Files with u3d file extension can be commonly found as 3D graphics saved in the Universal 3D file format.

There is one other file type using
the U3D file extension!

empty icon.u3d - Ultimate 3D engine model

Detailed description

Software that open u3d file

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U3D file extension - Universal 3D format graphics

What is u3d file? How to open u3d files?

File type specification:

3d graphics, CAD-CAM-CAE file type icon 3d graphics, CAD-CAM-CAE file type

u3d file icon: u3d filetype icon

The u3d file extension is probably best know for its use for Universal 3D file format.

This Standard defines the syntax and semantics of the Universal 3D file format, an extensible format for downstream 3D CAD repurposing and visualization, useful for many mainstream business applications.

Salient features of the U3D file format described in this document include: execution architecture that facilitates optimal run-time modification of geometry, continuous-level-of-detail, domain-specific compression, progressive data streaming and playback, free-form surfaces, key-frame and bones-based animation, and extensibility of U3D format and run-time.

U3D has a long, tainted and little known history. In the 1990s Intel Corp. produced a gaming toolkit referred to as "IFX". In 2000 and 2001 they tried to ply it on Macromedia as the failed Shockwave-3D file format and SDK, which basically went obsolete in early 2001 (mainly due to the dotcom bubble implosion). Adobe wanted to compete with Autodesk in the MCAD market (which ended up in failure by 2008) so in 2004 they were to adopt X3D as the standard 3D file format for the "new" 3D PDF file format, but Intel forced them to use the old IFX/Shockwave-3D file format instead -- renamed from SW3D to U3D. IFX was never designed for the conversion and viewing of CAD data (as Adobe wished to use it for in 3D PDF), so U3D eventually became unsupported and dropped by Intel after 2007, followed by Adobe selling off their 3D software divisions in Dec 2008 due to 6 quarters of poor company sales. U3D and "PRC" continue to be the internal 3D file formats used within 3D PDF files. TechSoft and their Tetra4D company was spun off years later to pick up the pieces of Acrobat-3D from Adobe and continue its long term maintenance (as well as continuing to resell the old TTF Group CAD importer modules, which Adobe had purchased for their 3D MCAD work in April 2006). U3D was best used as a light weight WEB streaming file format (such as used for the Shockwave-3D file format in the early 2000s) but it does not do well for compression of CAD data.

The default software associated to open u3d file:

Adobe Photoshop icon

Adobe Systems Incorporated logoAdobe Photoshop  Microsoft Windows software

Company or developer:
Adobe Systems Incorporated

Adobe Photoshop is great photography editing software that offers numerous features, powerful tools and other breakthrough capabilities to offer their users maximum performance for image editing.

The latest version, Photoshop CC is available through the new Adobe Creative Cloud suite. The previous version was Photoshop CS6.

Adobe Photoshop for Mac icon

Adobe Systems Incorporated logoAdobe Photoshop for Mac  Apple macOS / Mac OS X software

Company or developer:
Adobe Systems Incorporated

Adobe Photoshop for Mac is popular image editing application. It is able to create and compose images, edit photos and supports variety of image formats to open, export and convert.

The latest version, Photoshop CC is available through the new Adobe Creative Cloud suite. The previous version was Photoshop CS6.

Help how to open:

You can find programs that can still open and work with this type of .u3d format.

How to convert:

Export to other 3D graphics formats is possible in plenty of the available 3D translation programs.

Find conversions from u3d file:

u3d to 3ds

u3d to c4d

u3d to igs

u3d to obj

u3d to pcg

u3d to stl

u3d to x3d

Find converter to u3d file type:

c4d to u3d

iam to u3d

iges to u3d

igs to u3d

prt to u3d

step to u3d

stp to u3d

Related links:

U3D standard specification

List of software applications associated to the .u3d file extension

Recommended software programs are sorted by OS platform (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android etc.)
and possible program actions that can be done with the file: like open u3d file, edit u3d file, convert u3d file, view u3d file, play u3d file etc. (if exist software for corresponding action in File-Extensions.org's database).

Hint:
Click on the tab below to simply browse between the application actions, to quickly get a list of recommended software, which is able to perform the specified software action, such as opening, editing or converting u3d files.

Software that open u3d file - Universal 3D format graphics

Programs supporting the exension u3d on the main platforms Windows, Mac, Linux or mobile. Click on the link to get more information about listed programs for open u3d file action.

Microsoft Windows:

Apple macOS / Mac OS X:

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