Press Convert to STL. Several results come back together in one ZIP, ready to drag into your slicer.
Can I convert a ZIP file straight to STL?
Yes. A ZIP is only a container, so the converter opens it, finds the 3D model files inside, including those in subfolders, and turns each one into an STL. The archive itself never needs to be extracted on your computer.
What is inside a model ZIP, and what comes out
ZIP, created by Phil Katz of PKWARE in 1989, is how most model libraries bundle multi-part designs. Thingiverse's Download All Files button and Printables' model download both hand you an archive, usually with a files folder for models, an images folder for previews and a license or readme. Designers sharing a project from Fusion 360 or Onshape often add STEP versions next to the STL parts, and asset stores mix OBJ, FBX and texture folders.
The converter walks the whole archive. Model files are converted to binary STL, STL files already inside are re-saved in the same compact form, and everything else is skipped. STEP and IGES solids are meshed at the Mesh detail you choose; textured formats lose their colors, because STL has no place for them. If a part needs those colors for a multi-material printer, convert just that file to 3MF instead, or see 3MF to STL for what that format keeps.
3D formats a ZIP to STL converter reads
| from ↓ · to → | STL | 3MF | OBJ |
|---|---|---|---|
| STL | STL to STL: yes | STL to 3MF: yes | STL to OBJ: yes |
| OBJ | OBJ to STL: yes | OBJ to 3MF: yes | OBJ to OBJ: yes |
| 3MF | 3MF to STL: yes | 3MF to 3MF: yes | 3MF to OBJ: yes |
| STEP | STEP to STL: yes | STEP to 3MF: yes | STEP to OBJ: yes |
| IGES | IGES to STL: yes | IGES to 3MF: yes | IGES to OBJ: yes |
| FBX | FBX to STL: yes | FBX to 3MF: yes | FBX to OBJ: yes |
| GLB | GLB to STL: yes | GLB to 3MF: yes | GLB to OBJ: yes |
| PLY | PLY to STL: yes | PLY to 3MF: yes | PLY to OBJ: yes |
ZIP
ZIP archive
ZIP is a lossless archive format created by Phil Katz of PKWARE in 1989. It bundles many files and folders into one compressed file, and Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android can open it without extra software. ZIP is also the container behind DOCX, XLSX, EPUB, APK and JAR files. Its standard compression is fast but less efficient than 7z, and the old ZipCrypto password protection is weak.
- Compression
- Lossless
- Transparency
- –
- Animation
- –
- Introduced
- 1989 · Phil Katz (PKWARE)
STL
STL mesh
STL (stereolithography) is a 3D mesh format created by 3D Systems in 1987. It describes only the surface geometry of an object as a list of triangles, without colour, materials, units or scene information. Its simplicity makes it the default input for 3D printing slicers such as Cura and PrusaSlicer. Curved surfaces are approximated by many flat triangles, so smooth models can produce very large files.
- Compression
- –
- Transparency
- –
- Animation
- No
- Introduced
- 1987 · 3D Systems
People convert a ZIP to STL when a model site or a colleague sent a bundle of mixed 3D files and the slicer needs plain STL parts, one per object.
When a ZIP to STL conversion goes wrong
No models found in the archive
The ZIP holds only native project files such as .f3d, .sldprt or .blend, which need their own program. Export STEP, OBJ or STL from that program and zip those instead.
The archive will not open
It is password-protected or damaged. Extract it with the password on your computer, then upload the model files or a fresh ZIP.
Parts are tiny in the slicer
Some OBJ files inside were saved in meters. Set Model units to m and convert again.
Every part came out as one blob
Merge into one mesh was switched on. Turn it off to get one STL per part.
Before you upload a model archive
- ZIP only, up to 95 MB per archive.
- Subfolders are searched automatically.
- Photos, PDFs and text files are left out.
- One STL per part unless you merge.
- Native CAD project files need exporting first.
- Keep the original ZIP for the license.
ZIP to STL questions
What happens to the readme, license and photo files in the ZIP?
Only 3D model files are converted. Text files, PDFs and preview photos that model sites put in archives are not part of the STL output. Keep the original ZIP if you need the license text, since many models are shared under Creative Commons terms that ask for attribution.
The ZIP already contains STL files. Is there any point uploading it?
Yes, if you want everything in one format. STL files pass through as binary STL, so an ASCII STL in the archive also shrinks to a fraction of its size, and any OBJ, 3MF or STEP parts next to them are converted in the same run.
Can it open RAR or 7z model archives?
This page reads ZIP. For RAR or 7z, extract the archive first, or repack it as ZIP; the unzip online tools cover extracting other archive types.
My ZIP is over 95 MB. What can I do?
Split the work. Extract the archive, then upload the model files directly, up to 20 at a time, or make smaller ZIPs of a few parts each. Large archives are usually big because of photos and renders, not the models.
Is a Thingiverse 'Download all files' ZIP safe to upload?
It is processed like any other upload: converted on our server and deleted 30 minutes later, as described in the privacy policy. Nothing inside it is run, only read as model data.
- 3MF to STL ConverterConvert 3MF to STL for slicers, print services and tools that only read STL. Geometry is kept in millimeters; colors, plates and print settings drop out.
- STEP to STL ConverterConvert STEP or STP files to STL for Cura, PrusaSlicer and Bambu Studio. Pick coarse, normal or fine mesh detail and get a binary STL in millimeters.
- OBJ to STL ConverterConvert OBJ models from Blender, ZBrush or a scan into binary STL for 3D printing. Quads are triangulated, parts merged and the scale fixed to millimeters.
- FBX to OBJ ConverterConvert FBX files from Mixamo, Unity asset packs or Maya to OBJ with MTL materials and textures. Binary and ASCII FBX accepted, 20 files per batch.
- STL to OBJ ConverterConvert STL to OBJ for Unity, texturing tools and other 3D apps that expect OBJ. Shared vertices, readable text and the same triangles, in seconds.