Guide · Digital workflow
How to export STL from Primescan and CEREC Omnicam
In Connect Software, STL leaves through the system menu; on Primescan 2, through Download as in DS Core. STL vs DXD vs .con, Connect Case Center and our portal.
Short answer
On Primescan and CEREC Omnicam running Connect Software, scans leave through the system menu: as STL for any lab software, or as DXD for Dentsply Sirona programs. On Primescan 2, which works in DS Core, the file comes out through Download as in the viewer. Attach the STL to your order in the Smile portal.
Step by step
- 01
Finish and review the model
Scan both arches and the buccal registration, then move on to the model. Beige or brown areas mean missing data; if they're on the prep, go back to the ACQUISITION phase and scan more before exporting.
- 02
In Connect Software, open the system menu
The system menu opens from the button at the top left. Both the case export and the scan data export live there.
- 03
Export the scan data as STL
In the scan data export, choose STL, the option for other brands' software. In the Windows dialog, pick a folder, give the file a name without the patient's name and save.
- 04
On Primescan 2, use Download as in DS Core
Once you've reviewed the scan in the DS Core viewer, choose Download as and one of the file types on screen. Go with STL unless your lab asked for something else.
- 05
Attach the file to your Smile portal order
Build the order in the portal with the services and teeth (FDI numbering) and attach the STL, never the .con. For implant work, add the implant brand, platform and scan body model.
Which format should you export from Primescan?
For the lab, the Primescan and Omnicam file to send is STL: it opens in any design software and carries no color. The Connect Software manual separates three files: STL for other brands’ software, DXD for Dentsply Sirona programs, and .con, which is the whole case with the patient’s data.
| format | keeps color? | when to use it |
|---|---|---|
| STL | no | crowns, onlays and implant work for a lab designing in exocad, 3Shape or similar; the format our portal accepts |
| DXD | Dentsply Sirona’s format; the manual doesn’t cover color | when the lab works in inLab, CEREC SW, Connect Case Center or DS Core |
| .con | the whole case, with patient data | not for the lab: the patient’s data goes with it |
| PLY | the pages we reviewed don’t cover color | when the lab asks; Dentsply Sirona points labs on 3Shape 2020 or later to PLY import |
Dentsply Sirona states in the manual that it isn’t liable for how STL data is processed in other software. Since version 5.2, Connect Software also exports a closed-geometry STL, meant for printing the model.
How do you send a case through Dentsply Sirona’s own route?
Dentsply Sirona’s route depends on the scanner generation. With Connect Software, the case goes through Connect Case Center: you register an account, keep up to five favorite labs and fill in the order. The Anonymize option sends only the Patient ID, without name or date of birth.
Labs register for Connect Case Center free of charge and receive through the Inbox, using the license that ships with your scanner. On Primescan 2, the order goes out from DS Core: the lab needs a DS Core account and has to be on your Preferred labs list. Under New order, you attach the file, pick the lab and decide whether patient data goes along.
Smile Digital Lab receives cases as orders in our dentist portal, with the STL attached. If you work through Connect Case Center or DS Core, ask us before your first case whether we can receive there.
Which scan errors send a Primescan file back?
A failed buccal registration, missing data on the prep and an unidentified scan body are what send a Primescan file back. The manual and instructions for use put an on-screen signal on each of these.
| error | what happens | how to avoid it on Primescan |
|---|---|---|
| No opposing arch | contacts and occlusion designed blind | scan the opposing arch from occlusal, buccal and lingual |
| Failed buccal registration | the restoration may come in high or out of contact | take the buccal close to the prep, with both arches and about 5 mm of gingiva; on a full arch, both sides. A good registration shows the leopard pattern; if it doesn’t, use Set Points and Apply |
| Missing data on the prep | the margin has no surface to design on | beige or brown areas on the model; go back to ACQUISITION and scan more |
| Holes or interference in the mesh | incomplete margin or contacts | extend the scan over the holes and keep cotton rolls away from the scan area |
| Scan body not identified | implant position shifts in the design | at the Click Scanbody Head step, click the tip of the right scan body |
| .con file sent to the lab | patient data leaves your practice | export the scan data as STL |
Scan technique for margins and scan bodies is covered in our intraoral scanning guide. For e.max crowns, the order also needs a shade; see our shade guide.
How do you attach a Primescan file to a Smile portal order?
In the Smile portal, Primescan files are attached to the order as STL, exported from Connect Software or downloaded from DS Core. Leave out the .con, which carries the patient’s data, and the DXD unless the lab asked for it. Build the order from the services on your price list and the teeth in FDI numbering.
STL is accepted; DXD or PLY only after you check with us before your first case. Anonymize is a Connect Case Center option; in our portal, the patient’s name goes in the order field and the file name stays without it. Shade and implant details follow our guide to sending a case; the portal screens are in Portuguese. If the buccal registration is missing or the prep has gaps in the data, we contact you before design starts.
Related services
Open a portal accountFrequently asked questions
Can I send the lab a .con file?
It's not the route. The Connect Software manual describes .con as the whole case, including all patient data. For the lab, export the scan data as STL, or as DXD if the lab runs Dentsply Sirona software.
Is CEREC Omnicam still fine for lab cases?
Yes. Omnicam runs on the same Connect Software as Primescan, with the same STL and DXD export. Dentsply Sirona says Omnicam is now sold only in Brazil, and each unit comes with an Inbox license the dentist can pass on to a lab.
Does my lab need Dentsply Sirona software to open my file?
Only if you send DXD. STL opens in other brands' lab software, and Dentsply Sirona itself names exocad and 3Shape as export targets. For our portal, STL is all you need.
Sources
- Connect SW, software version 5.1.x, Operator's Manual · Dentsply Sirona (August 2019)
- Connect SW 5.2 Upgrade Description · Dentsply Sirona (July 2021)
- Primescan Connect OEM, Instructions for use (valid for USA) · Dentsply Sirona (May 2024)
- Connect Software · Dentsply Sirona
- Digital impression for the dental lab · Dentsply Sirona
- Primescan 2, Use Scan in DS Core · Dentsply Sirona (support portal)
- DS Core, Order from preferred lab · Dentsply Sirona (support portal)
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