Three acronyms describe most of a digital production workflow: STL, PLY and DCM. Each format has a precise role, and mixing them up costs conversion time and sometimes accuracy.

STL: the universal standard

STL describes only the geometry of a mesh: triangles, nothing else. That is its strength — every CAD package opens it — and its limit, since it carries neither colour nor texture.

PLY: geometry plus colour

PLY adds per-vertex colour information. It is the format of choice whenever shade matters, for instance to check preparation margins or contact areas.

DCM: 3Shape's proprietary precision

DCM keeps 3Shape's native mesh, lighter and more precise, but only readable inside the 3Shape ecosystem without conversion.

Simple rule: archive the native format, work in STL or PLY depending on whether colour matters, and convert only once.

  • STL for universal exchange and 3D printing
  • PLY for visualisation with shades
  • DCM to stay inside the 3Shape ecosystem without loss

A good centralisation tool downloads these files automatically and spares you repeated manual conversions.