# DAE to STL Converter

> 3D print SketchUp models and other COLLADA exports: DAE to STL at the size and orientation the file declares.

Page: https://printpal.io/convert/dae-to-stl
Updated: 2026-11-12
Use it: open https://printpal.io/convert/dae-to-stl in a browser and drop a file. Free, no account, files are processed locally and never uploaded.

COLLADA files declare their unit and up axis, and the converter applies both, so a SketchUp model in inches comes out in millimetres at its real size, standing up. Every mesh is merged into one STL.

SketchUp builds from faces, so models are often not closed solids. Check the STL for open edges before printing; SketchUp's Solid Inspector or [Mesh Repair](https://printpal.io/tools/mesh-repair) can close them.

## How to convert DAE to STL

1. **Drop your DAE files.** Drop .dae files with their texture images, or a .zip.
2. **Check the preview.** The model appears at the size and orientation it will have. Fix the file units, up axis or size under Size, units and orientation if needed.
3. **Choose STL options.** Binary STL by default (smallest, read everywhere). Tick ASCII only if an old tool asks for text STL.
4. **Convert and download.** One file downloads straight away. A batch gives a download per file and one .zip of all of them.

## What carries over

| | Result |
|---|---|
| Geometry | Every face is kept; quads and n-gons are split into triangles. |
| Color | Dropped: STL cannot store color. |
| Units | Converted from the declared unit to millimetres, so it keeps its real size. |
| Orientation | Turned from Y up to Z up, so it stands on the plate in a slicer. |
| Objects | Merged into one surface: STL has no objects. |
| Animation | Dropped: the model is written in its rest pose. |

## DAE at a glance (COLLADA (Digital Asset Exchange))

COLLADA is a Khronos Group XML format for exchanging scenes between 3D apps. It is still SketchUp's main export and appears in older game and Google Earth assets.

- **Stores:** An XML scene: meshes, materials, textures, animation
- **Color:** Materials and textures
- **Units:** Declared in the file (SketchUp writes inches)
- **Up axis:** Declared in the file (Y or Z)
- **File size:** XML, larger than binary formats
- **Opens in:** SketchUp, Blender, Cinema 4D, older game pipelines

## STL at a glance (Stereolithography (Standard Triangle Language))

Created by 3D Systems in 1987 for the first stereolithography printers, STL is still the format every slicer and print service accepts. It describes a surface as a list of independent triangles, with no shared vertices, units, colors or scene structure.

- **Stores:** Loose triangles: three corners and a normal each, binary or ASCII
- **Color:** None in the standard
- **Units:** None written; slicers assume millimetres
- **Up axis:** Z, the slicer convention
- **File size:** 50 bytes per triangle in binary, about 5 times that as ASCII
- **Opens in:** Every slicer, CAD tool and 3D app

## Tips

- **Solid groups** In SketchUp, make each part a solid group before exporting.
- **Scale** Architectural models need scaling down: set a target height in mm.
- **Textures** Not needed for STL; drop just the .dae.

## FAQ

### Can I 3D print a SketchUp model?

Yes, if it is a closed solid. Export DAE, convert to STL here and check the mesh.

### Does it keep the size?

Yes, from the unit the DAE declares, converted to millimetres.

### Why is my STL not watertight?

SketchUp faces don't always close into solids. Repair the model or the STL before printing.

### Is the converter free? Are there limits?

Free, with no sign-up, watermark or file count limit. Batches and files of a few hundred MB work on most laptops; the only limit is your device's memory.

### Are my files uploaded?

No. Files are read and written by JavaScript and WebAssembly in your browser and never sent to PrintPal. The STEP and IGES reader is the only extra download, once, from a public CDN.

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