.U3D File Extension
Universal 3D File
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What is a U3D file?
A U3D file is a 3D model saved in the Universal 3D file format. Each U3D file contains information about the shapes, textures, lighting, shading, and motion data that comprise a model. The 3D Industry Forum created the U3D file format in December 2004; Ecma International standardized the format in August 2005.
More Information
In the early 2000s, many companies concerned with the ability to share 3D models among applications, including Adobe Systems, Boeing, Intel, and HP, joined together to form the 3D Industry Forum. This Forum produced the U3D file format, in which can be saved 3D data of all kinds. The Forum also produced an open-source library that developers can use to allow their applications to read and open U3D files.
In August 2005, the standards organization Ecma International officially recognized the U3D file format, in the ECMA-363 standard. Ecma International has since updated the U3D format three times. The organization released the fourth and most recent version of the U3D format in June 2007.
You may encounter U3D files on their own or embedded within .PDF files. Many applications, such as Adobe Acrobat Pro, Dassault Systemes SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor, and Kubotek KeyCreator, allow users to export U3D files within PDF files, to make the files easier for others to open and view.
How to open a U3D file
You can open a U3D file with several programs, including Adobe Acrobat (Windows, Mac), Kubotek KeyCreator (Windows), and Bondware Poser (Windows, Mac).