# 3D Design / 3D Scanning / 3D Modeling > 3D Modeling, Design, Scanners >  converting STL to .ipt

## Aaron

Does anyone know how to take an STL file in inventor and convert it to a solid in order to edit it?

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## aeviaanah

I know you can import STL files by choosing the file extension .STL from FILE>OPEN. I don't believe you can edit it with as much power as if you modeled it from the ground up. When opening STL in inventor it sees them as a mesh. I'm not sure if Inventor can edit mesh files with ease. You might be able to add and remove geometry but I am unsure how. 

Autodesk has a free software called Meshmixer. Maybe that can help?

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## NJ_Lifer

Aaron, what is the reason you want to convert an STL file to an IPT?

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## Aaron

NJ_Lifer, not sure why it matters, but I want to make this conversion due to different and incompatible CAD programs.

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## McNabb5

I too would like to do this.  Anyone find a solution yet?  :Frown:

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## AMID

The transition from mesh-surface to CAD-model is very hard and there are software out there that can do the conversion. Some of them only gives you a "dead" surface (NURBS) model of the stl file. But some even gives you the correct volume that can be edited afterwards. There is some manual process usually, but still beats creating a new solid-file from a STL.  The only software i know of and have tried is Geomagic Studio, where I process alot of 3D-scans (mesh files) into STEP/IGES files. Almost always "dead" that is just a bunch of trimmed NURBS-surfaces put together. The more parametric models are still a unknown territory for me, but the software hos support for it.

The only problem is that Geomagic is about 25k USD...

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