Bl
Bl
Bl
Bl
Bl
You are here:   Home »  Products »  PolyTrans|CAD+DCC  
Bl

Home > Supported File Formats > 3D Studio to DWG


How to convert 3D Studio (.3ds) to DWG (AutoCAD, DXF)?


PolyTrans|CAD+DCC performs mathematically precise CAD, DCC/Animation, GIS and BIM 3D file conversions into all key downstream 3D packages and file formats. Okino software is used and trusted throughout the world by many tens of thousands of 3D professionals in mission & production critical environments, backed by respectable personal support directly from our core development team.

     

3D Studio

The .3ds file format was the native file format of the old Autodesk '3D Studio R1-R4' software, which was popular up to about 1996 before its successor (3ds Max) replaced it. The file format is a dated, 16-bit, obsolete format. It is limited to triangle geometry, 65536 polygons per mesh, no vertex normals for accurate smoothing, 8.3 DOS filename naming and a maximum of 10 characters for object names.

Please do not confuse the .3ds format with the 3ds Max .max format. You will find throughout the 3D industry that some companies refer to .3ds as the "3ds Max file format" but this is not true. The native file format of 3ds Max is the .max format, whereas .3ds is just a legacy import/export file format ported over to 3ds Max by Tom Hudson during the transition from 3D Studio R4 back in the early 1990s. DO NOT use the .3ds file format to convert to/from 3ds Max but rather use Okino's dedicated PolyTrans-for-3dsMax plug-in system for 3ds Max.

     

DWG

DXF and DWG are the native file formats of the Autodesk AutoCAD product since 1982. DWG is the binary file variation to the ASCII DXF file format. These files can be viewed by many programs including Autodesk's free DWG TrueView application. It is a closed file format but has been documented by the Open Design Alliance.

At Okino we consider DXF/DWG to be one of the worst 3D file formats when translating 3D model data between applications (depending on its contents). There is very little understanding about this in the 3D graphics world. As outlined in our "CAD Data Sourcing Suggestons and Rules" page you should ideally use the DWF-3D file format when sourcing from either AutoCAD, Navisworks, Revit and optionally Autodesk Inventor.

Due to deep history, Autodesk software can embed ACIS SAT "BREP solids" data in some of its DXF/DWG files. This is the ideal case as the "BREP solids" geometry definitions lead to cleaner and higher fidelity MCAD file conversions. But even so, it would generally be a safer bet to use a STEP AP214 or "IGES BREP solids" file in such cases.