Convert Smart 3D to 3MF in your application
3D InterOp is a CAD interoperability SDK that lets your software read Smart 3D files and write 3MF, carrying the mesh data across without re-tessellating it.
Spatial does not offer an online converter or a desktop conversion app. 3D InterOp is a component that software vendors embed in their own products.
- Reads Smart 3D · Writes 3MF
- Triangle mesh → triangle mesh
- C++ / C# APIs
Smart 3D to 3MF at a glance
Both formats store triangles, so the facets carry over without re-tessellation. The differences are in structure, appearance and metadata.
| Smart 3D (source) | 3MF (target) | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Hexagon (Intergraph) Smart 3D review files | 3D Manufacturing Format |
| Standard / owner | Hexagon | 3MF Consortium, ISO/IEC 25422 |
| File extensions | .xml with its .vue | .3mf |
| Geometry | Tessellated geometry | Triangle mesh |
| Assemblies / structure | Yes: plant hierarchy (.xml) | Objects and build items |
| 3D InterOp support | Read only | Read and write |
What's preserved, what changes
Here is what your application can expect to carry across from Smart 3D to 3MF.
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Preserved
Mesh dataThe Smart 3D facets are read and written to 3MF without being re-tessellated.
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Changes
Assembly structure3MF has no native assembly hierarchy. Decide in your application how Smart 3D product structure is grouped or flattened before writing.
Why software vendors add Smart 3D to 3MF conversion
Additive manufacturing
3MF is still the input most slicers and print services expect. Writing it lets your users send parts to print directly.
Mesh-based processing
Inspection, scan comparison and mesh-editing tools work on triangles. A mesh output gives them a model they can open anywhere.
Lightweight sharing
A mesh is simpler than the native CAD file and needs no CAD system to open.
Things to check before you ship
- Written 3MF versions: 3MF 1.1.
- The 3MF writer is available through the UConnect interface only.
- Supported Smart 3D input: the .xml file with its .vue file.
- Provide the .xml with its .vue file: a standalone .vue gives visualization data only.
- Test tessellation settings on your heaviest parts: finer meshes mean larger files.
- Validate a sample of translated files in the target system your users actually work with.
Working with Spatial was a real milestone for us: Thanks to the powerful 3DInterOp library, we were able to successfully bring our complex CAD-based solutions to the cloud while remaining flexible to meet individual customer requirements. For us, Spatial is not just a technology partner, but a true enabler of our product strategy.
Dr. Arno Michelis, Founder, Simus Systems
Read the Case StudyAbout the formats
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Source format
What is a Smart 3D file?
Hexagon Smart 3D is a plant and marine design system. Its models are shared as review files: a .vue file with the geometry and an .xml file with the plant hierarchy and properties.
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Target format
What is a 3MF (.3mf) file?
3MF is an open format for additive manufacturing, defined by the 3MF Consortium. It stores triangle meshes with units, colors and build information in a single package.
Frequently asked questions
No re-tessellation is needed. 3D InterOp reads the Smart 3D facets as visualization data and writes them to 3MF.
3MF has no assembly hierarchy, so your application decides how the Smart 3D structure is grouped or flattened before writing.
The 3MF writer is available through the 3D InterOp UConnect interface.
Provide the .xml file with its .vue file. A standalone .vue file gives visualization data only.
3D InterOp reads the .xml file with its .vue file, as visualization data.
3D InterOp writes 3MF 1.1.
No. 3D InterOp reads Smart 3D but doesn’t write it. To send data back to Smart 3D users, write a neutral format they can import.
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Building software that needs to convert Smart 3D to 3MF?
3D InterOp is an SDK that lets your application read Smart 3D and write 3MF alongside 30+ CAD and BIM formats.