.3dsファイルフォーマットは、旧 3D Studio DOSバージョン(R1～R4)のファイル形式です。3D StudioのDOS版は 1996年にWindows用の3D Studuo Maxが出るまでPC/AT用の3Dソフトウェアとしてポピュラーに利用されていました。1980年第にあってフォーマット仕様が公開されており3Dデータを交換するフォーマットとして普及しました。（同時代に登場したOBJファイルと経緯が似ています）

3ds Max (3D Studio MAX)の .max フォーマットと .3ds フォーマットを混同しないでください。ある企業が .3ds を"3DS MAX用のファイルフォーマット"と説明しているのを見かけますがそれは「誤りです」。3ds Maxネイティブのファイル形式は .maxフォーマットです。なお旧バージョンをサポートする為に 3ds Maxは標準で .3ds ファイル形式を読み書きする事がサポートされています。

ノート：CAD等から 3ds Maxにデータを転送する為に .3ds フォーマットを利用する事はあまりオススメしません。3ds MaxにCADデータを転送するにはOkino社の PolyTrans for 3ds Maxを使う事を推奨します。


.3dsファイルフォーマットは現在においてはいささか役不足のフォーマットとなっています。それは８０年代の中頃にTom Hudson氏が3D Studio DOSの前身としてAtariプラットホーム上で"CAD-3D"を開発した事に起因しており、以下のような欠点をもっています。

• 全てのメッシュは必ず３角形メッシュとして取り扱われます。(3D Studioの多角形ポリゴンは非表示エッジした状態の３角形メッシュです)
• テクスチャーファイル名には 8.3 のDOSファイル名しか利用できません。
• 3D Studioは16bitアプリケーションなので、１つのオブジェクトに格納できる頂点およびポリゴン数は最大65536です。
• 3dsファイルには正確な頂点の法線情報を格納する事ができません。読み込み側のソフトが"スムージンググループ"の情報から推測して頂点法線の状態（スムージング）を再現する必要があります。
• 頂点法線の表現方法が現代のソフトウェアとは異なっています。これは1980年代生まれの3Dソフトウェアに共通する問題です。(3ds Max, LightWave, trueSpaceや Mayaもv2.51までスムージンググループを使っていました)
• オブジェクト、ライト、カメラ名前が半角で10文字。マテリアル名は半角で16文字が上限
• 平行光源はサポートされません。

Okino社は1993までに .3dsファイル の完全なリバースエンジニアリングと読み込みサポートを行いました。それは1994年のLightWaveサポートも含めて、Okino社の最も基本的で重要なコンバーターの１つです。Okino社の .3dsインポーターは、3dsファイルのあらゆる情報を読み込む事ができます。3Dジオメトリ（スムージンググループ含む）、カメラおよびオブジェクトのアニメーションデータ(3DStudioのインスタンスへのアニメーションもサポート)、透明度のフォールオフ値なども含むほぼ完全なマテリアル情報、ライト、カメラ、ビューポートデータ、背景のカラーと属性、UVテクスチャー投影座標、その他の情報をサポートしています。

.3ds ファイルの取り扱いにはOkino社は絶対の自信を持っています。使ってみれば.3dsファイルの読み書きであればOkino社のPolyTrans/NuGrafが最も確かで洗練されたインポート・エクスポートソリューションである事をご理解いただけるでしょう。

The 3MF importer reads in 3D scene data from the industry standard 3D Manufacturing Format (3MF). Normally these files are used to export into 3D printing hardware devices but this importer was written as a means to read in and convert such 3MF files to other 3D software programs.

The 3D Manufacturing Format (3MF) is a 3D printing file format spearheaded by Microsoft that allows design applications to send full-fidelity 3D models to other 3D applications, platforms, services and 3D printers. As explained by Microsoft, "3MF files describe the appearance and structure of 3D models for the purpose of manufacturing (3D printing)." It was primarily designed to replace the simplistic and aging 1987-era STL file format for 3D printing (as well as OBJ and VRML2). It is human readable and saved in a XML encoding.

Some salient features of the 3MF importer:

• Reading of 3MF supported polygonal geometry, part names, part hierarchy, basic material properties, layered texture maps and the extraction of JPEG+PNG bitmap images. Geometric and vertex normals will be computed for geometry without such information.
• Respect for, and the import of, geometry instancing, including 3 Okino scene and hierarchy optimizers.
• Layered texture map ("multi-property material") support with automatic extraction of JPEG and PNG bitmap images.
• Import of vertex colors.
• Intelligent overrides for the material colors and coefficients, to create "load and render" files.
• Support for the 3MF Core Specification and the 3MF Materials and Properties Extension.
• CAD-like units matching.

Please refer to the corresponding 3MF exporter.

Okino社は1997年から、3ds Max上でPolyTrans/NuGrafがサポートする全てのフォーマットの読み書きを可能とする、特別なプラグイン("PolyTrans-for-MAX")を開発・提供しています。

PolyTrans/NuGrafで3ds Maxのデータを変換するには、"PolyTrans-for-MAX"を必ず使う必要があります。
つまり、「maxのデータを変換する場合、3ds Max本体のライセンスが必要になります。」この点に十分注意してください。

これは、3ds Maxの .max ファイルが3dsMax以外のソフトで読み書きする事ができない為です。
もっと正確に言えば、.maxファイルは3dsMaxのプラグインモジュールがそれぞれどようにデータを持っているかを記述した「プラグインのスナップショット」の集合体です。（もしこの.maxファイルを直接読み込もうとする場合、全てのプラグイン、つまり3dsMax全機能をエミュレートする必要があり、それは事実上不可能です。）

もし3dsMaxのライセンスをお持ちでない場合、データの制作者や3dsMaxのライセンスを持っている人にデータを、.3dsもしくは.wrl(VRML2)形式で出力するようにお願いしてください。.3dsや.wrl形式であればPolyTrans本体で読み込む事が可能です。

"PolyTrans-for-MAX"は、3dsMax内にPolyTrans本体を組み込むようなプラグインです。"PolyTrans-for-MAX"を使えば、PolyTrans/NuGrafがサポートする全てのインポーター、エクスポーターモジュールにアクセスして、3dsMaxにデータを読み込んだり、書き出す事が可能になります。例えばPolyTransに CATIA v5オプションを追加すれば、3dsMaxから直接CATIA v5データを読み込む事が可能になるでしょう。

なお、"PolyTrans-for-MAX"と"PolyTrans/NuGraf本体"は別のアプリケーションです。3dsMaxのデータをPolyTrans/NuGraf本体で編集したい場合は、"PolyTrans-for-MAX"からOkino社のネイティブファイル形式".bdf"でファイルを読み書きします。PolyTrans/NuGraf本体でも".bdf"を読み書きする事ができます。

PolyTrans for 3ds Maxに関して詳しくはこちらのページも参照ください。

このインポートコンバーターは、Acclaim (.amc .asf)ファイルフォーマットからモーションキャプチャーデータを読み込みます。このファイル形式では、スケルトンの回転アニメーション、階層構造および回転角制限のみが含まれています。（ジオメトリデータは含まれません）

このインポートコンバーターは、Biovision (.bvh)ファイルフォーマットからモーションキャプチャーデータを読み込みます。このファイル形式では、スケルトンの回転アニメーション、階層構造および回転角制限のみが含まれています。（ジオメトリデータは含まれません）

Okino's CINEMA 4D import conversion system intelligently and robustly converts MAXON CINEMA-4D .c4d filesinto a plethora of professionally supported 3D export file formats and programs. It is a majortechnological advancement for CINEMA 4D users as it overcomes all the old limitations and problems withthe free, built-in 3D converters which come with the CINEMA 4D program. Technically, this is the firstprofessional conversion program which can read and write to the .c4d file format (some people may beconfused of other programs which support CINEMA-4D v6 format but that has been obsolete since 1998).

Refer to the following main documentation:

• The high-level overview of the overall PolyTrans-for-CINEMA-4D conversion system.
• The CINEMA-4D .c4d export converter module explanation.
• The CINEMA-4D .c4d import converter module explanation.

Since mid-1998 Okino has been the primary provider of professional 3D conversion solutions to MAXON Computer'spopular CINEMA-4D animation program (a short historical overviewof CINEMA-4D can be found online here).We understand the conversion requirements of CINEMA-4D customers very well and have amassed a largemutual user base of CINEMA-4D customers.

The is one of Okino's key DCC/Animation import converters which allows COLLADA .dae files to beloaded from any program which saves out COLLADA compliant files of the correct version and formatting.

As a passing note, COLLADA has long been the best 3D file format to import/export with Blender and not FBX (whichmay surprise many Blender users). Okino has been involed with Blender since its very beginnings and hence tests its import/exportconverters under particularly stressful conversion conditions. Blender's COLLADA implementation properly supports geometry, hierarchy,part naming, instancing and material conversion. The two runner ups would be FBX and VRML2 but they are not recommended for use with Blender.

Support is provided for polygonal mesh data with attributes (normals, vertex colors, uv texturecoordinates and UV tangent vectors), 3D lines+linestrips+splines (linear and Bezier curves),skinned mesh and skeletons (mesh deformation via skinning), object + camera + light animation data,material data, texture maps and special 'extra' tag recognition.

Please refer to the corresponding COLLADA exporter.

The .X file format is the basic geometry format used by Microsoft's DirectX-3D real time rendering engine and it quite prevalent and popular in the 3D game development market. From our own recollection of history, RenderMorphics from the U.K. was one of the first and best real-time gaming engines in the early 1990's and thus was bought out by Microsoft; that technology was renamed and became Direct-3D. The .X file format followed from that point onwards. Okino was probably one of the first companies to pester Microsoft to gain access to the .X file format specification, which ultimately led to our full .X exporter released in 1996. We had great hopes for the evolution of the .X file format but it never matured beyond its rudimentary support for meshes, basic material colors, hierarchy (and later) mesh skinning (probably because the 3 RenderMorphics originators left Microsoft, as told to Okino by the same 3 RenderMorphics developers). Nevertheless, we consider the .X file format a widely accepted industry standard for basic mesh models.

This import converter reads in ASCII and binary DirectX (.x) formatted files. Mesh data (with vertex normals, vertex uv texture coordinates and vertex colors), materials, texture references, hierarchy and object animation are all imported. In addition, vertex weights used for mesh/skeleton deformation skinning are imported and can be played back or re-exported via PolyTrans.

The DirectX file format does not have support for lights, cameras or NURBS. It also has rudimentary material and texture mapping support.

If you wish to import from the most recent versions of the DXF and DWG file format (including embedded ACIS solids) then please use Okino's DWG import converter available in the "CAD/Pack" add-on. The base-package only provides support for DXF R12, which would be a viable option for anyone exporting this version of DXF from any CAD program.

DXF can be considered the 'lowest common denominator' for 3D data file translation. DXF (ASCII) and its binary cousin (DWG) are the standard andnative file formats of Autodesk's AutoCAD program. It has a very long history, starting in the early 1980's. Many 3D programs and modelers have somelevel of basic DXF import and export support, so if all else fails you can transfer mesh data to/from these programs usingDXF (DXF does not support uv texture coordinates, vertex colors, materials, lights, texture maps, animation, etc.; just basic mesh geometry data).

Please note: it is technically better to source from an Autodesk CAD program using DWF-3D file format andOkino's DWF-3D import conversion system (which is part of the CAD/Pack license) rather than to use the DXF or DWG file formats.

This import converter reads in raw FACT files from the Electric Image animation system (now called 'Universe'). FACT files are also a common format to move scene data in and out of the Form/Z modeling program.

このコンバータの特徴：

• All geometry is read in including the simple/complex geometry sub-data types, vertex normals, uv texture coordinates, vertex colors and tangent vectors,
• The complex hierarchy of the FACT file, including the preservation of linkage information and child/parent transformation information. Pivot points are properly derived from the linkage information.
• Material definitions (ambient/diffuse/specular colors, index of refraction, shading model, Phong highlight size and face opacity).
• Texture mapping information (filename, u/v scale, crop window information).
• All Electric Image texture projection methods (flat, cubic, spherical and cubical) are converted to equivalent NuGraf/PolyTrans texture projection methods.

The ESRI ShapeFile geometry import converter reads in the point, line andpolygon-area geometrical vector data from a ESRI "Shape File". These files are often created usingESRI's ARC/INFO, ARC/VIEW and ARC/GIS. The file extensions are .shp (geometry data) and .cshp(ESRI ShapeFile project file, which makes reference to other .shp files on disk). 2D and 3D datasets are supported.

The ShapeFile format was defined by Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) forstoring simple vector data elements, most often used for GIS datasets and GIS flat maps.

This geometry import converter reads in Autodesk FBX files. Thisimport converter allows support for all major features in FBX files including support for polygon meshes,NURBS patches, bicubic or linear patches, geometry hierarchy, lights, cameras, animation and mesh skinning:

• Reading of all FBX supported geometry including polygons, NURBS and patches. Geometric and vertex normals will be computed for geometry without such information.
• Import of materials, textures, texture mapping, lights and cameras.
• Full object hierarchy import into NuGraf/PolyTrans with user selected hierarchy optimization algorithms.
• Import of character skinning information.
• Import of camera animation, lights animation, object animation and fully skinned character animation. Import of all animation FCurve interpolation types (constant, linear or cubic) as well as all tangent modes (auto, TCB, user, break).

Okino was the first professional conversion company to fully implement the FBX file format from its get-go,long before most people even heard of the file format. Okino is the only company to support thefull legacy family of FBX variations, including the v5 (Kaydara), v6 (Alias) and v7 (Autodesk) versionsof FBX, on the 32-bit and 64-bit platforms (even though v5 is purely a long-dead 32-bit-only format). Thisis handled in a most unique manner, by shipping 3 completely different FBX importers, one for eachvariation of the file format.

If you are importing data from 3ds Max or Maya then please use Okino's PolyTrans-for-3dsMax orPolyTrans-for-Maya software. When importing from AutoCAD, Navisworks, Revit or Inventor please useOkino's native DWF-3D importer or native Inventor importer.

Please refer to the corresponding FBX exporter.

glTFインポートコンバーターは、バージョン2以降の glTF および glB ファイルを読み込む事ができます。ジオメトリ、階層、ライト、カメラ、PBR マテリアル、テクスチャ、メッシュ スキニング、アニメーションなど、glTF ファイルの主要な機能と要素を全てサポートしています。

PolyTransは glTF エクスポートも対応しています。

このジオメトリ インポート コンバーターは、Ifc2x3、Ifc4、Ifc4x2 以降のバージョンのネイティブ IFC ファイルを読み込みます。これは、広範囲に開発された STEP、ProE/Creo、DGN、および DWF-3D インポーター (とりわけ) に沿った非常に複雑なインポーターです。

その主な焦点は、あらゆるソースIFCデータをインテリジェントで自動化された読み込みとレンダリング可能プラットフォームへの変換を提供することです。

言うまでもなく、IFC ファイル形式は数十年にわたる歴史があり、正しく解釈するのはかなり複雑です。このIFCインポーターは、IFCデータの生の基本的な内容を取得し、それを簡潔な形式に変換するのに大いに役立ちます。

This is a rather different and unique import converter in the long list of Okino importers. This converter can be used to import high quality 2D vector spline shape data from such page design programs as Adobe Illustrator, CorelDraw, Micrografix Designer, or any other 2D design package which can output Adobe Illustrator (.ai) vector files.

For example, this .ai import converter can be used to import 2D vector logos, 2D text, bezier and linear spline shapes, and have them converted into a 3D polygonal representation ideal for instant rendering in a 3D software rendering package, or for subsequent export to another file format.

Thus, ideal uses of this import converter include:

• Import of logos and text, in spline form, from popular 2D design packages into Okino's NuGraf package for rendering in 3D, or export to another 3D file format for rendering in another software package.
• Conversion of complex spline shape data (curves within curves, such as the letter B) into a polygonal representation which can be accepted by any major 3D software package.
• Import of one form of 2D spline curve data (such as Cardinal curves from the OpenFlight file format) and conversion to another 2D spline format for subsequent output as 2D spline curves again (such as Bezier curves output to 3DS MAX).

This import converter handles a significant aspect of the SGI Inventor 2.x and VRML 1.0 file formats. This version of "Inventor" is not to be confused with the native file format of the Autodesk Inventor solid modeling package; rather, this it is the native file format of the SGI (Silicon Graphics) OpenInventor toolkit. The SGI Inventor file format is quite common and popular on the SGI IRIX hardware platform, and it has been made popular on the Intel PC platform via the TGS (Template Graphics Software) port and maintenance of the OpenInventor toolkit to PC.

The VRML 1.0 file format is a direct sub-set of the SGI Inventor 2.0 file format, hence this import converter can equally handle VRML 1.0 files as an added benefit. A full list of features is provided here.

This geometry import converter reads in Lightwave binary object files (.lw) and ASCII scene files (.scn). It is a very complex converter, and one of the most developed in PolyTrans since 1994. This Lightwave importer, and its corresponding exporter have long been two of the most important converters in PolyTrans and NuGraf for many of our dedicated game development, animation and content development users. These converters, for example, allow data to be moved from Lightwave, into 3ds Max, and back again with little or no degradation in scene content (including hierarchy, object and camera animation, bones and skinning, automatic bitmap conversion and so forth).

The converter is actually composed of two distinct sub-converters: a Lightwave v4-5.6 importer, and a Lightwave 6.0 or newer importer. Lightwave 6 was released in the 2000 by Newtek and introduced a completely revamped .lwo and .lws file format, as described below. This importer takes advantage of many of the major new features of the Lightwave 6 file format. Please note: there is no need for Okino to quality this importer for each successive new version of Lightwave (such as V7, V8, V9, etc). Lightwave is pretty well the only 3D program which has a file format that can, and has, remained stable and unchanged for close to adecade. It is an IFF chunk-based file format and hence the version of the file format has little or no bearing on the version of Lightwave itself. The Okino Lightwave importer is always compliant and supported up to the current version of Lightwave.

This import converter reads in ASCII files based on the MOL Molecular Database format.

The MOL Import Converter was designed to allow MOL users to bring their models into the Okino NuGraf software, or to any other 3D rendering/modeling package. Once imported, the model data can be manipulated, renderings can be generated and the data can be re-exported to various other 3D formats.

The Okino .bdf file format is the native format used by Okino's PolyTrans and NuGraf products. It is a "snap shot" of the core Okino 3D scene graph database and in essence is a super-set of the capabilities of most 3D files formats. It is the preferred and best file format to use when converting data between 3ds max (via the PolyTrans-for-MAX native plug-in system) and Maya (via the PolyTrans-for-Maya native plug-in system).

The PLY geometry import converter reads in binary and ASCII PLY formatted files, includingmesh attributes (vertex normals, vertex colors and vertex texture coordinates) and an optional material definition.A PLY file contains the description of exactly one object. No lights, cameras, hierarchy, texture mapsor animation are provided by the PLY file format.

The PLY format is NOT intended to be a general scene description language, a shading language ora catch-all modeling format. This means that it includes no transformation matrices, object instantiation,modeling hierarchies, or object sub-parts. It does not include parametric patches, quadric surfaces,constructive solid geometry operations, triangle strips, polygons with holes, or texture descriptions.

Typically, PLY files are associated with 3D scanning and object reconstruction.

Please refer to the corresponding PLY exporter.

This import converter reads in ASCII files based on the PDB (Protein Database) file format.

The PDB Import Converter was designed to allow PDB users to bring their models into the Okino NuGraf software, or to any other 3D rendering/modeling package. Once imported, the model data can be manipulated, renderings can be generated and the data can be re-exported to various other 3D formats.

このインポートコンバーターは OpenNERBS .3dm からジオメトリとシーンデータを読み込みます。OpenNERBS .3dm フォーマットはRobert McNeel and Associates社の Rhino-3d NURBSモデリングパッケージで主に使用されているファイル形式です。またこのフォーマットは NURBSベースのサーフェスおよびカーブの情報を変換する為のオープンスタンダートなフォーマットです。

PolyTransではOpenNURBS .3dm ファイル形式から以下の情報を読み込む事ができます：

• ポリゴンメッシュ、頂点の法線情報、UVテクスチャー投影座標情報、頂点カラー(RGBのみ)
• Brepソリッドは、１つのノード/フォルダにグループ化されたNURBSサーフェス(トリムカーブ)の集まりとして読み込まれます。
• 独立したNURBSカーブ、および合成されたカーブはそのまま読み込まれます。
• Rhino上で隠されたオブジェクトはそのまま隠されたオブジェクトとして読み込まれます(無視される訳ではありません)
• マテリアルは１つのオブジェクトもしくは１つのレイヤー単位に割り当てられます。マテリアルは基本的なアトリビュート（Ambient, diffuse and specular colors）を読み込む事ができます。
• マテリアルにセットされたテクスチャー・マップは、テクスチャーの参照先として読み込まれます。
• 環境光、スポット、ポイントの光源（ライトのカラーおよびつよさ）を読み込む事ができます。
• RhinoのレイヤーはOkinoのグループフォルダとして変換されます。１つのレイヤーはOkino階層の１つにペアレントされます。
• 3Dビュー(パースビュー)がデフォルトのカメラ定義として取りこまれます。
• ポイントおよびポイントクラウドはPolyTransでは読み込む事ができません（無視されます。）

Okino's professional SketchUp conversion system intelligently and robustly converts SketchUpmodels (included embedded texture images) into a plethora of professionally supported 3D export file formats and programs.

SketchUp is a popular 3D design product originally developed by @Last Software (http://www.sketchup.com) and nowowned by Trimble, Inc. Okino recognized the growing popularity of SketchUp (well before it was purchased by Google and then Trimble) and as suchwe worked directly with the original SketchUp developer to create the very first set of independent, professional and fully compliant SketchUp 3D converters outsideof the SketchUp program itself. Okino's SketchUp conversion system is used throughout the 3D production world by everyone fromDisney to LucasFilm to Sony Productions to NASA and many people just like yourself.

Please refer to the corresponding SketchUp exporter.

This geometry import converter reads both binary and ASCII versions of StereoLithography STL files which are typically sent to 3D stereolithography (prototyping) machines. These are very primitive files, with just pure polygon data and vertices (no normals, uv texture coordinates, etc). The polygons are typically triangles. Many 3D CAD programs output STL files, so this could be considered one method to transfer data from a modeling program (however, XGL, IGES and others are becoming more common these days). All the polygons are read into a single object since there is no object information contained within a .stl file.

Okino's mirror set of U3D import and export convertermodules are two of the most well developed and feature rich converter modules availablefor handling U3D files. U3D files are most often associated with the 3D models which areembedded in Adobe® PDF files.

This import converter loads in files of the U3D file format,including meshes, materials, hierarchy, lights, cameras, animation, skeletons (bones) and skinnedmeshes. There are very few U3D file import converters, and of those very few if none import therange of data and options that this Okino U3D importer does.

An overview of its salient technical features can be read here.

Okino also has a long history involved with the U3D file format.U3D has quite a tainted history in the development community. It was derived from the old Intel IFX 3D gaming toolkitof the 1990's and forced upon developers as the Macromedia 'Shockwave-3D file format' in 2000. The Shockwave-3D formatwas abandoned in 2002 and then it resurfaced in 2004 when Intel forced it upon Adobe as the 3D file format to usewithin 3D PDF files (instead of Adobe using the better X3D file format). With the IFX toolkit being so buggy, Okinospent much of 2004 through to 2007 debugging the IFX toolkit and creating the main, defacto implementation of the U3Dimport/export converters.

This geometry import converter import converter imports, manipulates and converts digital elevation model (DEM) data as well as GTOPO30 DEM data. It has been a popular import converter since its original release in 1996. With the help of the public domain SDTS2DEM.EXE program, this importer can also read in the new SDTS DEM file format .

The USGS DEM data is provided as a service of the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Each data set describes the elevation of semi-square regions of land for various locations across the U.S.A., Alaska, Hawaii and some surrounding areas of Mexico and Canada. The most accurate DEM data sets are sampled every 30 metres (7.5 minute DEMs) while the least accurate are sampled every 3 arc seconds (for 1:250,000 scale DEMs).

This import converter handles a significant aspect of the VRML 1.0 file format. The VRML 1.0 file format is a direct sub-set of the SGI Inventor 2.0 file format, hence this import converter can equally handle Inventor2 files as an added benefit. A full list of features is provided here.

In the realm of writing import converters this VRML 2.0 import converter was one of the more delicate and difficult to implement. VRML 2.0 is a very verbose and extensive 3D scene description language that provides much freedom of expression to write complex files. The development of this import converter has concentrated on implementing a proper and exacting import of complex VRML files, including nested PROTOS, keyframe animation and even the extraction of embedded bitmap data to stand-alone TIFF files. While there are many 3D VRML browsers, there are few stand-alone data conversion programs which properly implement the import of VRML files; we hope that making this carefully coded VRML import converter available will satisfy the many requests from our users who have long sought a good VRML import solution.

Many people consider VRML2 a "dead" file format, or a file format used primarily for WEB publishing of interactive worlds and scenes. This is far from the truth in terms of Okino customers. VRML2 is an excellent method to transfer mesh models out of many CAD modeling packages, and it is also a secondary method (after Okino's own .bdf file format) to transfer data (as well as animation) our of Discreet's 3ds max product.

This geometry import converter reads in Wavefront 'OBJ' format files in their entirety, including vertex, normal and texture coordinates, as well as grouping and smoothing information. It also parses the full Wavefront NURBS file format, allowing trimmed NURBS data to be imported from such programs as Rhino-3D; when imported into PolyTrans or NuGraf, the NURBS data remains as true trimmed NURBS, allowing the data to be exported as trimmed NURBS to such supported file formats as Renderman RIB, SoftImage or IGES. when outputting to a polygonal file format (Lightwave, MAX, etc.) the PolyTrans or NuGraf export converter will tessellate the trimmed NURBS patches to optimized indexed polygon lists prior to export.

The Wavefront OBJ file format itself does not include any capabilities for vertex color information, lights, cameras, NURBS, animation or skeleton/skinning information. Even so, it's a very standard and good format for general 3d mesh model conversion and archiving.

This import converter is a complete and accurate implementation of the Wavefront OBJ file format, including the parsing of all attributes in a Wavefront material ('.mtl') file. The converter has been under constant and refined development since 1992; it is one of the 'must have' import converters of game developers and others requiring easy transport of indexed polygon data or NURBS data amongst most of the 3D software programs currently on the market. Many companies which sell 3D models provide their datasets in the OBJ file format, so you can use this converter to read in these data files and be guaranteed nice rendered results.

An important feature of this import converter is its ability to break apart the imported polygonal data according to assigned object name, group name, smoothing number, material name or texture mapping name. Likewise, new materials definitions (inside NuGraf/PolyTrans) can be created based on one of these Wavefront OBJ file attributes.

The converter will also read material definitions from a Wavefront material file (typically which has a file extension '.mtl') if the material file is referenced within the Wavefront geometry file (typically which has a file extension '.obj') using the 'mtllib' keyword. If one or more Wavefront material files are listed on a single line then all will be read into memory for possible reference by the geometry file.

Please note: if you were not given a ".mtl" file along with the ".obj" files, then you will not get any material or texture maps after import.

Okino's X3D importer (and corresponding exporter) are one of the first set of production-quality X3D and Classic VRML converters to come to market, just as Okino had provided the first industry standard set of re-purposing converters for VRML1 and VRML2 in 1996 and 1998 respectively (and which are still two of our most popular file formats today, a decade later). They were developed in full cooperation with the Web3D Consortium and the U.S. Navy.

"X3D" is the next generation standard, a superset of the VRML2 specification. It is an Open Standards XML-enabled 3D file format to enable real-time communication of 3D data across all applications and network applications. It has a rich set of features for use in engineering and scientific visualization, CAD and Architecture, Medical visualization, Training and simulation, multimedia, entertainment, educational, and more. Where VRML1 and VRML2 dominated the 3D market for the last decade, it is expected that X3D will become the successor and replacement for the next decade. More information about the X3D file format and initiative can be found at www.web3d.org.

As mentioned by Robert Lansdale, President & CEO of Okino, "I would like to impress on our Okino customer user base the importance of this new generation of X3D import/export converters. Almost every month a new 3D file format is introduced to the market, often because the developers of the file format do not believe that existing file formats are acceptable. Typically this is internally motivated by company politics or the common 'not invented here' mentality. The current 3D market is becoming glutted with an overabundance of similar 3D file formats, yet that does not need to be the case. One of the longest standing and most successful 3D file formats since 1996 has been VRML2, as it was designed to be an extensive, open and standards-based data transfer file format. VRML2, and its new X3D XML-based successor, are stable and well established file formats that will most likely outlast many of today's existing 3D formats. Okino's customers have had great success with our bi-directional VRML 1+2 conversion pipelines since the 90's and hence we decided to collaborate with the Web3D Consortium and the US Navy to extend these capabilities to include production-quality X3D and Classic VRML support. VRML2 and X3D are very verbose file formats, with many nuances, which made the implementation and testing of our second generation converters very time intensive."

The following are some of the features of this X3D import converter:

• Object, camera, light and material animation using keyframe data.
• Indexed face sets (meshes), indexed line sets, 3D point sets, extrusions, height field, box, cone, cylinder and sphere geometry is supported.
• Triangle primitives: TriangleSet, IndexedTriangleSet, TriangleFanSet, IndexedTriangeFanSet, TriangleStripSet and IndexedTriangleStripSet.
• Unique support for importing of X3D NURBS surfaces and NURBS curves.
• Vertex normals, vertex texture coordinates, vertex colors, per-face colors and material assignments are supported for the indexed face set geometry.
• For IndexedFaceSets and IndexedLineSets geometry, colors (in addition to X3D Materials) can be assigned on a per-vertex or per-face basis. If assigned on a per-face basis, the face colors are converted to polygon-assigned NuGraf/PolyTrans materials. Any inherited texture maps will be assigned to these per-polygon materials as well.
• User options are available to import a specific sub-child of LOD (level of detail) nodes.
• X3D hierarchy is recreated, including support for DEF/USE and nested PROTOs.
• Unique support for the X3D CAD working group extensions: CADassembly, CADpart and CADface.
• External references are supported, whereby external X3D files are inserted into the main hierarchy tree of the source file.
• If geometry is DEFd then USEd more than once in the X3D file (ie: the geometry is instantiated multiple times), then this converter will create one object definition internally and create multiple instances of the object definition (to replicate the behaviour of VRML).
• Each Material parameter is imported and stored, including diffuse & specular colors, ambient intensity, luminous color, shininess and transparency.
• The directional, point and spot light sources are properly imported as well as their related parameters.
• File-referenced bitmaps and embedded texture bitmaps are supported.
• Bitmaps which are embedded within the X3D file are automatically extracted and converted to TIFF files on disk. The images are also displayed on the screen as they are being imported.
• The various fields of the Transform node (scale, rotation, translation, center, scale orientation) are imported and converted to an equivalent 4x4 transformation matrix.
• Fog and Backgrounds (color only) are imported and converted to equivalent forms.
• Viewpoint nodes are converted to perspective cameras.
• An optional optimization algorthm can be enabled after import is completed to remove redundant nodes from the scene graph and hierarchy.
• Global and per-node metadata. WorldInfo imported as user-data.

This import converter reads in ASCII XGL formatted files as well as their ZGL compressed equivalents. Triangular mesh data (with vertex normals and vertex uv texture coordinates), basic material properties, embedded texture images and object hierarchy are imported from the XML-style XGL file.

XGL is an ideal file format to export data from various supported 3D programs (see here, primarily CAD packages) to an XGL viewing program, be it on a local machine or across the Internet. XGL is also an ideal file format to move data from these CAD packages into Okino's NuGraf software for viewing, visual editing and photo-realistic rendering.

PolyTrans-for-Maya runs inside Maya as a native plug-in system (and requires a resident copy of Maya). This allows a Maya user to easily access all of the stand-alone Okino converter modules. To convert data to/from 3ds max use the Okino ".bdf" scene transfer file format and the native PolyTrans-for-MAX plug-in system on the 3ds max side. To convert data to/from Softimage|XSI use the .dotXSI file format from the Maya side. To convert data to/from Lightwave use the Lightwave import/export converters from the Maya side.

※ = Trimmed NURBS can be exported from Maya using PolyTrans-for-Maya, but not imported. This is because there is no API provided by Maya which allows for the import of uv-space, oriented trim curves and loops.

This geometry import converter reads in Multigen OpenFlight '.flt' binary format files. The converter extracts and converts the OpenFlight data to equivalent Okino internal data representations. It has been one of the more popular converters sold daily since its original release in 1997.

NOTES: OpenFlight format does not have keyframe animation capabilities, nor NURBS or skeletons.

Okino's OpenFlight converters are unique in the fact that they can read from newer OpenFlight file formats (15.x versions) and write to the much older 14.2 file format; the 14.2 file format is still quite common in the military VizSim markets. Okino writes its own FLT exporter module and has complete control over its development and refinement. The FLT importer utilizes the MultiGen OpenFlight DLLs to do all the parsing while custom Okino code walks the database tree and converts the "node based" VizSim information to scene graph data more acceptable to the common animation programs.

This geometry import converter reads in Softimage .xsi files. No copy of the Softimage|XSI animation program is required. Meshes (with vertex normals, vertex colors and vertex uv texture coordinates), hierarchy, cameras, lights, materials, texture maps, object animation, envelopes (mesh skinning) and 3D NURBS curves are supported as a baseline. Dialog box controls are provided to allow automatic tweaking of shading parameters. The multiple meshes per 'model' can be automatically compressed back up into single meshes, or kept separate.

※ = The dotXSI file format really doesn't have a sense of a "skeleton" like in other file formats. In most other formats, except for DirectX, a grouping node can be tagged as a bone or joint; when imported into its respective animation program, such nodes are visualized as bones. In the dotXSI file format you would normally create an IK chain in order to have bones visualized in the XSI user interface. However, it is not necessary to create an IK chain in order to define a "skeleton" for mesh skinning (enveloping in XSI lingo). The dotXSI file format allows any object or any grouping node to be used as a "mesh skinning bone" (deformation object) so to speak, and this is exactly how the Okino converter handles bones & mesh skinning for the dotXSI file format.

The Autodesk Inventor import converter module allows geometry, hierarchy and materials (assembly data) to be imported from native disk-based Autodesk Inventor files or from a running copy of the Autodesk Inventor 3D solid modeling application using the Autodesk Inventor automation API. No intermediate files are used in the translation.

This import converter allows data to be directly imported from Autodesk Inventor into any Okino compliant program, such as NuGraf, PolyTrans, the 3DS MAX native plug-ins, the Autodesk Maya native plug-in module, the Softimage XSI native plug-in module or the Macromedia Director plug-in module.

If you do not have a copy of Autodesk Inventor installed on your computer then you will need to install the Inventor "Apprentice Server" COM component module. This module allows Okino's Inventor importer to import data from .iam assembly files and/or .ipt part files without need for a full resident copy of Autodesk Inventor. This "Apprentice Server" is distributed by Autodesk in an installer called "Design Tracking". References to this page can be found on the Okino demo downloads WEB page.

Features of the Autodesk Inventor importer:

• Import from a live running copy of Autodesk Inventor, or from native Autodesk Inventor .iam and .ipt files on disk (no copy of Autodesk Inventor required for this latter feature).
• Imports and retains: assembly hierarchy information and assembly names, as well as BREP structure of the source model (bodies and faces). Can query accurate vertex normals, uv texture coordinates and UV tangent vectors from Autodesk Inventor directly.
• The quality of the model (the number of polygons) can be controlled when importing from Autodesk Inventor or from disk-based files.
• Okino's "CAD Scene and Hierarchy Optimization System" has been integrated right into the Autodesk Inventor importer. This is most important when importing large CAD models into 3DS MAX, Maya or Lightwave. These animation packages tend to have performance problems then the source CAD model is large, and/or has a large number of individual parts (which is often the case with the BREP model topology of data provided by Autodesk Inventor).
• The native PolyTrans plug-in systems for 3DS MAX (PolyTrans-for-MAX) and Maya (PolyTrans-for-Maya) have been refined since 1998 specifically for importing large CAD assembly models from Autodesk Inventor. This has come about partly from our good software users, and also from the main Okino CAD programmers who have been specializing in CAD to non-CAD conversion software since 1988.
• Complete control over material parameter modification on an automatic basis. Many CAD systems like Autodesk Inventor have basic material parameters (like color, ambient + diffuse shading coefficients, opacity, etc) but when they are transferred over to a rendering and animation system they often look "too bright" or "highly ambient". This can be expected and is quite normal. The material tweak parameters easily allow such saturated shading values to be automatically compensated.

This DWF-3D importer is considered by Okino to be our most important CAD importer for handling data from AutoCAD, Navisworks, Revit and optionally Autodesk Inventor. Okino wrote the first and primary implementation of DWF-3D over a long period of a decade. Its development focus has been to import the absolute most humongous of DWF-3D files and then have the data highly optimized for downstream programs which just can't handle such files. Common examples are very large oil & gas rigs, entire ships and architectural models.

This is not "just another 3D importer" but rather something we consider a "god send" to us and our customers. Whereas DXF and DWG are some of the worst file formats for general data translation, DWF-3D is one of the very best 3D file formats available. DWF-3D is actually an empty 'container file format', as is Adobe PDF, which uses the extensive and concise HOOPS 3D HSF format to capture and convey the 3D data.

It is highly recommended that you use DWF-3D file format to export out of AutoCAD and not the DXF or DWG file formats. For Navisworks and Revit, always use DWF-3D and never FBX format. For Autodesk Inventor, either use Okino's native Inventor importer or DWF-3D.

Please also refer to the corresponding DWF-3D export converter.

DWGインポート・コンバーターは、2D、2.5D、3D要素が含まれるDWG/DXFファイルを読み込み、3Dポリゴンでグループ化されたメッシュに変換するスマートなコンバーターです。

このコンバーターの主な機能：

• AutoCAD 2.5, 2.6, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15/2000, 2002, 2004 (それ以降)のフォーマットに適合。
• ASCII形式、バイナリー形式、両方のDXF/DWGファイル読み込む事ができます。
• 読み込む前にプレスキャンを行い、フォーマットに含まれるカラー番号、レイヤー名、ブロック名の情報を見る事ができます。
• Retains blocks and instances within the imported database (no object replication).
• Creates cameras from the VIEW entries found in the DXF/DWG file. The cameras are compliant with the unpublished AutoCAD 'VIEW' algorithm for perspectivecameras.
• Reads in the most popular and important DXF/DWG entity and converts them into optimized 3d polygon meshes by a variety of means.
• Allows 2d entities with no width or thickness to be intelligently converted into 3d polygons of very narrow width. This allows, for example, 2d drafting diagrams to be imported and rendered in 3-dimensions. It can also be used, for example, to import GIS data that consists of DEM terrain and simple 3d polylines (very powerful!). This feature is quite useful since 3D AutoCAD diagrams often use 2d lines and 2d arcs to add fine detail to a scene; without this feature such detail would be non-existent within the 3d imported scene.
• All adjoining polylines which have been assigned "width" are properly mitred. The only other 3d DXF/DWG converter that is known to have this capability is that provided with Autodesk's 3D Studio. Mitring adjusts the angle of abutting polygons so that they fit together snuggly (as with the corners of a picture frame). The mitring code handles every possible case, including 2d mitring (widened polylines) and 3d mitring (widened polylines which are subsequently extruded upwards).
• The converter is extemely memory efficient.
• If ACIS solid entities are stored in the DWG file then they will be decrypted and turned into polygon meshes prior to import.

Solid Edgeインポートコンバーター・モジュールは、Solid EdgeオートメーションAPIを使用して、ディスクに保存されたSolid Edgeネイティブファイル(プレビューデータ)あるいはインストールされているライセンス済みSolid Edgeアプリケーションからジオメトリ、階層およびマテリアル(アセンブリデータ)を読み込む事ができます。変換中に中間ファイルは使用されません。

※分割数を指定した変換にはPolyTransを動作させるマシン上にライセンス済みSolid Edgeアプリケーションのインストールが必要です。ライセンス済みSolid Edgeアプリケーションが無い場合、プレビュー用のメッシュのみ読み込み可能です。

このインポートコンバーターは、NuGraf本体、PolyTrans本体、PolyTrans-for-3dsMax、PolyTrans-for-Maya等あらゆるOkinoプラグインから利用する事ができます。

Solid Edgeインポートコンバーターの機能：

• Solid Edgeの詳細なデータ変換（分割数の変更）を行うには、PolyTransを使用するマシンにライセンス済みのSolSolid Edgeがインストールされている必要があります。（Solid EdgeオートメーションAPIを使用します。）
• Solid Edgeのネイティブファイル .asm、.prtを直接読み込む事も可能です。この場合Solid Edgeのインストールは不要です。ただし .sldasm、.sldprtを直接読み込む場合プレビュー解像度のデータのみ読み込み可能です。細かい分割指定はできません。
• Imports and retains: assembly hierarchy information and assembly names, as well as BREP structure of the source model (bodies and faces). Can query accurate vertex normals, uv texture coordinates and UV tangent vectors from Solid Edge directly.
• The quality of the model (the number of polygons) can be controlled when importing from Solid Edge (but not when importing from files directly on disk).
• If one part is instantiated N times in the Solid Edge assembly tree then this importer will recognize such a situation and use Okino's core database master/instance capability to import the part just once and instantiate it N times.
• The native PolyTrans plug-in systems for 3DS MAX (PolyTrans-for-MAX) and Maya (PolyTrans-for-Maya) have been refined since 1998 specifically for importing large CAD assembly models from Solid Edge. This has come about partly from our good software users, and also from the main Okino CAD programmers who have been specializing in CAD to non-CAD conversion software since 1988.
• A good number of important options that can be (optionally) set prior to import, to control most situations that could be encountered with Solid Edge data import. Many options have come about from end-user requirements or situations.
• Complete control over material parameter modification on an automatic basis. Many CAD systems like Solid Edge have basic material parameters (like color, ambient + diffuse shading coefficients, opacity, etc) but when they are transferred over to a rendering and animation system they often look "too bright" or "highly ambient". This can be expected and is quite normal. The material tweak parameters easily allow such saturated shading values to be automatically compensated.
• If you are importing the Solid Edge data into Okino's PolyTrans or NuGraf software then it is possible to "refresh" or "update" the scene data directly from Solid Edge without having to re-import the whole scene again.

SolidWorksインポートコンバーター・モジュールは、SolidWorksオートメーションAPIを使用して、ディスクに保存されたSolidWorksネイティブファイル(プレビューデータ)あるいはインストールされているライセンス済みSolidWorks 3Dアプリケーションからジオメトリ、階層およびマテリアル(アセンブリデータ)を読み込む事ができます。変換中に中間ファイルは使用されません。

※分割数を指定した変換にはPolyTransを動作させるマシン上にライセンス済みSolidWorks 3Dアプリケーションのインストールが必要です。ライセンス済みSolidWorksアプリケーションが無い場合、プレビュー用のメッシュのみ読み込み可能です。

このインポートコンバーターは、NuGraf本体、PolyTrans本体、PolyTrans-for-3dsMax、PolyTrans-for-Maya等あらゆるOkinoプラグインから利用する事ができます。

SolidWorksインポートコンバーターの機能：

• SolidWorksの詳細なデータ変換（分割数の変更）を行うには、PolyTransを使用するマシンにライセンス済みのSolidWorksがインストールされている必要があります。（SolidWorksオートメーションAPIを使用します。）
• SolidWorksのネイティブファイル .sldasm、.sldprtを直接読み込む事も可能です。この場合SolidWorksのインストールは不要です。ただし .sldasm、.sldprtを直接読み込む場合プレビュー解像度のデータのみ読み込み可能です。細かい分割指定はできません。
• Imports and retains: assembly hierarchy information and assembly names, as well as BREP structure of the source model (bodies and faces). Can query accurate vertex normals, uv texture coordinates and UV tangent vectors from SolidWorks directly.
• The quality of the model (the number of polygons) can be controlled when importing from SolidWorks (but not when importing from files directly on disk).
• If one part is instantiated N times in the SolidWorks assembly tree then this importer will recognize such a situation and use Okino's core database master/instance capability to import the part just once and instantiate it N times. This feature can be disabled so that assembly-level part modifications within SolidWorks (and using the automation import mode) can be imported, such as per-instance colors and feature changes (such as per-part hole cuts).
• Okino's "CAD Scene and Hierarchy Optimization System" has been integrated right into the SolidWorks importer. This is most important when importing large CAD models into 3DS MAX, Maya or Lightwave. These animation packages tend to have performance problems then the source CAD model is large, and/or has a large number of individual parts (which is often the case with the BREP model topology of data provided by SolidWorks).
• The native PolyTrans plug-in systems for 3DS MAX (PolyTrans-for-MAX) and Maya (PolyTrans-for-Maya) have been refined since 1998 specifically for importing large CAD assembly models from SolidWorks. This has come about partly from our good software users, and also from the main Okino CAD programmers who have been specializing in CAD to non-CAD conversion software since 1988.
• A good number of important options that can be (optionally) set prior to import, to control most situations that could be encountered with SolidWorks data import. Many options have come about from end-user requirements or situations.
• Complete control over material parameter modification on an automatic basis. Many CAD systems like SolidWorks have basic material parameters (like color, ambient + diffuse shading coefficients, opacity, etc) but when they are transferred over to a rendering and animation system they often look "too bright" or "highly ambient". This can be expected and is quite normal. The material tweak parameters easily allow such saturated shading values to be automatically compensated.
• If you are importing the SolidWorks data into Okino's PolyTrans or NuGraf software then it is possible to "refresh" or "update" the scene data directly from SolidWorks without having to re-import the whole scene again.