Further support for the 3D printing file format 3MF means the STL’s days could be numbered
At the start of May we brought you the news of the new 3D printing file format 3MF – part of the outcome of a new 3MF Consortium, launched by Autodesk and Microsoft during the latter’s Build Developer Conference keynote – well now the 3D printer manufacturers are joining up.
3D Systems, Materialise and Stratasys have all joined the consortium, along with CAD software vendors Siemens PLM Software, bolstering the present members of Dassault Systèmes, HP, SLM Solutions, FIT AG (Netfabb) and Shapeways.
This move signals that nearly all the big CAD and 3D printing figureheads are pulling together behind this new file format, with the standard STL file’s days seemingly numbered.
The 3MF Consortium was formed to close the gap between the capabilities of modern 3D printers and outdated file formats, with the 3MF specification aiming to eliminate problems associated with currently available file formats, resolving interoperability and functionality issues, enabling companies to focus more on innovation.
“By participating in the 3MF Consortium, our new members will ensure that their customers get all the advanced capabilities and productivity benefits of the 3MF specification. We welcome them and look forward to their contributions,” said Adrian Lannin, 3MF Consortium executive director.
