# Export stl extension **URL:** \ **Category:** Extensions\ **Created:** [September 5, 2022, 6:15pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/export-stl-extension/207292 "2022-09-05T18:15:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lt72884](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/97f17d/32.png) [@lt72884](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/lt72884)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 6:15pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/export-stl-extension/207292/1 "2022-09-05T18:15:33Z")
I have noticed an issue with the export stl free extension from the warehouse. Anytime i export the stl file, and select mm as my units, it never exports to the correct size. I just tried it out and it has exported a part about 7 meters in size, rather than the size it is supposed to be. It also did not do it in a scale that is easy to use. I scaled it down by the scale factor from meters to mm and its stil giant. I had my slicer auto scale it and its still the wrong size… I even set the model units to mm and it still does not export correctly. thanks ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 6:17pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/export-stl-extension/207292/2 "2022-09-05T18:17:28Z")
Why are you using the extension? Did you scale the definition of the component after scaling down? ---
**Author:** ![lt72884](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/97f17d/32.png) [@lt72884](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/lt72884)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 6:19pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/export-stl-extension/207292/3 "2022-09-05T18:19:57Z")
yes i did, and it still wont export… I used to use the extension because i was informed that SU does not have a stl export option… however, looking under export just now… i see that they do… when was that added? Ill scale my giant hand down to the appropriate size and try with the built in stl exporter. ---
**Author:** ![tweenulzeven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9dc877/32.png) [@tweenulzeven](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/tweenulzeven)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 6:21pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/export-stl-extension/207292/4 "2022-09-05T18:21:11Z")
> [@lt72884](#): > > I even set the model units to mm and it still does not export correctly Setting model units to something else doesn’t scale your model, it’s a display thing ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 6:22pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/export-stl-extension/207292/5 "2022-09-05T18:22:31Z")
> [@lt72884](#): > > when was that added? With SU2018. Why aren’t you using the method I showed you a long time ago. It has worked for you before. Model as if millimeters are meters. Don’t scale down. Export the .stl with units set to meters. Then import the .stl into the slicer with units set to millimeters. ---
**Author:** ![lt72884](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/97f17d/32.png) [@lt72884](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/lt72884)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 6:56pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/export-stl-extension/207292/6 "2022-09-05T18:56:33Z")
That method used to work but it does not anymore. I tried it today, last month, and many other times but for whatever reason, when i import it into my slicer it says “model is to large, do you want to auofit to the bed?” it does not give me the option to scale to mm. If i do not autofit to the bed its giant and if i use the scale tool to scale it to mm, i run into another issue. ---
**Author:** ![tweenulzeven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9dc877/32.png) [@tweenulzeven](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/tweenulzeven)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 7:02pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/export-stl-extension/207292/7 "2022-09-05T19:02:11Z")
> [@lt72884](#): > > That method used to work but it does not anymore. You must have missed a step, SketchUp 2020 didn’t change… ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 7:02pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/export-stl-extension/207292/8 "2022-09-05T19:02:59Z")
Are you exporting the stl with units set to meters? The stl file has no units so if you export at the same same units you used for modeling, and import into the slicer in millimeters it should be the correct size. ---
**Author:** ![lt72884](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/97f17d/32.png) [@lt72884](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/lt72884)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 7:12pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/export-stl-extension/207292/9 "2022-09-05T19:12:51Z")
its not SU that is the issue, its the slicer that is the issue. No where does my slicer i use allow me to select mm to scale down to when i import the file “That method used to work but it does not anymore. I tried it today, last month, and many other times **but for whatever reason, when i import it into my slicer it says “model is to large, do you want to auofit to the bed?”** it does not give me the option to scale to mm. If i do not autofit to the bed its giant and if i use the scale tool to scale it to mm, i run into another issue.” its not a SU issue for sure. SU is exporting to meters as i have set it up to do ---
**Author:** ![lt72884](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/97f17d/32.png) [@lt72884](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/lt72884)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 7:15pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/export-stl-extension/207292/10 "2022-09-05T19:15:02Z")
should be, but its not. STL files are unitless as you say, but for whatever reason, when i export it as meters, and import it into my slicer i get this message: ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/5/7/5796d10c3d88152cf659204ec5ad5ea7530598ab.png) in the settings of my slicer, i do not have any options to auto scale to mm when i hit yes, it scales it to the size of the 400mm print bed haha ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 7:17pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/export-stl-extension/207292/11 "2022-09-05T19:17:27Z")
Lousy slicer. ---
**Author:** ![tweenulzeven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9dc877/32.png) [@tweenulzeven](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/tweenulzeven)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 7:17pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/export-stl-extension/207292/12 "2022-09-05T19:17:54Z")
Is Ideamaker your slicer? ---
**Author:** ![lt72884](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/97f17d/32.png) [@lt72884](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/lt72884)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 7:19pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/export-stl-extension/207292/13 "2022-09-05T19:19:08Z")
haha, best thing i have heard all day. thats a new quote for the wall ---
**Author:** ![lt72884](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/97f17d/32.png) [@lt72884](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/lt72884)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 7:20pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/export-stl-extension/207292/14 "2022-09-05T19:20:18Z")
Yes sir:) If you know the trick to make it work, that would be great. I originally thought it was SU until everything i did was not working in my slicer… So i am guessing its my slicer. I really like ideamaker because they have alot of options and i get better prints than cura. BUT THIS ONE ISSUE SUCKS!!! ---
**Author:** ![lt72884](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/97f17d/32.png) [@lt72884](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/lt72884)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 7:21pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/export-stl-extension/207292/15 "2022-09-05T19:21:20Z")
Iam leaving for a bit. i will return. thank you all. ill reply when i can:) ---
**Author:** ![tweenulzeven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9dc877/32.png) [@tweenulzeven](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/tweenulzeven)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 7:23pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/export-stl-extension/207292/16 "2022-09-05T19:23:53Z")
Sorry, can’t help you with that. I even tried to Google “Ideamaker import setting” but get redirected on their site… ---
**Author:** ![endlessfix](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/endlessfix/32/148757_2.png) [@endlessfix](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/endlessfix)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 9:16pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/export-stl-extension/207292/17 "2022-09-05T21:16:59Z")
Sounds like you need to do some trial and error experimenting to determine what your default slicer import units are, unless you can find the documentation. Maybe make a 1m cube and export with various units from SU, see which one comes in as 1mm cube. My guess is that the default import unit is MM, it should be. Note that this is not the same as the export units in SketchUp. For a 1 M cube, to enter the slicer at 1mm, you would export the model in M, so the face dimension is 1 and import in MM. For the hand file, I imported .stl in Meters, worked on it in M, exported set to M, and imported with the slicer set to MM. ![Screen Shot 2022-09-05 at 2.30.29 PM](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/6/3/63f7dd84c1db0b24288ce50502861f788119d2c8.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![lt72884](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/97f17d/32.png) [@lt72884](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/lt72884)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 6:21pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/export-stl-extension/207292/18 "2022-09-06T18:21:49Z")
did the cube test and exported as meters. The slicer says its to small and maybe in inches, do you want to convert to mm? i hit yes, and now its 25.4mm rather than 1mm if i hit no, it brings it in as 1mmx1mmx1mm which is odd because mm is smaller than inches??? ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/7/f/7fc3d2701c5beadfad3720fd55cc88c37d12bbde.png) ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 6:29pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/export-stl-extension/207292/19 "2022-09-06T18:29:45Z")
But if you started investing with a 1 meter cube and import it as millimeters it should be 1 mm cube. Maybe the message is confusing but it is apparently possible to make it work. ---
**Author:** ![endlessfix](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/endlessfix/32/148757_2.png) [@endlessfix](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/endlessfix)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 6:33pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/export-stl-extension/207292/20 "2022-09-06T18:33:38Z")
Sounds like the test worked. 1m cube, export as meters= unitless .stl cube of “1”. Import to slicer in mm = 1mm cube. In your example you were importing a cube with dimensions of 1. Slicer asked to treat the incoming .stl as inches? You say yes so slicer treats the 1 as an inch and brings in a 1” cube. 1”=25.4 mm Your slicer is being overly cautious about a 1mm cube being too small, which it probably is for any real world printing. Try test again with 100m cube. I bet no message and a 100mm cube. [Next page](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/export-stl-extension/207292.md?page=2)