# 3D Design / 3D Scanning / 3D Modeling > 3D Modeling, Design, Scanners >  Split objects in stl files.

## RolBer

What software can i use to split multi object stl file? I use mac osx.

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## ssayer

http://www.netfabb.com/netfabbformac.php

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## DBFIU

that program is 300 bucks though...

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## curious aardvark

you can probably do it in openscad. Just difference out the bits you don't wnat and export as individual files. 

I would think that most cad packages should be able to do it ?

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## DBFIU

> you can probably do it in openscad. Just difference out the bits you don't wnat and export as individual files. 
> 
> I would think that most cad packages should be able to do it ?



Correct me if I'm wrong but CAD packages dont usually have the ability to manipulate STL files like solids. Solidworks can import STLs as solids ONLY IF they contain less then 20,000 facets. At that point you can manipulate. Since most figurine models, such as people, statues, etc.. contain a lot of facets, I am SOL most of the time.

Simple geometry like prismatic shapes, are low facet count, I would imagine, since each face of a prismatic shape is a single facet. Complex curvatures such as peoples faces may have hundreds of thousands of facets or millions, making the solidworks import function non-usable. 

Other CAD programs have zero ability to manipulate STLs as solid bodies, the ones I've used. I got into the 3D printing game relatively recently, and I was shocked to find out that there doesnt exist a program that can take an STL and dump it out as a solid body for us to manipulate, we have to jump through hoops. Totally ridiculous IMHO.

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## curious aardvark

oh - well maybe that's one other reason I just use openscad :-) 

Depending on how the stl has been put together you can also remove or select individual parts in some slicers.

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## DBFIU

I've never used openscad, is it any good?

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## 3dkarma

> that program is 300 bucks though...


NetFabb basic is free.  http://www.netfabb.com/downloadcenter.php?basic=1

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## ralphzoontjens

Minimagics can do it too, you can separate individual shells. And it's free.

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## Clanggedin

> NetFabb basic is free.  http://www.netfabb.com/downloadcenter.php?basic=1


Netfabb basic is very simple to use for splitting models into separate STL files. Here's a tutorial that I learned from. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5j5cXgybCk

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