3D FULA ™
(3D FILES & FORMATS ULTIMATE LIST OF ACRONYMS) ™
3D FILES & FORMATS
This list bring a little organisation to the plethora of file formats in 3D printing/ additive manufacturing.
What is an .stl and .scl? Is there a way to convert .ply into .dwg? Are Solidworks and Parasolid files printable?
Design your own 3D models for additive manufacturing, to preview them, attempt to export them externally for the 3D print bureau service, and even to facilitate communication between teams - the list covers the most commonly used file formats you may encounter during your journey from the idea to a physical part.
塵も積もれば山と成る
EVEN DUST, IF PILED, can become a mountain.
(Many a little makes a mickle)
Japanese proverb
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.3DS
file format generated in Autodesk's 3D Studio Max, supporting mesh, colour and texture data; later succeeded by the .max file format.
.3DM (Rhino)
files generated in surface modeling software Rhinoceros (aka Rhino or Rhino3D), developed by Robert McNeel and Associates.
.3D PDF
.3MF
an XML-based file format that includes 3D additive manufacturing data such as colour and material properties; developed by 3MF Consortium
A
.abf - Arcam Build File
slice file format by Arcam
.AC
.AC3D
.AI
file format for laser cutting.
.AMF - Additive Manufacturing Format
an XML-based file format initially released in 2011. Contrary to .stl, it has native support for colour, materials, lattices, and constellations.
.api
.asc
.ASE
file format generated in Autodesk's 3D Studio Max
.ASM - 3d Assembly file (SOLID EDGE)
B
BIM - Building Information modeling
.BAT = Batch File
.bdry - Three-dimensional Geometry Files
.bff - build file format (3D Systems)
BinVox - Binary Voxel Format
.blend - Blender file
file generated in the free, open-source 3D modeling and animation package Blender
.BPF - Background Preparation File (3D Systems)
C
.c3s - procera file
.CATPART
file from product design CAD software Catia by Dassault Systems
.CATPRODUCT
file from product design CAD software Catia by Dassault Systems
.cdr
file format used for laser cutting.
CGI - Computer Generated Images
.CGR
file from product design CAD software Catia by Dassault Systems
.CLF - Common Layer File
slice format file by Arcam.
.CLI - Common Layer Interface
.CLS - Concept laser Slice files
.COB
TrueSpace file
Collada - COLLAborative Design Activity
see: ↓*.dae
.CRG
a parameter file created during slicing for each .stl, .slc and support .stl fies (3DSystems’ specific)
.crv - Vcarve files
.ctl
a compressed .stl file created every time the part is uploaded into 3D Manage (3DSystems SLA); proprietary file format by 3D Systems.
.CTM
D
.DAE - DiGital Asset Exchange
XML-based, interchangeable file format, sometimes referred to as ↑Collada file; originally developed by Sony Entertainment, in present managed by the non-profit tech consortium Khronos
.dae supports the colour information, embedding it directly into the 3D model, and is sometimes accepted for printing by the 3D printing bureaus.
.DCM, Dicom - Digital Imaging and Communications in medicine
.DWG, .IDW
.DXF
drawing file format
.dxf4
AutoCAD file format
E
.edm
EDM files
.eps
drawing file format
.exp
Catia file format
F
.F3D - Fusion 3D Design
project file generated in Autodesk Fusion 360
.f&s - Fockele & Schwarze File
.FBX - FILMBOX File
popular file format used mostly for animation packages. Can be created in Pixologic ZBrush
G
.gcode
GIS - Geographic / geospacial Files
.GTS - GNU Tesselation Surface
H
I
.iam - Inventor Assembly file
file native to Autodesk Inventor
.IFC - Industry Foundation Classes
.IGS, .iges
IMM - Insert Multi Mesh
special brush in Pixologic ZBrush, consisting of a collection of small meshes ready to place on the mesh you are working on and sculpt with. Particularly useful for small, intricate, repetitive and otherwise time-consuming features.
.ipt - Inventor part file
file format native to Autodesk Inventor
J
.JT - Jupiter file format
K
.KMZ
file exported from Google Earth
L
. lstl
an .stl file whose properties have been altered in a propriety data management software, to prevent unauthorised access, duplication or alteration. An ongoing investigation.
.lwo
Lightwave file
.LXO
M
.ma - Maya ASCII
file format created in Autodesk Maya; easily cross-imported between programs.
.mB - Maya Binary
file format created in Autodesk Maya; compared to ↑.ma, Maya Binary files tend to be more compressed, therefore smaller, than Ascii, however they tend not work on software packages other than Maya.
.MatAMX - Materialise AM Exchange Files
.matPart - Materialise Part Files
.MD2
Quake file format
.MD3
Quake file format
.mdck - Materialise Kernel File
.mgx, .magics, .MAGIX
project files generated in Materialise Magics file preparation software by Materialise. Models can be exported in wide variety of print ready formats, software also allows for data manipulation and texturing.
.model File
Catia file format
.mpart - Connect Part File
.mproject - Connect Project File
.mrf - Materialise Rapid Fit Files
.mte - Materialise Tooling Expert files
.MTL - MaTerial Format
ASCII format files containing one or more material definitions (color, texture, reflection maps etc.) These are applied to the surfaces and vertices of objects. In 3D printing context; often found alongside texture files accompanying the ↓.OBJ files\
.mtl - Materialise Tooling Files
Materialise Magics
.mts - Materialise Tooling Expert Files
.MTT
MTT slice file format
.MXP
project files generated in Materialise 3-matic
N
.NEU
file format by PTC Pro/ENGINEER CAD modeller (currently PTC Creo Parametric)
.NCM - NetFabb Compressed Mesh
file format native to Autodesk NetFabb
.NDO
3D low-polygon modeler files
.nx
Unigraphics file format
NURBS - Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline
A type of geometry that supports curves, patches, surfaces with minimal amount of control points. NURBS objects come with inbuilt UV maps.
Example supporting software: Rhinoceros by Robert McNeel and Associates.
O
.OBJ - Object File, Wavefront/alias obj
simple ASCII data-format for 3D geometry, developed by Wavefront Technologies in 1980's. By itself it does not support colour or material data, textures are applied separately with use of UV maps. Often accompanied by ↑.MTL and texture file in either .jpg, .bmp or .png format.
.odf
binary file containing essential support data (3DSystems- specific)
.off
P
.par - Solid edge 3d file
pBR - Physically Based Rendering
.pdf - 3D .pdf file
.pff - Platform Files
.PLA - Platform File (3DSystems)
.PLY - Polygon File Format or Stanford Triangle Format
.PRC
.PRJ
3D Studio Max file format
.prt - Pro/E or Creo Parametric file
.prt
Unigraphics file format
.PSM - Solid edge 3d file
.pvc - Photo VCarve file
Q
.q3o
file format exported from Quick3D
R
.rcm - ReCap Mesh
a mesh file created from capture data in Autodesk ReCap (previously known as Autodesk Memento or Autodesk ReTake).
.rf - Rob CAD file format
.RVT - Revit File
files created in building information modelling (BIM) software, Autodesk Revit
S
.sab
.SAT - ACIS file
.SCAD
OpenSCAD file format
.shp - Shape file
most common geo-spacial file format.
.SKP - Sketch Up file
file format by Trimble SketchUp.
.SLC - 3D Systems Layer Contour file
.sldASM - Solidworks Assembly file
.sldprt- SOlidworks Part File
files generated in Dassault Systems' Solidworks CAD design package.
.sli - 3D Systems Layer Interface file
.SLM
slice file format for Selective Laser Melting systems by SLM Solutions
.SMESH - 3 Dimensional Surface Mesh File
.smp - Simple Bitmap File (3D SYSTEMS)
.ssl - StrataSys Layer interface
SSR - Screen Space Reflections
useful term in 3D rendering
.STEP
ISO 10303
.STL - 'STEREOLITHOGRAPHY' file format
file format developed for 3DSystems in 1987 before the launch of its first commercial 3D Printer;
.stl may be also transliterated as 'Standard Tesselation Language', 'Surface Tesselation Language' or 'Standard Triangle Language', however those seem to have been devised at a later date.
.STP
see ↑.step
.stpz - compressed .stp file
.SVG
Laser cutting file format, rendering some of the best results.
T
.tgz
U
.u3d
.ucs - User Coordinate System File
coordinate system file created in CAD program. Can be loaded into certain file manipulation software or a slicers, to replace the absolute coordinate system (WCS).
UI - User Interface
UX - User Experience
.usf - Universal Slice File
V
.v3d
Cut3D/ Part Works 3D Files
.VA3D, .V3M
machinist files
.vda
.vdafs
VDB - Vector Displacement Brushes
digitally sculpted 3D objects that can be used as brushes in Pixologic ZBrush. They differ from IMM or Alphas in terms of depth and degree of sculptability. Can be user-created.
VFX - Visual Effects
.vmf
ASCII text file containing all the messages generated by 3D Manage software (3DSystems, SLA)
VRML
virtual reality modeling language; succeeded by ↓X3D format
W
WCS - World Coordinate System
XYZ coordinate system, with origin point set at 0,0,0
.WRL
↑VRML-based file format used for colour models; files are often accompanied by texture files in .jpg/.bmp/.png format.
X
X3D
as of 2001, successor of ↑VRML language,encoding colour texture information on top of the geometry.
x3db - Extensible 3D Binary
.x3dv
.xas
one of Creo Parametric/ ProE file formats
XML - Extensive Markup Language
a type of markup language defining a set of rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable
.xmt
a Parasolid file fomat
.xmt_txt
a Parasolid file fomat
.xpr
one of Creo Parametric/ ProE file formats
.X_B - Parasolid FiLe
.X_T - Parasolid File
Y
Z
.ZBD - ZBuilD file
original build file for ZCorp ↑3DP and ↑CJP systems, later adopted by 3D Systems for the powder-based jet binding systems.
.ZCP - ZCorp file
.ZTL - ZBRUSH ZTOOL file
a ZTool file saving individual subtool; format native to Pixologic's ZBrush 3D sculpting software.
.ZPR - Zbrush project file
a file saving an entire project, including textures and reference images; format native to Pixologic's ZBrush 3D sculpting software.