X3D File Format (.x3d)
An X3D file holds a 3D scene in the XML encoding of the ISO X3D standard, describing geometry, materials, animation and interactive behaviour for playback in a compliant browser or viewer.
X3D at a glance#
| Full name | Extensible 3D |
|---|---|
| File extension | .x3d |
| Category | 3D Models |
| Developer | Web3D Consortium |
| First released | 2004 |
| MIME types | model/x3d+xml |
| Compression | Lossless |
| Specification | ISO/IEC 19775-1 (X3D Architecture) |
| FileFlip support | FileFlip reads and writes this format |
What a .x3d file can hold#
These are the things a X3D 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 |
| Textures and materials | Yes |
| Skeletons and animation | Yes |
| Human readable | Yes |
| Comments | Yes |
Strengths and limitations of X3D#
What X3D does well
- XML structure means any generic XML tool can parse, validate or transform a scene without a dedicated 3D library
- Covers scripting and interaction, in ECMAScript or Java, as part of the standard rather than bolted on afterward
- The H-Anim component gives it a standardised humanoid skeleton for animated characters
Where X3D falls short
- More verbose on disk than binary web formats like glTF, which is what actually won mainstream 3D delivery
- Browser plugin support died out with NPAPI, so playback now needs a dedicated viewer or a JavaScript library instead of the browser itself
Use X3D for scenes that need standards-track archival stability, or when a project already runs on X3D-based simulation or visualisation tools.
Convert X3D to glTF or GLB for anything shipping to a modern web page, game engine or AR viewer.
How to open a .x3d file#
A .x3d file opens in the programs below, grouped by the platform you are on. If you would rather not install anything, FileFlip converts X3D 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, MeshLab, FreeWRL |
| macOS | Blender, MeshLab, FreeWRL |
| Linux | Blender, MeshLab, FreeWRL |
| Web | FileFlip |
X3D questions people ask#
What replaced VRML?
X3D replaced VRML, carrying the same kind of web-delivered interactive 3D scene forward as an ISO standard first approved in 2004, with an XML-based encoding in place of VRML's plain-text syntax.
Is X3D the same as VRML?
X3D is VRML's successor, not the same format, though it's built as a superset of VRML's capabilities. X3D adds an XML encoding, a formal ISO standard, and features like the H-Anim humanoid skeleton that VRML never had.
What program opens X3D files?
Blender opens and exports X3D natively, and FreeWRL is a dedicated open-source X3D and VRML browser available for Windows, macOS and Linux. MeshLab can also import X3D scenes for mesh processing.
Converting X3D files#
Convert X3D to another format
Convert another format to X3D
- 3DS to X3D
- 3MF to X3D
- AC3D to X3D
- AC3D Scene to X3D
- ACC to X3D
- AMF to X3D
- ASE to X3D
- ASK to X3D
- B3D to X3D
- BLEND to X3D
- BSP to X3D
- BVH to X3D
- COB to X3D
- COLLADA to X3D
- CSM to X3D
- DirectX X to X3D
- DXF to X3D
- ENFF to X3D
- FBX to X3D
- GLB to X3D
- glTF to X3D
- HMP to X3D
- IFC to X3D
- IQM to X3D
See every 3D model conversion (40 more)
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.