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How to convert 3D Studio (.3ds) to glTF?

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.

glTF

As described more extensively on Okino's dedicated glTF converter page, glTF is a newer 3D file format designed for the "last mile" of efficient, real-time delivery of 3D assets for Web-based browsers, AR/VR applications and gaming applications, amongst others. It is generally not to be considered as a long term and high fidelity 3D data storage format (such as FBX, COLLADA or VRML2) but rather an efficient transmission and viewing 3D file format. It has begun to gain good traction in recent years.

glTF stands for Graphics Language Transmission Format. glTF is intended as a vendor-neutral distribution format for 3D content, bridging the gap between 3D content creation tools and applications displaying 3D graphics. It is fully graphics API and operating system-independent.

Okino has one of the most extensively developed and refined implementations of glTF for both import and export.

3D Studio import converter's overview

glTF export converter's overview