X3DV File Format (.x3dv)
An X3DV file holds an X3D scene written in ISO's ClassicVRML encoding, the VRML97-style plain-text syntax used in place of X3D's XML form.
X3DV at a glance#
| Full name | X3D Classic VRML encoding |
|---|---|
| File extension | .x3dv |
| Category | 3D Models |
| Developer | Web3D Consortium |
| First released | 2005 |
| MIME types | model/x3d-vrml |
| Compression | Lossless |
| Specification | ISO/IEC 19776-2 (X3D ClassicVRML Encoding) |
| FileFlip support | FileFlip reads this format but does not write it |
What a .x3dv file can hold#
These are the things a X3DV 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 X3DV#
What X3DV does well
- Familiar syntax for any tool that already generates VRML97, since ClassicVRML reuses that same text grammar
- More compact on the page than the equivalent XML .x3d file
Where X3DV falls short
- Same content as .x3d and .x3db, so there's rarely a reason to pick it besides a tool that only emits VRML-style syntax
- Fewer viewers bother implementing ClassicVRML parsing compared to the XML encoding
Use X3DV when a tool inherited from the VRML era only knows how to emit VRML-style syntax but the scene still needs X3D's features.
Convert X3DV to X3D XML for anything expecting the more widely supported encoding.
How to open a .x3dv file#
A .x3dv file opens in the programs below, grouped by the platform you are on. If you would rather not install anything, FileFlip converts X3DV 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 | FreeWRL |
| macOS | FreeWRL |
| Linux | FreeWRL |
| Web | FileFlip |
X3DV questions people ask#
What is the difference between X3D and X3DV?
X3D and X3DV hold the same kind of scene, but X3D under the .x3d extension is written as XML, while X3DV under .x3dv uses ISO's ClassicVRML text encoding instead, styled after VRML97's original syntax.
Is X3DV the same as VRML?
X3DV looks like VRML97 syntax and is built on it, but it's an X3D encoding, so it carries X3D's full feature set rather than being limited to what VRML97 itself supported.
What opens an X3DV file?
FreeWRL, the open-source VRML and X3D browser, reads X3DV directly on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Converting X3DV files#
Convert X3DV to another format
FileFlip does not write .x3dv 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.