---
name: "PDL::IO::STL"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "pdl"
version: "1:2.100-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/PDL::IO::STL"
---

# PDL::IO::STL(3pm)

read/write 3D stereolithography files

## NAME

PDL::IO::STL - read/write 3D stereolithography files

## SYNOPSIS

```
 use PDL;
 use PDL::IO::STL;
 ($vertices, $faceidx, $colours) = rstl('owl.stl'); # read an STL file
 wstl('file.stl', $vertices, $faceidx, $colours); # write an STL file
```

## DESCRIPTION

Normal-vector information is currently ignored. The "attribute byte count", used sometimes to store colour information, is currently ignored.

This module is based on CAD::Format::STL, but with `"binmode"` on opened filehandles and little-endian (i.e. network) order forced on the binary format.

## FUNCTIONS

### rstl

Read an STL file (ASCII or binary), returning vertices and face-indices.

```
 ($vertices, $faceidx, $colours) = rstl('owl.stl'); # read an STL file
```

### wstl

Simple PDL STL writer

```
  wstl 'file.stl', $vertices, $faceidx;
  wstl 'file.stl', $vertices, $faceidx, \%OPTIONS;
  wstl $fh, $vertices, $faceidx, \%OPTIONS;
```

Passing a file-handle is supported, so multiple parts can be written to an ASCII file with several calls.

`"wstl"` accepts several options that may be passed in as a hash ref if desired:

- mode (default='binary')

  Whether to write out the file as ASCII or binary.

- name (default='part')

  The part name to use.

## AUTHOR

Ed J, based on Eric Wilhelm's code in CAD::Format::STL.