Extract text from SLI files
To convert your SLI file to another format, you need EOSPRINT or other 3D software.
To convert other file formats to the "Additive Manufacturing Slice" file type, you need software like EOSPRINT or a similar tool.
The .sli extension serves two distinct, high-value technical roles that often confuse users due to their conflicting formats.
1. EOS 3D Printer Slice File (Binary):
Most commonly encountered in additive manufacturing, this is a proprietary vector format developed by EOS GmbH for their SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) and DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering) machines. Unlike the standard STL mesh, an SLI file contains 2D geometric slices (contours and hatch lines) representing specific layers of a 3D model. Engineers and machine operators typically generate these files using EOSPRINT or Materialise Magics. The catch is that .sli files are machine-readable binary instructions, not standard 3D models. You cannot easily open them in standard CAD software like AutoCAD or Blender without specialized plugins. Users often need to convert these back to DXF (for 2D inspection) or verify the slice geometry before printing.
2. Sigma/Game Data Library (XML):
In the software sector, .sli acts as a data library file for Sigma Estimates (construction estimation) or the Spiders Game Engine (used in games like GreedFall). In these contexts, the file is often XML-based, storing structured configuration data, game assets, or pricing libraries. These files are locked to their parent software and attempting to edit them manually in a text editor can corrupt the library references.
Convert.Guru analyzes your SLI file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted SLIP, FMF, WF1 and CLIENT files.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our SLI converter.