Can Draftr make an STL editable?

Yes. Draftr imports an STL mesh and wraps it in a parametric draft stack, so you can add fillets, pockets, holes, and sketches on top and keep a full editable history.

Can I convert an STL to STEP?

Yes. After importing an STL and modeling on it, you can export the part as STEP, STL, or GLB.

Does it work with scanned meshes?

Yes. STL meshes from 3D scans, downloads, or other tools can all be imported and edited in Draftr.

STL to CAD — Turn a Mesh Into an Editable Solid Part

Draftr imports an STL mesh and turns it into an editable parametric part. Whether the STL came from a download, a 3D scan, or another tool, Draftr wraps it in a full draft stack so you can fillet, pocket, sketch on surfaces, and keep iterating — as if the part had been modeled in Draftr from the start.

STL files are just triangles: no features, no history, no clean way to change a dimension. That's why editing a downloaded model usually means starting over. Draftr closes that gap by making the mesh the base of a real modeling stack.

What You Can Do After Import

Add features — pads, pockets, holes, fillets, and chamfers on top of the imported geometry.
Sketch on faces — draw new profiles directly on the mesh's surfaces and extrude or cut.
Edit with AI — select part of the model and describe the change with Quick Edit.
Keep history — every change is a versioned step you can revisit or undo.
Re-export — output STEP, STL, or GLB when you're done.

Common STL-to-CAD Use Cases

Modify a downloaded model that almost fits — resize a bore, add mounting tabs, thicken a wall.
Repair or extend a scanned part.
Combine a mesh with new modeled geometry into one part.
Turn a one-off STL into something you can maintain and re-edit over time.

How It Works

Open Draftr and import your STL into a project.
Draftr converts the mesh into solid geometry and builds a draft stack around it.
Model on top of it with direct tools, sketches, or AI edits.
Export STEP, STL, or GLB.

One Tool, From Idea to Printable Solid

Draftr is a native desktop app for macOS and Windows. The geometry runtime ships inside the app, so it works offline right after install — no cloud round-trip to model a part. Every AI generation and edit lands as a versioned step in a non-destructive draft stack, so you can go back, change an earlier operation, and rebuild everything downstream without losing your parametric intent.

Explore the rest of Draftr: AI CAD generator, text to CAD, STL to CAD, AI 3D model generator, image to CAD, parametric CAD software, and free CAD software.

Download Draftr for macOS or Windows → · Read the documentation →