Releases: Gumboot13/stl2rsdocx
Release list
stl2rsdocx v1.1
stl2rsdocx v1.1 — now converts both directions
Convert into free DesignSpark Mechanical — and now export out to STEP / DXF. No subscription, no install.
Free DSM Explorer won't import STL/3MF/OBJ, and won't export STEP/DXF either — both are paid-Creator features. This tool bridges both gaps, on two tabs:
- Convert (in → DSM) — STL / 3MF / OBJ / DAE / STEP →
.rsdocx, then DSM's own free Convert to Solid makes it editable. - Export (DSM → out) — a mesh → STEP solid, 3D DXF, or 2D outline DXF, to send to a machine shop or another CAD package.
Download & run
Grab stl2rsdocx_gui.exe below, double-click, done. Windows only; nothing is installed.
⚠️ First run: Windows SmartScreen may warn about an unknown publisher — click More info → Run anyway. Normal for unsigned tools.
New in this release
- 🆕 Export tab — get parts out of free DSM in formats it can't export itself:
- STEP solid — opens in any CAD (SolidWorks / Fusion / FreeCAD) as a real solid body
- 3D mesh DXF — for AutoCAD
- 2D outline DXF — top / front / side, for laser / CNC / waterjet
- SVG import — logos, outlines, laser shapes → extrude
- DAE (COLLADA) import
- STEP import rebuilt — exact face geometry (fixed a tessellation bug) plus a tessellated mesh option
- Auto-scale parts saved in metres, auto-recenter offset parts, smarter auto-weld for 3MF artifacts
- Analyze button — pre-flight check on how cleanly a part will rebuild
- IGES / 3DS? The tool tells you to re-export as STEP / OBJ.
The free workflows
Get a mesh editable (in → DSM): Convert your STL/3MF/OBJ → .rsdocx (Smooth seams off) → open in free DSM → right-click → Convert to Solid → Merge faces → editable solid.
Send a part to a machine shop (DSM → out):
- In DSM: File → Save As → STL (free) at the finest tessellation.
- In the Export tab: drop the STL, choose STEP solid, Export.
- Send the
.step— it opens in any CAD as a solid.
Honest limits
- Convert to Solid and exported STEP/DXF are faceted — round bores become many-sided polygons (it's a mesh underneath). Great for flat / prismatic parts; for tight round tolerances use the finest tessellation, or paid Creator's true STEP export.
- STEP is verbose (~1 KB per triangle) — reduce dense meshes first.
- Export reads meshes (rsdocx / STL / OBJ / 3MF), not native Parasolid solids — hence the STL step above.
- Want true smooth curves? Get the part as STEP, or use Fusion / Blender.
See the [README](../../blob/main/README.md) for the full how-to.
Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or supported by RS Group / DesignSpark or Ansys. Formats reverse-engineered for interoperability. Use at your own risk.
stl2rsdocx v1.05
Free Explorer won't import STL/3MF/OBJ — that's locked to paid Creator. But once a mesh is inside DSM as a native .rsdocx, free Explorer opens it, and its Convert to Solid command turns it into a real editable solid. This tool supplies the missing piece: it writes the .rsdocx so you skip the paywall. Convert → open → right-click → Convert to Solid → edit. All free.
Download: grab stl2rsdocx_gui.exe below, double-click, done. Windows only; nothing is installed.
The free workflow
Convert your .stl / .3mf / .obj to .rsdocx (leave Smooth seams off).
Open it in free DesignSpark Mechanical Explorer.
Right-click the mesh in the tree → Convert to Solid → Merge faces.
Editable solid — push/pull, cut, combine, save.
Supported formats
STL / 3MF / OBJ / DAE → .rsdocx mesh → Convert to Solid → editable
STEP → exact editable face curves (Fill / Revolve), plus a tessellated mesh for Convert to Solid
DXF / SVG → 2D profile curves → Fill → Pull to thickness
IGES or 3DS? Re-export as STEP / OBJ — the tool will tell you so.
New since the last release
SVG support (logos, outlines, laser-cut shapes → extrude)
DAE (COLLADA) mesh support
STEP rebuilt: exact face geometry (fixed a tessellation bug) + tessellated mesh option
Auto-scale parts saved in metres, auto-recenter offset parts — no more invisible or tiny imports
Smarter auto-weld — fixes 3MF triangle artifacts and sub-millimetre parts
Analyze button — pre-flight check: how cleanly a part will rebuild, before you convert
Build badge in the title bar — tells you if STEP→mesh is enabled (full build) or curves-only (lite)
Drag-and-drop, batch convert, hover tooltips on every option
Good to know
Convert to Solid builds a faceted solid (editable, but a round hole is a many-sided polygon — no parametric "change this diameter"). That's a limit of meshes, not the tool. Want true curves? Use STEP, or Fusion/Blender.
Leave Smooth seams off for Convert to Solid — it strips the topology that needs. It's only for a cleaner view.
Dense meshes are slow to solidify — use the Reduce slider first.
STEP→mesh needs the full build. The lite build still does STEP as exact curves; the title bar tells you which build you have.
See the README for the full how-to. Not affiliated with RS Group / DesignSpark.
stl2rsdocx v1.0
Open STL, 3MF, OBJ, DXF, and STEP files in the free tier of DesignSpark Mechanical — no subscription, no install.
DesignSpark's free Explorer tier won't import these formats (they're locked to the paid Creator tier). This tool converts them into the formats Explorer does open, so you can view your parts — and rebuild many of them as editable solids — for free.
Download: grab stl2rsdocx_gui.exe below, double-click, done. Windows only; nothing is installed.
What it does
STL / 3MF / OBJ → clean mesh you can view in Explorer (.rsdocx)
STL / 3MF / OBJ / DXF / STEP → editable rebuild curves you Fill / Revolve / Blend into a real solid and save as .rsdocx
Smooth seams — hides triangle lines for a clean view
Drag-and-drop, batch convert, hover tooltips on every option
Good to know
Smooth-seams output is view only — use a Rebuild-curves mode to get something editable.
Flat, round, and prismatic parts rebuild well; genuinely twisted/organic shapes don't (that's paid-Creator or FreeCAD territory).
STEP supports analytic/prismatic geometry (planes, cylinders, cones), not B-spline/organic surfaces.
See the README for the full how-to. Not affiliated with RS Group / DesignSpark.