The illustrative request
A lab asks for a design file but has not said how it will use it. The designer should clarify whether the lab needs editable project context, a geometry export for manufacture or a review view. This is an example of communication, not a claim about a real patient case or a universally supported format.
If the lab needs to edit
Identify the native application, version, relevant libraries and exact case export the lab can receive. Native project portability depends on the software and workflow. Sending an STL may not preserve the editable case structure the lab expects; do not call it a native case merely because the surface can be imported.
If the lab needs to manufacture
Confirm the manufacturing mesh format, scale, orientation and any separate components or files. Identify which version was approved. The lab validates the output within its actual CAM and production process; a mesh is not a universal machine program.
If both are required
Agree on both outputs before design. A useful handoff note might distinguish an editable package from a manufacturing export using the same internal case identifier and revision. Names such as CASE-EXAMPLE_review-v2 and CASE-EXAMPLE_approved-v3 are illustrative labels, not mandated software filenames.
Test what the receiver can do
Ask the lab to demonstrate the intended next action on a representative authorized case. Can it continue editing the supplied project, or only view imported geometry? Can it use the manufacturing export in the required process? File availability and successful opening answer only part of the compatibility question.
Prepared by Pristine Dental Design · October 6, 2026. Workflow guidance for dental professionals. Case-specific instructions and receiving-team approval govern actual design and production.