STL to Fusion: convert a mesh into an editable body
Last updated by the stl2step team
Autodesk Fusion opens STL files as mesh bodies, and its Convert Mesh command produces either a faceted solid or, for clean prismatic meshes, a solid with planes and cylinders. For any part, including fillets and curved surfaces, convert the STL to STEP with stl2step and open the STEP in Fusion: you get one solid with real faces you can press-pull and offset.
Get an editable STL body in Fusion
Convert the STL to STEP
Upload the STL to stl2step and download the .step file. The first 3 conversions are free.
Open the STEP in Fusion
File, Open, Open from my computer, and pick the .step file (or upload it to a project). Fusion translates it into a solid body with real faces.
Edit the body
Use Press Pull, Offset Face, Move and Delete on the faces, or sketch on the flat faces and add new features.
Fusion's own mesh conversion
Fusion inserts an STL as a mesh body. Its Convert Mesh command can turn it into a solid either faceted, with one planar face per triangle, or prismatic, which recognizes simple planar and cylindrical faces on clean, prismatic meshes. Curved freeform areas, fillets on organic parts and noisy meshes stay faceted or fail to convert.
stl2step fits every face type, including cones, spheres, tori and smooth B-splines, and sews them into one closed solid, so the STEP opens in Fusion ready to edit.
Questions
Can Fusion convert an STL to a solid?
Yes. Convert Mesh makes a faceted solid (one face per triangle) or, on clean prismatic meshes, recognizes planes and cylinders. For curved and mixed parts, convert to STEP with stl2step and open the STEP.