Convert STL to YDR (Free)
Also converts OBJ, GLB, PLY, USDZ, 3MF, WRL from the same file.
Runs in your browser. No upload, no signup, nothing to install.
Also from Innerscene: Circadian Lab, a free lighting calculator for room illuminance, melanopic EML, and glare.
How to convert STL to YDR
- 1
Open your .stl file
Drag it onto the viewer above, or click "Open an STL File". Files up to 200 MB open directly; the parse runs in a worker so the page stays responsive.
- 2
Pick GTA V prop in the Export menu
Click Export in the toolbar, then YDR (.ydr).
- 3
Download
The .ydr is written in the browser and saved straight to your downloads folder. No queue, no email, no watermark.
What survives the conversion
A file conversion is a translation, and formats do not carry the same things. Here is exactly what moves from STL into YDR, and what does not.
| Geometry | Kept | Both formats store triangle meshes, so the shape transfers directly. |
|---|---|---|
| Colors and materials | N/A | STL files carry no color, so the YDR comes out in the viewer’s default material. You can color it in the destination application. |
| Units and scale | Kept | GTA V works in metres with Z up. STL stores no unit, so the size comes from how the viewer read the file. Check the scale once in CodeWalker. |
| Levels of detail | Reduced | One level of detail and no skeleton: the game draws the full mesh at every distance, and any animation or skinning in the STL is left out. Very large models still export, and the readme warns above 100,000 triangles. |
| Collision and placement | Dropped | The YDR carries the drawable and its textures only. Collision (.ybn) and an archetype (.ytyp) are separate game files; the readme in the zip shows how to add both in CodeWalker. |
| Lines and points | Dropped | Line work and point clouds are left out, as the game draws triangle meshes only. |
What the YDR writer emits: A beta export: a .zip holding the .ydr drawable, its .ytd texture dictionary and a readme. One level of detail and no skeleton, Z up in metres, with meshes split into geometries of at most 65,535 vertices. Materials draw with the game’s default shader, or its normal shader when they have a normal map, in the alpha or cutout variant for see-through and masked materials. Textures are DXT1 or DXT5 with mipmaps, up to 2048 pixels, and plain colours and vertex colours are baked into a small palette texture. Collision (.ybn) and an archetype (.ytyp) are not included; the readme shows how to add them in CodeWalker.
The source: Stereolithography (.stl)
A single triangle soup. STL stores no color, no units, no parts and no layers, only the surface.
The target: GTA V prop (.ydr)
A static prop for GTA V on PC: the drawable and its texture dictionary, for a FiveM stream folder, a CodeWalker project or an OpenIV mod.
Opens in: FiveM (in a resource’s stream folder), CodeWalker, OpenIV.
Your file never leaves your computer
Both the STL parser and the YDR writer are JavaScript and WebAssembly running in your own browser tab. There is no upload step, no server-side conversion queue, and no copy of your file anywhere but your machine. That matters for drawings under NDA, for client work, and for anything you would not email to a stranger.
Free to Use, No Signup
There are no accounts and no watermarks on this converter. If it saved you time, the one thing we ask is a mention: a post, a link from your blog or course page, or a reply to someone asking how to open a file.
Share it
Made something reusable? Add it to the Free Parts Library. Writing about it? Copy a link, badge or citation. Send us your post and we’ll feature it with a link to your site.
Hear about new formats
Occasional emails when the viewer learns a new format or gets a new tool.
Frequently asked questions
▶Is this STL to YDR converter free?
Yes. No signup, no watermark, no per-file limit and no paid tier. Innerscene.
▶Is my STL file uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is read with the browser file API and converted in the same tab. Nothing is sent to a server unless you explicitly click Share, which is a separate, opt-in feature.
▶Will my colors and materials survive the YDR export?
STL files carry no color, so the YDR comes out in the viewer’s default material. You can color it in the destination application.
▶Will the YDR open at the right size?
GTA V works in metres with Z up. STL stores no unit, so the size comes from how the viewer read the file. Check the scale once in CodeWalker.
▶How large an STL file can I convert?
Up to 200 MB, and the ceiling adapts to how much memory your device reports. The conversion runs on your own hardware, so a desktop with plenty of RAM will handle more than a phone.
▶Can I convert YDR back to STL?
Yes, the other direction works too. Bear in mind that anything the first conversion dropped is not restored by converting back. YDR → STL
▶Which browsers does it work in?
Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari, on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. No plugin and no extension.
Convert STL to something else
Convert something else to YDR
Or start from the universal 3D viewer.
Grand Theft Auto, Grand Theft Auto V and GTA V are trademarks of their owner. Innerscene is not affiliated with the game or its publisher.