What is a .3D file?
The 3D file extension is reserved for a specific file format called Stereo CAD-3D Image File. Such files are produced by a piece of software called Survex and are typically used by cavers, who are individuals that explore and map cave systems. The 3D file format supports additional data that can be used by Survex to generate a visual representation of a cave system, meaning a 3D model of the space inside a cave can be loaded and viewed on the computer. Quite useful for planning caving trips or scientific research.
The actual 3D file data is often derived from another file format called SVX, which is also associated with Survex. The SVX file stores the actual survey data of the cave system, distances and angles, that can be further processed by another Survex component called the cavern program to produce the 3D file.
Obviously to open or edit a 3D file you need to rely on Survex itself, because it’s the only application that supports this specific file format. Within Survex there is a tool called Aven. Aven is an application bundled with the Survex distribution that opens the 3D cave system models stored in 3D files. Just pop the 3D file in Aven and it will display the cave in a way that makes it easier for the human eye to grasp its extent and size.
There is actually another application called Therion that is also related to cave surveying and mapping that supports 3D files as well. Therion offers a set of tools to produce quality maps and models of cave systems and it imports 3D files for additional processing or for including in larger projects.
So to sum it up, you can double click a 3D file and view it with the Aven application bundled with Survex or perhaps pass it to Therion if you are interested in importing it into a larger cave mapping project. These are the only two programs that can open and use the data stored in a 3D file to visualize and research 3D cave systems.
Verification
Our goal is to help people find the most up-to-date information about file extensions for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS. We researched over 10,000 file extensions and their respective programs that open those files. If you want to suggest edits or updates about .3D file formats, example files, or programs that are compatible. Please contact us.