USDZ File Format (.usdz)

A USDZ file is a zero-compression ZIP archive holding one or more USD layers together with their textures, audio and other referenced assets, packaged as the single file Apple's AR Quick Look expects.

.usdz3D Models

USDZ at a glance#

Full name	Universal Scene Description (zipped)
File extension	.usdz
Category	3D Models
Developer	Apple and Pixar
First released	2018
MIME types	model/vnd.usdz+zip
Compression	Uncompressed
FileFlip support	FileFlip reads and writes this format

What a .usdz file can hold#

These are the things a USDZ file either supports or does not, and they are what decides whether a conversion keeps everything or quietly drops something.

Animation	Yes
Embedded metadata	Yes
Audio	Yes
Textures and materials	Yes
Skeletons and animation	Yes
Schema or validation	Yes

Strengths and limitations of USDZ#

What USDZ does well

Opens directly in AR Quick Look on iPhone and iPad with no separate app required
Bundles textures, audio and every referenced asset into one file, so nothing goes missing in transit
Stored uncompressed, so an asset inside can be read straight out of the archive without unzipping it first

Where USDZ falls short

Zero compression makes the file larger than the equivalent USDC alone plus its assets zipped normally
Restricted to a subset of USD composition, so not every layering trick that works in a plain .usd file survives export to USDZ
Outside Apple's ecosystem, support is limited to the apps that specifically added a USDZ importer

Use USDZ when a model needs to open in AR Quick Look on an iPhone or iPad, or travel as one self-contained file with its textures attached.

Convert away from USDZ when the model is headed into a DCC tool or pipeline that expects an unpacked USD layer rather than a zip package.

How to open a .usdz file#

A .usdz file opens in the programs below, grouped by the platform you are on. If you would rather not install anything, FileFlip converts USDZ 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	Blender
macOS	Quick Look, Reality Composer, Blender, Adobe Aero
Linux	Blender
iOS	Quick Look (Safari, Messages, Mail, Notes), Reality Composer, Adobe Aero
Web	FileFlip

USDZ questions people ask#

What opens a USDZ file?

On a Mac or iPhone, USDZ opens straight in Quick Look from the Finder, Safari, Messages or Mail with no separate app needed. Blender and Adobe Aero also read USDZ on any platform if you need to edit rather than just view it.

Why is USDZ used for AR on iPhone?

Apple built USDZ specifically as the file AR Quick Look expects, so tapping a USDZ link in Safari or Messages drops straight into an augmented reality view with no app install. It packages the model's textures and audio in the same file, so there's nothing else to fetch.

Is USDZ compressed?

No. A USDZ file is a ZIP archive stored with zero compression, which makes it larger than a normally compressed ZIP but lets the assets inside be read directly from the file without unzipping first.

Can I edit a USDZ file?

Not directly as a package. Editing means unpacking the USD layer and its assets, making changes in a tool like Blender or Maya, and re-exporting to USDZ.

Converting USDZ files#

Convert USDZ to another format

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.