# STL - give it a texture
**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/stl-give-it-a-texture/4159
**Category:** ParaView Support
**Created:** [April 23, 2020, 4:33pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/stl-give-it-a-texture/4159 "2020-04-23T16:33:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ebreard](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/ebreard)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2020, 4:33pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/stl-give-it-a-texture/4159/1 "2020-04-23T16:33:27Z")
Hello,
If I load a stl in paraview, how can I give it a texture so that it looks as if it was glass for instance, or metal?
combined with ospray, it would render amazing Discrete Element Modeling simulations.
Thank you for the help,
E.
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2020, 3:08am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/stl-give-it-a-texture/4159/2 "2020-04-27T03:08:43Z")
Indeed you could use ospray.
- Open your .stl, Apply
- Click on the cogwheel to show advanced settings
- In the properties panel, check the “Enable Ray Tracing” checkbox
- Select OSPray PathTracer
- In the properties panel, In Ray Tracing Material, choose glass
- Glass is transparent, so you won’t see much, but feel free to experiment with other material or even your own.
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### Author:  [@ebreard](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/ebreard)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2020, 9:01pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/stl-give-it-a-texture/4159/3 "2020-12-01T21:01:39Z")
Legend. Thanks. I would only add: make the sample per px large (100 got rid of the “pointillism”).
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2020, 10:52am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/stl-give-it-a-texture/4159/4 "2020-12-02T10:52:04Z")
I forgot a step, edited.