MOT File Format (.mot)
A MOT file holds NewTek LightWave motion data, the position, rotation and scale keyframes for a single item saved out from a scene so they can be applied to a different item.
MOT at a glance#
| Full name | LightWave motion |
|---|---|
| File extension | .mot |
| Category | 3D Models |
| Developer | NewTek |
| Compression | Uncompressed |
| FileFlip support | FileFlip reads this format but does not write it |
What a .mot file can hold#
These are the things a MOT 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 MOT#
What MOT does well
- Separates one item's motion from the scene that used it, so the same animation can be applied to another object
- Plain-text keyframe channels are easy to inspect or generate without LightWave itself
- Shares its parser with LWS in most tools, since both are LightWave's item-animation format at heart
Where MOT falls short
- Carries no geometry at all, only motion channels, so a MOT file is meaningless without an item to apply it to
- The .mot extension is reused by unrelated applications elsewhere, which is a common source of confusion when searching for tooling
- Read almost exclusively by LightWave and Assimp-based importers; there is no wider ecosystem for it
Save motion as MOT when a keyframed animation needs to be reused on a different item inside LightWave.
Convert MOT to FBX or glTF animation data once the motion needs to drive a rig outside LightWave.
How to open a .mot file#
A .mot file opens in the programs below, grouped by the platform you are on. If you would rather not install anything, FileFlip converts MOT 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 | LightWave 3D |
| macOS | LightWave 3D |
| Web | FileFlip |
MOT questions people ask#
What is a MOT file?
In LightWave, a MOT file holds the keyframed motion channels for a single item: position, rotation and scale over time, saved out separately from the scene it was recorded in. Applying a MOT file to a different item in LightWave transfers that motion onto it.
Does a MOT file contain a 3D model?
No. A LightWave MOT file stores only motion channels, not geometry. It has to be applied to an existing item, whether that's an object, a light or a camera, before it means anything.
Is MOT the same format everywhere I see it?
No, the .mot extension is overloaded. This entry describes NewTek LightWave's motion file, one item's keyframe data separated from a scene; other applications use .mot for unrelated motion or audio data with a completely different structure.
Converting MOT files#
Convert MOT to another format
FileFlip does not write .mot 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.