[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"extension:v3:en:3mf":3},{"resolvedFromAlias":4,"canonicalExt":5,"ext":5,"name":6,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"updatedAt":9,"popularity":10,"summary":11,"howToOs":12,"quickAnswer":18,"answerIntro":19,"whatIs":20,"description":21,"furtherReading":22,"openInstructions":38,"commonIssues":53,"securityNotes":72,"faq":76,"aliases":89,"mimeTypes":90,"relatedExtensions":91,"breadcrumbs":137,"categoryAnchor":147,"categoryFuturePath":148,"metaDescription":149,"availableHowToOs":150,"openOnDeviceLinks":151,"cannotOpenReasons":167,"cannotOpenFixes":168,"convertOptions":169,"securityAffiliateMessaging":170,"securityAffiliates":171},false,"3mf","3D Manufacturing Format (3MF)","3d","3D","2026-06-12T08:45:45.626Z",55,".3mf is the 3D Manufacturing Format (3MF), an open standard for exchanging 3D print-ready models and related data. It is commonly opened in 3D printing “slicer” software such as PrusaSlicer.",[13,14,15,16,17],"windows","mac","linux","ios","android","To open .3MF files on Windows, install a 3D printing slicer that supports 3MF (for example, PrusaSlicer).","To open a .3mf file, use a 3D printing slicer that supports 3MF—PrusaSlicer is a widely used option that lists 3MF as supported/preferred. If your device does not have slicer software, transfer the file to a desktop system where slicers are commonly available.","3MF is an open file format standard published by the 3MF Consortium. The official 3MF Core Specification defines the document structure used by .3mf files, and the format is also standardized as ISO/IEC 25422:2025. In practice, .3mf files are used to move 3D models and print-related information between tools in a more structured way than older mesh-only formats.","The 3D Manufacturing Format (3MF) is an open standard developed and published by the 3MF Consortium, with specifications maintained by the consortium. It is designed for 3D manufacturing and especially common in 3D printing workflows where models need to be transferred reliably between design, preparation, and printing tools.\n\nA key reason users encounter .3mf is through slicer software. For example, PrusaSlicer documents 3MF as a supported (and preferred) file format, reflecting its practical role in day-to-day 3D printing.\n\nIf you need deeper technical details (for developers, tool builders, or troubleshooting interoperability), the authoritative references are the 3MF specification suite and the 3MF Core Specification (including the official PDF). 3MF is also available as an international standard in ISO/IEC 25422:2025.",[23,26,29,32,35],{"title":24,"url":25},"3D Manufacturing Format (3MF) — Wikipedia overview","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_Manufacturing_Format",{"title":27,"url":28},"3MF Specification suite — 3MF Consortium","https://3mf.io/spec/",{"title":30,"url":31},"3MF Core Specification v1.3.0 — 3MF Consortium","https://3mf.io/spec/core-v1-3-0/",{"title":33,"url":34},"ISO/IEC 25422:2025 — Information technology — 3D Manufacturing Format (3MF) specification suite","https://www.iso.org/standard/90283.html",{"title":36,"url":37},"Supported file formats — Prusa Knowledge Base (PrusaSlicer)","https://help.prusa3d.com/article/supported-file-formats_1772",{"windows":39,"macos":43,"linux":46,"ios":49,"android":51},[40,41,42],"Install a 3D printing slicer that supports 3MF (for example, PrusaSlicer).","In the slicer, use File → Open/Import and select the .3mf file (or drag-and-drop it into the app).","If you want double-click to open, set the .3mf file association to your slicer in Windows “Default apps.”",[40,44,45],"Open the slicer and use File → Open/Import, or drag the .3mf file onto the app icon.","If Finder opens it in the wrong app, use Get Info → Open with to choose your slicer and set “Change All…”",[40,47,48],"Open the slicer and import the .3mf file via the File menu (or drag-and-drop, depending on your desktop environment).","If file associations are not set, open the slicer first, then open/import the file from inside the app.",[50],"iOS support depends on which 3D printing apps you have installed; if you cannot open the .3mf directly, transfer it to a desktop slicer (for example, PrusaSlicer) to view and slice it.",[52],"Android support varies by app; if your device cannot open the .3mf, transfer it to a desktop slicer (for example, PrusaSlicer) to inspect and prepare it for printing.",[54,60,66],{"title":55,"description":56,"steps":57},"The file won’t open or the app says the format is unsupported","Not every 3D tool supports 3MF, and some programs only import a subset of the 3MF specification or specific extensions.",[58,59],"Open the file in a known 3MF-capable slicer (for example, PrusaSlicer, which lists 3MF as supported/preferred).","If it still fails, try re-exporting the 3MF from the source application (or ask the sender to export again) to improve compatibility.",{"title":61,"description":62,"steps":63},"Missing details after import (appearance/material/print setup not as expected)","Different applications may interpret 3MF data differently depending on which parts of the 3MF specification suite they implement.",[64,65],"Check whether the importing tool supports the relevant parts of the 3MF specification suite (core and any needed extensions).","If the .3mf came from a slicer, consider opening it in a slicer first to confirm the project contents before moving it to other tools.",{"title":67,"description":68,"steps":69},"Opened the wrong program when double-clicking a .3mf file","Your OS may have associated .3mf with an unrelated app or a generic archive handler.",[70,71],"Use “Open with…” to select your slicer and set it as the default for .3mf files.","If multiple apps compete for the association, set the default explicitly in OS settings (Windows Default Apps or macOS Get Info → Open with).",[73,74,75],"Treat .3mf files from untrusted sources with care: they are complex structured documents, and malformed files can trigger bugs in importers/parsers (a practical risk for any rich 3D format).","Because 3MF is a standardized document format (3MF Consortium specifications; also ISO/IEC 25422:2025), prefer well-maintained tools that track the standard and receive updates, especially if you regularly open third-party models.","If a .3mf file is intended for 3D printing, review the resulting toolpaths/settings in your slicer before printing; project-oriented files can encode print-related choices that may not match your printer or material.",[77,80,83,86],{"question":78,"answer":79},"What does .3mf stand for?","It stands for 3D Manufacturing Format (3MF), an open file format standard published by the 3MF Consortium.",{"question":81,"answer":82},"Is 3MF an official standard?","Yes. In addition to the 3MF Consortium specification suite, 3MF is standardized as ISO/IEC 25422:2025.",{"question":84,"answer":85},"What software can open a .3mf file for 3D printing?","A common option is PrusaSlicer, whose documentation lists 3MF as a supported/preferred file format.",{"question":87,"answer":88},"Where can I find the authoritative technical documentation for .3mf?","Use the 3MF Consortium’s specification pages, especially the Core Specification (including the official PDF), which define the .3mf document structure.",[],[],[92,98,104,109,115,121,126,131],{"ext":93,"name":94,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"popularity":95,"summary":96,"howToOs":97},"stl","STL (Stereolithography) 3D Mesh",85,"STL is a widely used 3D model exchange format for 3D printing and rapid prototyping, storing a surface as a triangle mesh. It commonly comes in either ASCII or binary form.",[13,14,15,16,17],{"ext":99,"name":100,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"popularity":101,"summary":102,"howToOs":103},"fbx","Autodesk FBX (Filmbox) 3D interchange format",78,".fbx is a proprietary 3D scene and asset exchange format owned by Autodesk and widely used to move models, animation, and scene data between 3D tools and game/animation pipelines.",[13,14,15,16,17],{"ext":105,"name":106,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"popularity":101,"summary":107,"howToOs":108},"obj","Wavefront OBJ (3D geometry) file","OBJ is a widely used text-based 3D geometry format that stores vertices, texture coordinates, normals, and polygon faces. It is commonly accompanied by a separate MTL material library file for appearance settings.",[13,14,15,16,17],{"ext":110,"name":111,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"popularity":112,"summary":113,"howToOs":114},"gltf","glTF (GL Transmission Format) 3D Asset",70,".gltf is a JSON-based 3D scene/model format (glTF 2.0) used to exchange and render 3D assets. It’s commonly opened in 3D tools like Blender, web apps via Three.js, and viewers that support glTF.",[13,14,15,16,17],{"ext":116,"name":117,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"popularity":118,"summary":119,"howToOs":120},"glb","glTF Binary (GLB)",68,".glb is the binary form of glTF 2.0, commonly used to deliver 3D models and scenes as a single file. It’s widely supported by 3D tools and viewers that can import/export glTF.",[13,14,15,16,17],{"ext":122,"name":123,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"popularity":10,"summary":124,"howToOs":125},"blend","Blender Project File (BLEND)",".blend is Blender’s native project file that can store an entire 3D scene (objects, materials, textures references, animations, etc.) in one file. It is primarily opened and edited with Blender.",[13,14,15,16,17],{"ext":127,"name":128,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"popularity":10,"summary":129,"howToOs":130},"ply","Polygon File Format (PLY / Stanford Triangle Format)",".ply is a 3D geometry file format commonly used for polygon meshes and point clouds. It can store vertex/face data plus per-element properties, in either ASCII or binary encodings.",[13,14,15,16,17],{"ext":132,"name":133,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"popularity":134,"summary":135,"howToOs":136},"mtl","Wavefront Material Template Library (MTL)",45,".mtl is a text-based material library used with Wavefront OBJ (.obj) files to describe surface appearance such as colors, shininess, transparency, and texture maps.",[13,14,15,16,17],[138,141,144],{"label":139,"to":140},"Home","/",{"label":142,"to":143},"File Extension Index","/file-extension",{"label":145,"to":146},".3MF","/file-extension/3mf","category-3d","/category/3d","Learn what .3MF files are, how to open them on every platform, common fixes, and security best practices.",[13,14,15,16,17],[152,155,158,161,164],{"os":13,"label":153,"to":154},"Open .3MF on Windows","/how-to/open-3mf-on-windows",{"os":14,"label":156,"to":157},"Open .3MF on Mac","/how-to/open-3mf-on-mac",{"os":15,"label":159,"to":160},"Open .3MF on Linux","/how-to/open-3mf-on-linux",{"os":16,"label":162,"to":163},"Open .3MF on iOS","/how-to/open-3mf-on-ios",{"os":17,"label":165,"to":166},"Open .3MF on Android","/how-to/open-3mf-on-android",[55,61,67],[58,59],[],"untrusted_source",[172,176],{"name":173,"description":174,"affiliateUrl":175},"Avast","Avast offers free and premium antivirus software that protects against viruses, malware, ransomware, and phishing. Scan files before opening them to ensure safety.","https://www.avast.com/lp-aff-consumer-store?expid=inf601",{"name":177,"description":178,"affiliateUrl":179},"Norton","Norton 360 delivers comprehensive antivirus protection, VPN, and identity theft monitoring. Scan files for threats before opening to keep your device secure.","http://buy.norton.com/aff_home?utm_campaign=en-ww_nor_n36_aff_nas_nau_nah_cj_nad_low:_sec_nat_mktc_norton_360"]