Export files

You can export a file with many kinds of formats by [Menu > File > Save As] and it can be rendered in other software. However, some information may be lost because the file format does not support all features. Please check how it works beforehand.

ok	Mostly no problem
not good	Usable, but many parts are incomplete.
NG	Not available
-	The format does not support function.
?	Unconfirmed

MQO - Metasequoia
SUF - DoGA CGA System
DXF - AutoCAD
LWO - LightWave3D
COB - trueSpace
3DS - 3D Studio
WRL - VRML
X - Direct3D
OBJ - Wavefront
POV - POV-Ray
DAE - COLLADA
FBX - Autodesk FBX
PLY - Stanford Polygon Library
STL - Stereolithography
AMF - Additive Manufacturing File Format
JS - JSON Model Format
PMD - MikuMikuDance Format

MQO (Metasequoia)

This is an original file format of Metasequoia, and supports all functions.

Triangle	Quadrangle	Polygon	Smoothing	Material (Color)	Mapping	UV	Vertex color	Blobs	Bone	Morph
ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok

SUF (DoGA CGA System)

Visible objects only: Only visible objects are exported. Invisible objects are ignored.
Attribute file: It exports ATR file describing attribute together with SUF file. File name is the same as that of SUF file with an extension of ATR.(*1)
Normal (Smooth): It exports the direction of faces. If this option is unselected, polygons sometimes become too angular when loaded.
UV Mapping: It exports the coordinates where texture is attached. If this option is unselected, texture cannot sometimes be attached normally when loaded.

Triangle	Quadrangle	Polygon	Smoothing	Material (Color)	Mapping	UV	Vertex color	Blobs	Bone	Morph
ok	ok	ok	ok	*1	*1	ok	-	-	-	-

DXF (AutoCAD)

Plural objects are composed to one object.

A polygon(>=5) is divided into triangles.(*1)

Visible objects only: Only visible objects are exported. Invisible objects are ignored.
Object's name is exported as a layer: If the receiver side of the software is available, It can export each object as an independent layer.
Triangle have four points: It saves a triangle as 3DFACE with four points. Some software cannot read it normally without making this option available.
Return code: If the appropriate return code for the operating system which importing software runs is not selected, it cannot sometimes be read normally.

Triangle	Quadrangle	Polygon	Smoothing	Material (Color)	Mapping	UV	Vertex color	Blobs	Bone	Morph
ok	ok	*1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

LWO (LightWave3D)

It is available with LWO2 form supported in LightWave3D 6.0 and later and LWOB form also supported in LightWave3D 5.x.

Visible objects only: Only visible objects are exported. Invisible objects are ignored.
Not freeze patches: When you want to use not the subdivision method of Metasequoia but SubPatch (MetaNURBS in LightWave3D 5.x), select 'ON' and apply subpatch in LightWave3D side.
LWO2: It is the form supported in LightWave3D 6.0 and later. This form can contain the UV coordinates, but a part of UV coordinates will be lost without LightWave3D 6.5 and later.
It can also be read in LightWave3D 5.x. with 'OFF' on this check, but plural objects can be composed to one object and the number of vertices and that of faces are limited to 65535.
Absolute file path: If you select 'ON' in this check, the file name of texture image is expanded to absolute path. If you check 'OFF', the file name assigned to the material is saved without change. (If originally selected as absolute path, it is saved without change.)

	Triangle	Quadrangle	Polygon	Smoothing	Material (Color)	Mapping	UV	Vertex color	Blobs	Bone	Morph
LWOB	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	NG(?)	-	-	-	-	-
LWO2	ok	ok	ok	NG	ok	ok	ok	ok	NG	-	-

COB (trueSpace)

Compatibility almost have no problem.

Visible objects only: Only visible objects are exported. Invisible objects are ignored.
Texture/Bump map folder: It selects the folder of mapping image. By selecting the appropriate one, it becomes unnecessary to select again in trueSpace side.
Unit: It selects to which unit the unit system of Metasequoia is converted to.

Triangle	Quadrangle	Polygon	Smoothing	Material (Color)	Mapping	UV	Vertex color	Blobs	Bone	Morph
ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	NG	NG	NG

3DS (3D Studio)

A quadrangle or a polygon(>=5) is divided into triangles.(*1)

Export is discontinued in case the number of vertices or that of faces exceeds 65535.

When the object name exceeds 9 letters, the material name 15 letters, and the texture file name 12 letters (including an extension), it cannot normally be read in other software.

This format is used in not 3ds Max but 3D Studio for MS-DOS. The other format is recommended to transfer data to 3ds Max because this format is very old, has many limitation and is less compatible with 3ds Max.

Export UV mapping: It selects whether to record UV mapping information.
Freeze patches: Select 'OFF' in this option in case you want to apply subdivision surface like NURMS in 3ds Max side.
Visible objects only: Only visible objects are exported. Invisible objects are ignored.

Triangle	Quadrangle	Polygon	Smoothing	Material (Color)	Mapping	UV	Vertex color	Blobs	Bone	Morph
ok	*1	*1	NG	ok	ok?	ok	NG	NG	-	-

WRL (VRML)

The exported form is VRML1.0.

The plural objects are composed to one object.

Triangle	Quadrangle	Polygon	Smoothing	Material (Color)	Mapping	UV	Vertex color	Blobs	Bone	Morph
ok	ok	ok	NG	ok	NG	NG	NG(?)	-	-	-

X (Direct3D)

It is saved as the text form (ASCII) introduced in DirectX 2.

The plural objects are composed to one object.

It saves the file name only without pass (file name) in texture.(*1)

UV coordinates and vertex colors are assigned to each vertex in a .X file. If different UV coordinates or vertex colors are assigned to each vertex sharing the same face, the number of vertices to be exported will increase when you select 'ON' in the check of [UV mapping] or [Vertex color].

Normal vector: It selects whether to export normal vectors. If you reset in reading side of the program, the file size lessens when you don't check this option.
UV mapping: It selects whether to export UV mapping necessary for texture. If you don't use texture or reset mapping in the receiver side of the software, the file size lessens when you don't check this option.
Visible objects only: Only visible objects are exported. Invisible objects are ignored.
Vertex color: It selects whether to export the vertex color. If you don't use the vertex color, the file size lessens when you don't check this option.

Triangle	Quadrangle	Polygon	Smoothing	Material (Color)	Mapping	UV	Vertex color	Blobs	Bone	Morph
ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	*1	ok	ok	-	NG	-

OBJ (Wavefront)

The plural objects are composed to one object.

Materials are saved as a material library in a .mtl with the same filename and the different extension. Please notice the following points concerning texture when you export material library.

It is necessary to put texture file in the same folder with OBJ file in the receiver side of the software because only the file name of texture without pass (file name) is exported.
The file name of texture must not contain blanks.
The receiver side of the software cannot sometimes read the file when the file name of texture includes Japanese.
Please export after confirming which file forms can be read as texture in the receiver side of the software.

Visible objects only: Only visible objects are exported. Invisible objects are ignored.
Grouping: Each object can be picked out as an independent group when the receiver side of the software is available. But, the receiver side of the software cannot sometimes read the file when the file name of an object includes multi-bytes language (like Japanese).
Normal vector: It selects whether to export smooth information. In case you reset in the receiver side of the software, the file size lessens when you don't check this option.
UV mapping: It selects whether to export UV mapping necessary for texture. If you don't use texture or reset mapping in the receiver side of the software, the file size lessens when you don't check this option.
Invert V: As how to arrange values of V(vertical) direction in UV mapping becomes upside down, it becomes necessary to choose the applicable one.
Material library: It exports material library, a .mtl file, containing material and texture information.
Mapping filename: It specifies how a filename for a mapping image is described. It can select [Filename only] or [Keep a path].
Freeze patches: Please select "OFF" in this option when you use Subdivision Surface in the receiver side of the software.
Return code: It cannot sometimes be read normally when you do not select the new line code of OS available for the receiver side of the software.

Triangle	Quadrangle	Polygon	Smoothing	Material (Color)	Mapping	UV	Vertex color	Blobs	Bone	Morph
ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	-	-	-	-

POV (POV-Ray)

A quadrangle or a polygon(>=5) is divided into triangles.(*1)

Visible objects only: Only visible objects are exported. Invisible objects are ignored.
UV mapping (3.5): It is available for UV mapping supported by POV-Ray Ver3.5 or later. But you sometimes need to amend later because material information cannot be exported correctly.
pov: Shape data is contained in to-be-exported .pov file. It is only available for small shape data.
inc: It exports .inc file separately from .pov file and contains shape data there. This is usually used because shape can be processed as one object.

Triangle	Quadrangle	Polygon	Smoothing	Material (Color)	Mapping	UV	Vertex color	Blobs	Bone	Morph
ok	*1	*1	ok	not good	NG	ok	-	-	-	-

DAE (COLLADA 1.4)

A file based on the COLLADA 1.4 specification is exported.

Some external software cannot load the .dae file when same file name, object's name or material's name exists.

It is equipped as a plug-in and complete source code is included in Plug-in SDK.

Invert texture V coordinate: As how to arrange values of V(vertical) direction in UV mapping becomes upside down, it becomes necessary to choose the applicable one.

Triangle	Quadrangle	Polygon	Smoothing	Material (Color)	Mapping	UV	Vertex color	Blobs	Bone	Morph
ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	NG	-	NG	NG

FBX (Autodesk FBX) (only EX edition)

Weights for vertices or edges are outputted when OpenSubdiv is applied.

Visible only

Visible objects are only exported to a file if this option is checked.

Format

It specifies a major version from FBX 7.x or 6.x, and an ascii or a binary format for each format.

Version

It specifies a minor version for the selected format.

Output bone

It specifies whether to output bone information or not.

Insert branch nodes

It specifies how to insert nodes at a branch. It is necessary to select a proper mode because it affects a reproducibility of weight.

[Each branch] - Branch nodes overlap at the branch position, but a depth of a hierarchy is maintained as it is.
[Parent side] - A hierarchy is maintained as it is and any nodes does not overlap, but it does not reproduce a deformation of a skin around the branch because weights for branch bones are gathered to a branch node. This is the default mode.
[Both] - This mode can maintain weights comparatively, but each node overlaps at the branch position and a depth of a hierarchy is increased by one.


Each branch	Parent side	Both

Output pose

It specifies which uses a bind pose or a current pose. A combination of [Parent side] and [Current pose] cannot be selected.

Output smoothing groups

When smoothing groups is outputted, a compatibility for a part of other software is improved though a size of a file becomes larger.

Morph

It is to specify whether or not to output the morph setting.

Triangle	Quadrangle	Polygon	Smoothing	Material (Color)	Mapping	UV	Vertex color	Blobs	Bone	Morph
ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	-	ok	ok

PLY (Stanford Polygon Library) (only EX edition)

Visible only: Only visible objects are exported. Invisible objects are ignored.
Vertex color: It selects whether to export the vertex color.
Format: It selects a format for a .ply file.

Triangle	Quadrangle	Polygon	Smoothing	Material (Color)	Mapping	UV	Vertex color	Blobs	Bone	Morph
ok	ok	ok	-	-	-	-	ok	-	-	-

STL (Stereolithography)

It outputs a binary format of a STL file.

A quadrangle or a polygon(>=5) is divided into triangles.(*1)

Visible only: Only visible objects are exported. Invisible objects are ignored.

Triangle	Quadrangle	Polygon	Smoothing	Material (Color)	Mapping	UV	Vertex color	Blobs	Bone	Morph
ok	*1	*1	ok	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

AMF (Additive Manufacturing File Format) (only EX edition)

Output Texture: Output textures with embedding images.
Compress: The file size becomes small by a compression. The reader software must support a compression format to load a compressed file.

Triangle	Quadrangle	Polygon	Smoothing	Material (Color)	Mapping	UV	Vertex color	Blobs	Bone	Morph
ok	ok	ok	-	ok	ok	ok	-	-	-	-

JS (JSON Model Format)

JSON Model Format 3.1 of three.js is supported.

Output materials: Specify whether material information is outputted or not. When it is not outputted, the output file size will be smaller.

Triangle	Quadrangle	Polygon	Smoothing	Material (Color)	Mapping	UV	Vertex color	Blobs	Bone	Morph
ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	-	-	-	-

PMD (MikuMikuDance Format)

In the PMD file, one vertex can only have one normal information. If multiple surfaces with different orientations share a vertex, a vertex is replicated when export. Therefore, the number of vertices increases in the PMD files.

It is not possible to export the number of vertices is more than 65535.

A quadrangle or a polygon(>=5) is divided into triangles.(*1)

Visible only: If it is checked, you can export visble objects only.
Bone: It specifies whether bones are output or not.
IK end node: It specifies whether IK end nodes are generated or not.
Model name: It inputs a model's name.
Comment: When a PMD file is loaded in the MikuMikuDance, this comment is displayed.

Triangle	Quadrangle	Polygon	Smoothing	Material (Color)	Mapping	UV	Vertex color	Blobs	Bone	Morph
ok	*1	*1	ok	ok	ok	ok	-	-	ok	ok