I still have not reached the end of my list I am sourcing everything from, but I have to visit and inspect each to see what is useful and free.
Many 3D packages have extra import/export plugins so you can often prepare your brush in something useful.
If you have some odd formats or lack of 3D software, then conversion tools can help get your brushes tweaked and imported.
MeshLab
http://meshlab.sourceforge.net
Open Asset Import Libraryimport:PLY, STL, OFF, OBJ, 3DS, COLLADA, PTX, V3D, PTS, APTS, XYZ, GTS, TRI, ASC, X3D, X3DV, VRML, ALN
export:PLY, STL, OFF, OBJ, 3DS, COLLADA, VRML, DXF, GTS, U3D, IDTF, X3D
http://assimp.sourceforge.net/main_features_formats.html
open3mod - Open 3D Model Viewer (uses Open Asset Import Library)(short name: Assimp) is a portable Open Source library to import various well-known 3D model formats in a uniform manner. The most recent version also knows how to export 3d files and is therefore suitable as a general-purpose 3D model converter.
http://www.open3mod.com
Supported formats include OBJ, 3DS, BLEND, STL, FBX, DXF, LWO, LWS, MD5, MD3, MD2, NDO, X, IFC and Collada, the total number of formats is 40+.
Online 3D Model Converter (uses Open Asset Import Library)
http://www.greentoken.de/onlineconv/index.php
input formats: 3d, 3ds, fbx, ac, ac3d, acc, ase, ask, b3d, blend, bvh, cob, csm, dae, dxf, enff, hmp, ifc, irr, irrmesh, lwo, lws, lxo, md2, md3, md5anim, md5camera, md5mesh, mdc, mdl, mesh.xml, mot, ms3d, ndo, nff, obj, off, pk3, ply, prj, q3o, q3s, raw, scn, smd, stl, ter, uc, vta, x, xml, xgl
export formats: stl, stlb, collada, obj, 3ds, ply, json, x
WinMeshView (based on TetGen)
http://techhouse.brown.edu/~dmorris/projects/winmeshview/
winmeshview reads meshes in .ply, .3ds, .face, .obj, and .smesh format, and writes meshes in .smesh, .face/.node, Abaqus .inp, and .obj format. It can also export to a format referred to as ".anode", which is the equivalent of a TetGen node file with only a reference to an element file.
meshconv 3D model converter
http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~min/meshconv/
Noesismeshconv converts to and from several popular 3D file formats. Currently only geometry conversion is supported.
Features
input and output formats:
[ch9702]nearly 100% VRML 2.0 support (input 2.0, output 1.0 and 2.0)
[ch9702]simple geometry only support for Wavefront OBJ, Geomview OFF, Autocad DXF, PLY, 3DS, and STL
http://www.richwhitehouse.com/index.php?content=inc_projects.php#prjmp91
is a tool for previewing and converting between hundreds of model, image, and animation formats.
It utilizes a robust plugin system, with support for native extension modules and Python scripts. The plugin/script API features hundreds of functions and interfaces which assist in developing new formats, tools, and visualization aids.
Biturn
http://mirex.mypage.sk/index.php?selected=1
Supported formatsBiturn - is converter of 3D files and Bitmaps. It works with most used file formats and also can work with formats from various games ( see table below ).
If you want to extract data from games, try reading my gamedata document for a guidelines. If you work with 3dsMax 5 and you don't have support for .ASE file format then download this ASE import / export plugin for best data support.
Simon Engledew has recompiled ASE plugin also for 3dsMax 6 and 7
[spoiler]
Code: Select all
3D Formats reading writing
3D Studio - ASC GM GM
3D Studio - 3DS GM GM
3DS Max ascii - ASE GMT GMST
Blitz 3D - B3D GMST GMST
Direct X ascii - X GM -
Final Fantasy 7 battle - ??AA GMSTA -
FF7 field - HRC, RSD GMSTA -
FF7 - P GMT -
FF7 - PSX LZS GM -
Helion - 3DF GM GM
HalfLife - MDL GMSTA -
Jawed - JAW G G
Lightwave - LWO GM GM
Lightwave 6.5+ - LWO GMST GMST
Milkshape ascii - TXT GM GM
Milkshape - MS3D GM GM
? - MON GM -
Oolg text format - OFF G G
Oni character model - ONCC GTS -
Oni model - M3GM GT -
Open Flight - FLT GMT -
Quake 1 model - MDL GTA -
Quake 2 model - MD2 GTA -
Quake 3 model - MD3 GTA -
raw 3d polygons - RAW G G
Revolt - M G -
Requiem - MDL G -
Rhinoceros - 3DM G -
SoftImage asci - XSI GMT GMT
Truespace - COB GM -
Turbo Silver - IOB GM -
Viper Racing - MOD GT GT
Virtua Fighter 1 - BIN G -
Wavefront - OBJ GMT GMT
Warcraft 3 - MDX GMT -
Bitmaps
Bitmap - BMP PA PA
Cell - CEL P P
Etherlords - MMP PA -
Final Fantasy 7 - TEX PA PA
Final Fantasy 8 - MIM PA -
Final Fantasy 8 - TIM PA -
Jpeg - JPG P -
Megaman Legends - TM P -
Oni big texture - TXMB PA -
Oni texture - TXMP PA PA
Pixel map - PPM P P
SGI bitmap - RGB PA PA
Targa - TGA PA PA
Viper Racing - TEX PA PA
Warcraft 3 - BLP PA PA
World of Warcraft - BLP PA PA
Z80 screen - SCR P -
Mafia - 555 PA -
Adobe Photoshop - PSD PA PA
Direct X texture - DDS PA PA3D Object Converter
http://3doc.i3dconverter.com
supports 660 file formats :shock:
http://3doc.i3dconverter.com/formats.html
Accutrans3D (free for 1 month)
http://www.micromouse.ca/file_formats.html
Supports many formats including landscape files, making it handy for creating terrain.
Fully functional trialware. After 30 days you either buy or delete it, but it does not expire.
Awakening II
http://www.awingsoft.com - http://www.awingsoft.com/Manual/ImportExport.htm
Full 3D solution. Several useful import/export formats, and export plugins for 3dsmax
Away3D - (Flash 3D authoring)
http://away3d.com/features/
DeleD 3D Editor open source 3D modeler... we support a wide variety of file formats such as DXF, AC3D, Collada, Max3DS, MD2, MD5, OBJ, but we have also developed our own powerful and compact AWD format. With plugins for several 3D authoring environments,
http://www.delgine.com/wiki/index.php/Compatibility_Matrix
Can be used for creation or conversion of models
DX Studio complete integrated development environment
http://www.dxstudio.com/features_detail.aspx?info=Assets.html
http://www.dxstudio.com/guide.aspx?id=1bfb4c99-623f-46c8-a3be-c47f973ea82b
Most popular formats supported for import/export
Irrlicht 3D game engine/editor
http://irrlicht3d.org/wiki/index.php?n=Main.Exporters
http://irrlicht.sourceforge.net/features/#supportedformats
Imports many formats including Quake 3 levels
Bonus link "Poor Persons Outline for Working in 3D"
http://www.hitechmex.org/3D/