Import Export
This documentation is a work in progress. Please don't mark it as translatable since it will change in the next hours and days.
Introduction
This page gathers the different file formats that can be imported or exported from FreeCAD. Most of these file formats are implemented by a specific module. This module doesn't need to be loaded in order to import or export to that format, but must be loaded to display the corresponding preferences page.
Related
See the following pages for more details:
Overview of file formats
Format | Description | Import / Open | Export / Create |
---|---|---|---|
*.FCStd | FreeCAD native format | Std Open, Std MergeProjects | Std Save |
*.FCMat | FreeCAD material card | Std Import | no |
*.FCMacro | FreeCAD macro (Python code) | Std Import | Std DlgMacroRecord |
*.FCScript | FreeCAD script (Python code) | Std Import | Std DlgMacroRecord |
*.3ds | 3D Studio mesh | Std Import | no |
*.amf | Additive manufacturing format | no | Std Export |
*.asc | Point cloud format | Std Import | Std Export |
*.ast | Stereolithography mesh (mostly used for 3D printing) | Std Import | Std Export |
*.bdf | FEM mesh | Std Import | no |
*.bmp | Image format | Image CreateImagePlane, Std Import | Std ViewScreenShot |
*.bms | Binary mesh | Std Import | Std Export |
*.brep | OpenCasCade native format | Std Import | Std Export |
*.brp | OpenCasCade native format | Std Import | Std Export |
*.cnc | G-code | Std Import | Path Post |
*.csg | OpenSCAD Constructive Solid Geometry format | Std Import | Std Export |
*.csv | Comma-separated values spreadsheet | Std Import, Spreadsheet Import | Spreadsheet Export |
*.cur | Image format | Image CreateImagePlane | Std ViewScreenShot |
*.dae | Collada format | Std Import | Std Export |
*.dat | Common airfoil data | Std Import | no |
*.dat | FEM mesh | Std Import | Std Export |
*.dwg | AutoCAD native format. Only 2D geometry is supported. External software required. | Std Import | Std Export |
*.dxf | Autodesk drawing exchange format. Only 2D geometry is supported. | Std Import | Std Export, TechDraw ExportPageDXF |
*.emn | IDF format | Std Import | no |
*.frd | FEM result CalculiX | Std Import | no |
*.gc | G-code | Std Import | Path Post |
*.gcad | Open CAD format (obsolete, 2D-only format) | Std Import | no |
*.gcode | G-code | Std Import | Path Post |
*.gif | Image format | Image CreateImagePlane | no |
*.html | Web 3D format | no | Std Export |
*.icns | Image format | Image CreateImagePlane | Std ViewScreenShot |
*.ico | Image format | Image CreateImagePlane | Std ViewScreenShot |
*.ifc | Industry Foundation Classes exchange format for BIM models | Std Import | Std Export |
*.iges | Older solid-based format | Std Import | Std Export |
*.igs | Older solid-based format | Std Import | Std Export |
*.inc | Povray format | Std Import | no |
*.inp | FEM mesh | Std Import | Std Export |
*.iv | Inventor V2.1 format | Std Import | Std Export |
*.jpeg | Image format | Image CreateImagePlane | Std ViewScreenShot |
*.jpg | Image format | Image CreateImagePlane, Std Import | Std ViewScreenShot |
*.json | FEM mesh | Std Import | Std Export |
*.json | JavaScript Object Notation | no | Std Export |
*.json | Path tool | Path ToolLibraryEdit | Path ToolLibraryEdit |
*.med | FEM mesh | Std Import | Std Export |
*.meshjson | FEM mesh | Std Import | Std Export |
*.meshyaml | FEM mesh | Std Import | Std Export |
*.nc | G-code | Std Import | Path Post |
*.ncc | G-code | Std Import | Path Post |
*.ngc | G-code | Std Import | Path Post |
*.obj | Alias mesh | Std Import | Std Export |
*.obj | Wavefront format | Std Import | Std Export |
*.oca | Open CAD format (obsolete, 2D-only format) | Std Import | Std Export |
*.off | Object file format mesh | Std Import | Std Export |
*.pbm | Image format | Image CreateImagePlane | Std ViewScreenShot |
*.pcd | Point cloud format | Std Import | Std Export |
Portable Document Format | no | Std Export, Std PrintPdf | |
*.pgm | Image format | Image CreateImagePlane | Std ViewScreenShot |
*.plmxml | Siemens PLM format | Std Import | no |
*.ply | Point cloud format | Std Import | Std Export |
*.ply | Stanford triangle mesh format | Std Import | Std Export |
*.png | Image format | Image CreateImagePlane, Std Import | Std ViewScreenShot |
*.poly | FEM mesh TetGen | no | Std Export |
*.pov | Povray format | Std Import | no |
*.ppm | Image format | Image CreateImagePlane | Std ViewScreenShot |
*.py | Python code | Std Import | Std DlgMacroRecord |
*.scad | OpenSCAD format. External software required for import. | Std Import | Std Export |
*.smf | Simple model format | Std Import | Std Export |
*.step | Exchange format for engineering models | Std Import | Std Export |
*.stl | FEM mesh | no | Std Export |
*.stl | Stereolithography mesh (mostly used for 3D printing) | Std Import | Std Export |
*.stp | Exchange format for engineering models | Std Import | Std Export |
*.stpz | Compressed STEP | Std Import | Std Export |
*.svg | Scalable vector graphics format | Std Import | Std Export, TechDraw ExportPageSVG |
*.tap | G-code | Std Import | Path Post |
*.tga | Image format | Image CreateImagePlane | no |
*.tif | Image format | Image CreateImagePlane | Std ViewScreenShot |
*.tiff | Image format | Image CreateImagePlane | Std ViewScreenShot |
*.tooltable | Path tool | Path ToolLibraryEdit | Path ToolLibraryEdit |
*i1.txt | FEM mesh Z88 | Std Import | Std Export |
*o2.txt | FEM result Z88 displacements | Std Import | no |
*.unv | FEM mesh | Std Import | Std Export |
*.vrml | VRML Web 3D format | Std Import | Std Export |
*.vtk | FEM mesh | Std Import | Std Export |
*.vtk | FEM result VTK | Std Import | Std Export |
*.vtu | FEM mesh | Std Import | Std Export |
*.vtu | FEM result VTK | Std Import | Std Export |
*.wbmp | Image format | Image CreateImagePlane | Std ViewScreenShot |
*.webp | Image format | Image CreateImagePlane | Std ViewScreenShot |
*.wrl | VRML Web 3D format | Std Import | Std Export |
*.wrl.gz | VRML Web 3D format | Std Import | Std Export |
*.wrz | VRML Web 3D format | Std Import | Std Export |
*.xbm | Image format | Image CreateImagePlane | Std ViewScreenShot |
*.xdmf | FEM mesh Fenics | Std Import | Std Export |
*.xlsx | Excel / Office Open XML spreadsheet | Std Import | no |
*.xml | FEM mesh Fenics | Std Import | Std Export |
*.xml | Path tool | Path ToolLibraryEdit | Path ToolLibraryEdit |
*.xpm | Image format | Image CreateImagePlane, Std Import | Std ViewScreenShot |
*.yaml | FEM mesh | Std Import | Std Export |
*.z88 | FEM mesh | Std Import | Std Export |
*.zip | SweetHome3D XML | Std Import | no |
job_*.json | Path job template | Path Job | Path ExportTemplate |
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