Home > Supported File Formats > Revit to DirectX

How to convert Revit (.rvt,.rfa) to DirectX (.x)?

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.

Revit

Autodesk Revit is a building information modelling software tool for architects, landscape architects, structural engineers, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineers, designers and contractors. The software allows users to design a building and structure and its components in 3D, annotate the model with 2D drafting elements, and access building information from the building model's database.

Revit is a key and core product from which Okino customers often receive and/or coordinate their data files. At Okino we have spent the good part of 2 decades writing our DWF-3D importer specifically to import large, textured files from Revit models.

Note: you would ideally pre-center the model at the origin and pre-scale the model to be of a "sane size" within Revit before exporting the DWF-3D file for Okino software consumption. This will ensure that the model displays properly in your final destination 3D software.

DirectX

.x files are the native 3D file format of the legacy Microsoft DirectX v2/v3 API and 3D toolkit. They were generally associated with 3D gaming whereby low polygon meshes with skinning (deformation) and "animation sets/clips" were the required norm. At the time of its introduction in 1995 there really wasn't any other similar 3D file formats which supported these capabilities in one, well defined and easily accessible format. Direct3D shipped for the first time in the DirectX 2.0 SDK in June 1996

Historically, the DirectX technology was developed a company called Rendermorphics of the UK which Microsoft purchased in February 1995. As little known history, 3 companies in the UK developed advanced realtime rendering toolkits prior to 1995: Argonaut Software (BRender), Criterion Software (RenderWare) and Rendermorphics (Reality Lab). Microsoft was to license the Argonaut 3D toolkit but opted to purchase the entire Rendermorphics company instead, at the last moment. As these various toolkits often sold for $50k at that time, the other two competitors eventually went out of business once Microsoft started giving DirectX away for free.

Okino knows of the .x file format well as it was the first company to properly and fully implement a DirectX importer and exporter, including full support for skinning and animation at a time when no other software provided such conversion support.

The DirectX file format had a long life until some people inside and outside of Microsoft started to push the FBX file format instead.

DWF import converter's overview

DirectX export converter's overview