Hi Guys,
I have a Question, does anybody ever make a custom 3dm Import export for another cad Software to be able to import Rhino Files natively?
Is this possible at all?
Thanks Dale- (sorry for the multiple topics, but I wasn sure where this question would fit best)
So how is it done ?
Do you have to be a scripting professional to be able to do this?
I have two Software packages that I would love to have a direct 3dm Import…
That is Alias and Blender-
For both there doesnt seem to be an 3dm imort/export available.
Which coding language would be used for building such an importer? C#, python?
We do have a developer in our team, who is expert in C# ( python as well) , but he is to buisy -he could eventually support me a bit, as I am currently starting to get into python.
For Rhino to Alias: you can export STEP or IGES files, from Rhino, and open them in Alias.
There is also this:
https://apps.autodesk.com/ALIAS/en/Detail/Index?id=7749239786862785497&appLang=en&os=Win32_64
For Rhino to Blender: you can export LWO and OBJ files, from Rhino, and open them in Blender.
http://www.studiorola.com/tutorials/miscellaneous/bringing-rhino-files-into-blender-3d/
Does this help?
– Dale
HI Dale,
Of course I can export data to Alias and Blender-
but i would love to keep my Rhino File structure, Layers, (basic) materials, naming …
I usually organise my Rhino files quite well, meaning I put a lot of effort into it. Its a waste if that is lost when switching between Applications.
Also- there seems to be not a single export fotmat (out there) which is able to handle Nurbs AND Mesh Data…
Using Step or Iges, I loose my Meshes.
Using Obj or other Poly format, I loose all my Nurbs (or have ti convert them to mesh)
Plus the loss of File structure…
I think 3dm is the only “complex” format that is both, free to use, and able to handle all kinds of geomtry!
So in my opinion It would be perfect.
Plus, I am curious if I would be able to code it my self (with some help of you guys and or my teammate)
Rhino’s 3dm file format does this.
Keep in mind that other application do not support all of the types of geometry that a Rhino 3dm file has. Thus, it becomes difficult to round trip a 3dm files with other applications.
But if you want to looking this, here is where you can find openNURBS.
– Dale
I was hoping for a little hint how or were to start.
Also outlining the effort to do this.
Again, the question was If anybody already did this- and if so, what were the experiences.
-james
ideally there is a “tutorial” on how to intergrate 3dm format into Any 3d Software 
Hi @jj1,
This isn’t really possible, as every application (and their SDK if they have one) is different.
Writing file I/O plug-in can be very difficult. Not only do you need to know the importing/export format and API (3dm in this case), you also need to know all about the hosting application and what it is capable of.
– Dale
For Blender there was a GSoC project in 2014 where adding openNURBS support was attempted - see the branch
Thanks Nathan, I will try to investigate the Blender implementation
@ Dale which Scripting klanguage is needed to writr such an importer?
I found a link- http://developer.rhino3d.com/guides/cpp/opening-a-3dm-file/
that might be helpful, but its mentioning c++
This is a question you need to ask of the application you are importing into; Alias or Blender. This is the environment you’ll be doing your development, not Rhino.
– Dale