A helpful 3MF FAQ page presents answers to such questions as why isn’t 3MF binary and how does it compare to STL/OBJ/AMF/STEP/etc.Ī 3MF file holds metadata describing such basic information as the part title, designer and date of creation mesh data – the body of 3D geometry constructed from a set of vertices, defined in a way that sets all face-normal vectors to face outward data on base material groups and material types within those groups data on color (without specifying a material) ways to define composites of materials (which types and in what ratio) data on texture and where to place it information that maps materials to individual faces ways to map the same component information to other sections of a part (saving file storage space) and slicing instructions that can be more accurate than sliced mesh data.
3MF Details and SpecificationsUsing common structures defined by Open Packaging Conventions (OPC) such as ZIP and XML to ease development, the group members initially created a core 3MF specification several significant task-specific extensions have since followed. The group now comprises fourteen founding companies including 3D Systems, EOS, FIT AG, GE Global Research, Materialise, nTopology, PTC, Siemens PLM Software, Stratasys and Ultimaker additional companies are involved as associates. (The consortium operates under the Joint Development Foundation.) Its goal has been to create a format that supports full-fidelity 3D models suitable for 3D printing and related processes while minimizing interoperability problems.Īccording to the Microsoft 3MF documentation page, 3MF is “a set of conventions for using XML to describe the appearance and structure of 3D models for the purpose of manufacturing (3D printing).” In general terms, 3MF is designed to be complete, simple, extensible, unambiguous, human-readable and freely accessible with respect to royalties, patents and licensing. History/ Purpose of the 3MF CommitteeIn early 2015, Microsoft along with major corporations such as Autodesk, Dassault Systèmes, HP, Shapeways and SLM Solutions Group formed a consortium they named 3MF, with the goal of overhauling a little-used file format called 3D Modeling Format. Logo for the 3MF Consortium, the industry group that is developing the 3MF file format for enhanced 3D printing.
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