Skills Guide

Export STL with Geometry Validation

VerifiedCaution

Converts OpenSCAD (.scad) files to STL for 3D printing, with geometry validation for non-manifold, self-intersections, and printability issues.

Download and use
Sby Skills Guide Bot
DevelopmentBeginner
11/4/2026
Claude Code
#openscad#stl-export#3d-printing#mesh-validation#cli

Recommended for

Backend developerClaude CodeCode reviewFrontend developerFullstack developerRefactoring

Automated summary

This skill exports OpenSCAD (.scad) files to STL format while validating geometry for 3D printing.

Strengths

  • Runs a dedicated shell script that handles binary or ASCII STL export through simple options
  • Detects common printability problems: non-manifold geometry, self-intersections and degenerate faces
  • Provides concrete guidance on how to fix each type of reported issue
  • Fits into an OpenSCAD workflow (preview then export) and reports triangle counts

Limitations

  • Export completes even when warnings are raised, so invalid geometry is not automatically blocked
  • Requires OpenSCAD and the export-stl.sh script to be installed locally
  • Full rendering can be slow on complex models
When to use it

Use it once the OpenSCAD design looks correct in preview and is ready to be exported for a 3D printing slicer.

When not to use it

Don't use it to visually check a design still being iterated, or to export formats other than STL.

Security analysis

Caution
Quality score84/100

The skill is a legitimate OpenSCAD-to-STL export helper with validation guidance, but it delegates execution to a shell script and OpenSCAD via Bash. This is a powerful execution surface, though the documented usage is narrow and benign.

Findings
  • •Script body (scripts/export-stl.sh) is not included in the provided content, so its exact behavior beyond invoking OpenSCAD and validating geometry cannot be verified from this listing.
  • •Bash access is scoped to a single skill-owned script path rather than a wildcard shell, which limits but does not eliminate execution risk.
  • •Uses Bash to execute an external helper script (`scripts/export-stl.sh`) and relies on OpenSCAD processing arbitrary `.scad` input files; the allowlist pattern `Bash(*/export-stl.sh*)` is broad enough to invoke any matching script path, so the script itself should be reviewed/trusted.
  • •No destructive, exfiltration, obfuscation, or safety-disabling behavior is present in the skill instructions.
How this analysis is made

Examples

Exporter un support de téléphone
Exporte phone_stand_003.scad en STL et vérifie que la géométrie est imprimable.
Export ASCII pour inspection
Convertis mon modèle bracket.scad en STL ASCII vers out/bracket.stl et signale les auto-intersections.
Diagnostiquer une géométrie non-manifold
Lance la validation de geometry_test.scad et explique-moi comment corriger les erreurs non-manifold signalées.

name: export-stl description: Export OpenSCAD (.scad) files to STL format with geometry validation. Checks for non-manifold geometry, self-intersections, and other printability issues. allowed-tools:

  • Bash(/export-stl.sh)
  • Read

Export STL Skill

Convert OpenSCAD files to STL format for 3D printing with automatic geometry validation.

<skill-dir> below is this skill's own folder (the base directory Claude Code shows when the skill loads).

When to Use

Use this skill after:

  1. The design has been iterated and looks correct in PNG previews
  2. You're ready to export for 3D printing

Usage

<skill-dir>/scripts/export-stl.sh <input.scad> [options]

Options

  • --output <path> - Custom output path (default: <input>.stl)
  • --binary - Export binary STL (smaller file, default)
  • --ascii - Export ASCII STL (human-readable)

Geometry Validation

During export, the script checks for common printability issues:

  • Non-manifold geometry - Mesh has holes or edges shared by more than 2 faces
  • Self-intersecting geometry - Parts of the model overlap incorrectly
  • Degenerate faces - Zero-area triangles that can cause slicer issues

If issues are detected, the export still completes but warnings are shown with guidance on how to fix them.

Example

After phone_stand_003.scad looks good in preview:

<skill-dir>/scripts/export-stl.sh phone_stand_003.scad

Output:

--- Geometry Validation ---
STATUS: PASSED - No geometry issues detected
- Mesh appears manifold (watertight)
- No self-intersections found
- Ready for slicing

Workflow Integration

/openscad → /preview-scad → /export-stl
                              ↓
                     Geometry validation
                              ↓
                     Ready for slicer

Fixing Common Issues

If validation reports problems:

  • Non-manifold: Ensure all shapes are closed solids, avoid 2D shapes in 3D context
  • Self-intersect: Use union() to properly combine overlapping shapes
  • Degenerate: Check for very thin features, increase $fn for curves

Notes

  • Binary STL is recommended (smaller files, faster to process)
  • The export performs a full render, so complex models may take time
  • Triangle count is reported for estimating slice complexity

From the file to a first result

The download contains exactly the content displayed on this page. This copy may differ from the latest version in the source repository.

View the source and supporting files

This download contains SKILL.md only. Any scripts, references, templates and dependencies are not included. Get the required files from the source, preserving their directory structure, before continuing.

1. Download the file

Download SKILL.md

From the root of a test project, save the file as .skill-downloads/export-stl-with-geometry-validation-mvhm5llb/SKILL.md, or use the command below. This folder is for inspecting the skill before installation.

Command for macOS/Linux or WSL: requires a POSIX shell and curl. On Windows without WSL, use the download button and create the folder manually.

mkdir -p '.skill-downloads/export-stl-with-geometry-validation-mvhm5llb' && curl --fail --show-error --location 'https://skills-guides.com/api/skills/export-stl-with-geometry-validation-mvhm5llb/download' --output '.skill-downloads/export-stl-with-geometry-validation-mvhm5llb/SKILL.md.part' && mv '.skill-downloads/export-stl-with-geometry-validation-mvhm5llb/SKILL.md.part' '.skill-downloads/export-stl-with-geometry-validation-mvhm5llb/SKILL.md'

2. Check prerequisites

Read SKILL.md before using it. If it references scripts or external services, inspect them and prepare the required access in your test environment.

No recognized prerequisites section in this file. This does not mean it is self-contained: libraries, tools and access requirements may be mentioned elsewhere in the content or source repository.

The platforms on this page are catalog indications. The paths below follow tool documentation; they do not prove this skill has been run in those tools. No minimum tool version is confirmed for this listing.

3. Load the skill

After inspection, copy the complete folder into your project using one of the commands below, then open a new tool session. The command stops if a folder with the same name already exists: compare the files before replacing it.

Claude Code
test -f '.skill-downloads/export-stl-with-geometry-validation-mvhm5llb/SKILL.md' && test -s '.skill-downloads/export-stl-with-geometry-validation-mvhm5llb/SKILL.md' && mkdir -p '.claude/skills' && test ! -e '.claude/skills/export-stl' && cp -R '.skill-downloads/export-stl-with-geometry-validation-mvhm5llb' '.claude/skills/export-stl'

OpenSkills

OpenSkills must already be installed. The local install/read procedure is checked with OpenSkills 1.5.0, which requires Node.js ≥ 20.6.0. Catalog slugs are not resolved automatically.

Official OpenSkills installation
openskills install './.skill-downloads/export-stl-with-geometry-validation-mvhm5llb'

openskills read 'export-stl-with-geometry-validation-mvhm5llb'

Reading should display the installed file content and its base directory. It does not run the skill or install its dependencies.

For an agent that reads AGENTS.md, then sync the index. This command changes AGENTS.md: review the diff before using it.

openskills sync

Manual method or another tool: attach SKILL.md to a conversation, or open it in an agent that can read files. Include any required supporting resources. No universal folder is recognized by every tool.

4. Try a first task

Use a short, synthetic input: an API endpoint, a small document or an interface brief. In a new conversation, attach the file or give the agent its path, then adapt this request:

Read .skill-downloads/export-stl-with-geometry-validation-mvhm5llb/SKILL.md and apply its instructions to this example: [describe a test input]. Identify any missing files, dependencies or access. Produce the result requested by the skill without inventing data or running unreviewed scripts.

Expected result: output matching the skill instructions, or a precise list of missing prerequisites. A read confirmation alone does not validate a first use. If an external resource is unavailable, that path remains untested.

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