CSM File Format (.csm)
A CSM file is text-based marker-capture data written by 3ds Max's Character Studio, listing named markers and, frame by frame, the raw X, Y, Z position each one was tracked at, with dropped frames flagged explicitly rather than interpolated.
CSM at a glance#
| Full name | Character Studio Motion |
|---|---|
| File extension | .csm |
| Category | 3D Models |
| Developer | Autodesk (3ds Max Character Studio) |
| Compression | Uncompressed |
| FileFlip support | FileFlip reads this format but does not write it |
What a .csm file can hold#
These are the things a CSM file either supports or does not, and they are what decides whether a conversion keeps everything or quietly drops something.
| Skeletons and animation | Yes |
|---|---|
| Human readable | Yes |
Strengths and limitations of CSM#
What CSM does well
- Plain text with clearly labelled sections, so a marker's track can be inspected line by line
- Keeps a DROPOUT marker for frames where tracking failed, instead of silently guessing a position
- Stores raw marker positions rather than pre-solved joint angles, leaving the solve to the software that reads it
Where CSM falls short
- Marker positions, not joint rotations, so a CSM file needs a solve step before it drives a rig the way a BVH file directly can
- Effectively tied to 3ds Max's Character Studio; almost nothing outside that pipeline writes or reads it natively
- No mesh, materials or skeleton definition, only the tracked marker cloud and its motion
Use CSM when raw optical marker data needs to move into 3ds Max's Character Studio for solving onto a Biped skeleton.
Convert away from CSM once the marker data has been solved onto a skeleton, since downstream tools generally want joint rotations rather than a raw marker cloud.
How to open a .csm file#
A .csm file opens in the programs below, grouped by the platform you are on. If you would rather not install anything, FileFlip converts CSM into a format your machine already opens, and it does it in the browser tab rather than on a server.
| Platform | Programs that open it |
|---|---|
| Windows | Autodesk 3ds Max (Character Studio) |
| Web | FileFlip |
CSM questions people ask#
What is a CSM file?
A CSM file holds optical motion-capture marker data for 3ds Max's Character Studio: named markers with an X, Y, Z position recorded for each frame. It's a raw marker track, not a solved skeleton animation.
What's the difference between a CSM file and a BVH file?
A CSM file stores the raw position of each tracked marker on a performer's body, frame by frame, while a BVH file stores a skeleton's joint rotations after that marker data has already been solved onto bones. CSM is closer to the camera's raw output; BVH is the animation-ready result.
What software opens CSM files?
3ds Max's Character Studio plugin is the software CSM was built for, and it's what solves the marker data onto its Biped skeleton system. The format sees very little use outside that specific pipeline.
Converting CSM files#
Convert CSM to another format
FileFlip does not write .csm files, so nothing on the site converts into this format. It works as a source only.
Every conversion runs inside your browser. The file is read from your disk, the work happens on your own machine, and nothing is uploaded. How FileFlip works names the engine behind each family and how to verify that for yourself.