X3D Tools and Resources

Extensible 3D (X3D) Graphics is the royalty-free open ISO standard for publishing, viewing, printing and archiving interactive 3D scences on the Web. HAnim provides complete normative and informative detail to specify an abstract human form.  X3Dv4 Specification is now ISO/IEC certified and is listed in the Recommended Specifications. This page lists commonly used tools and resources.

Tools that Display X3D

  1. X3DOM (pronounced "X-Freedom") implements a high-performance X3D player in open-source JavaScript. Authors can publish X3D source within an HTML5 page that works in modern Web browsers without prior plugin installation
  2. X_ITE X3D Browser implements a high-performance X3D player in open-source JavaScript. Authors can publish X3D source within an HTML5 page that works with Web browsers without prior plugin installation.
  3. Castle Model Viewer (formerly view3dscene) is a free cross-platform VRML/X3D browser that also supports other 3D model formats (FreeBSD, Linux, MacOS, Windows) built by Castle Game Engine (forum)

Tools that Import X3D

  1. Blender supports X3D and VRML import /export
  3. Cura3D printing software supports X3D model import. Cura3D can output to multiple 3D printers and also export G-code.
  4. Okino Polytrans has excellent X3D and VRML support (import and export to many industrial-strength DCC (including Cinema4D) and CAD filed types)

Tools that Export X3D

  1. Blender supports X3D and VRML import /export
  2. HAnim exporter and importer 
  3. Unity Game Manager export: Active: UnityX3D project on GitHub 
  4. NIH 3D Print Exchange supports X3D preview and export
  5. Rhino includes VRML export and X3D export as well
  6. SketchUp Pro by Trimble can export VRML files
  7. Chimera by UCSF is a highly extensible program for interactive visualization and analysis of molecular structures and related data. Chimera exports X3D and VRML97
  8. Foundry / Modo exports X3D
  9. Mathematica is a powerful computational tool for numerics of any precision, symbolics, or visualization. Mathematica can export X3D and VRML.
  10. Okino Polytrans has excellent X3D and VRML support (import and export to many industrial-strength DCC (including Cinema4D) and CAD filed types)
  11. Open Cascade is an open source (LGPL) geometry kernel written in C++ uses PythonOCC which also includes X3DOM support. The Web3D CAD public wiki includes a STEP to X3D Python script.

Tools that Convert to X3D

  1. Obj to X3D converter 
  2. STEP to X3D converter, STEP to X3D translation software at http://spri.kshell.com
  3. X_ite - X3D file converter - converts X3D, VRML, glTF (GLB), OBJ, STL, and SVG to an X3D format of your choice.
  4. 3D PDF Converter includes support for X3D export. This capability allows users to easily visualize, validate and then export CAD data in a suitable format for import into a 3rd Party System.
  5. Castle Game Engine Converter. Convert to X3D from any model format supported by Castle Game Engine (glTF, X3D, VRML, Wavefront OBJ, STL, Collada, 3DS, MD3, Spine JSON and others). Convert between X3D encodings and pretty-print X3D (when both the input and output is X3D). 
  6. X_ITE Converter for .glTF, .glb, .obj, .stl, and .svg. As well as importing files, X_ITE can output XML, VRML and also JSON by implementing toXMLString, toJSONString and toVRMLString.
  7. Tetra4D supports 3D PDF conversion of PRC and U3D models to/from X3D within Adobe Acrobat.
  8. MeshLab is an open source, portable, and extensible system for the processing and editing of unstructured 3D triangular meshes.

Tools that Process X3D (Editors, Authoring, Compressors)

  1. X3D-Edit - Guided Editor - supports the creation, checking, display and publication of X3D scenes.
  2. Blender - Authoring tool  - supports modeling, texturing, animation and rendering of 3D content. Supports X3D.
  3. MeshLab is an open source, portable, and extensible system for the processing and editing of unstructured 3D triangular meshes.
  4. MatLab and Simulink support import and export of X3D and VRML as well having a 3D World Editor tool

VRML Import/Export

  1. Anark is able to export product data into high-precision B-rep and lightweight mesh formats including SolidWorks, Inventor, ACIS, CATIA V4/V5, Parasolid, STEP, NX (formerly Unigraphics), IGES, COLLADA, DWF, X3D, and VRML.
  2. SketchUp Pro by Trimble can export VRML files
  3. SOLIDWORKS by Dassault Systemes includes VRML import and export
  4. VRMLout for AutoCAD and VRML Translator for Inventor can publish AutoCAD 3D models and Autodesk Inventor assemblies on the Web.

 Are you new to X3D? Step by step instructions for creating a 3D scence for your browser.

The X3D Examples Archives demonstrate how X3D nodes and scenes work. Thousands of scenes are provided in all X3D encodings. You can browse them individually online or download fully complete, separately installable .zip archives.

A simple example test scene is HelloWorld.x3d provided in a variety of X3D encodings: : .x3d XML .x3dv ClassicVRML, .wrl VRML97, .html listing, .html X_ITE, .xhtml X3DOM,.json JavaScript Object Notation, .x3db compression, C14N canonicalization, and .png image