About 3D models
You can upload large 3D models to Cognite Data Fusion (CDF) to better visualize and contextualize data. CDF automatically analyzes and optimizes the 3D models to enable devices with different form factors to render the models at high frame rates and with great detail.
Cognite's REVEAL 3D Web Viewer SDK lets you integrate 3D model visualizations in any web-based application. Users can view and interact with the 3D models in a web browser on desktop and mobile devices and in Cognite applications.
3D data is organized in models and revisions:
- Models are placeholders for a set of revisions.
- Revisions contain the 3D data.
For example, you can have a model named Compressor and upload different revisions of that model. When you create a revision, you need to attach a 3D file. For each new version of the 3D model, you upload a new revision under the same model. Revisions can be published or unpublished so that applications can decide whether to list the revision. You can publish multiple revisions at the same time, for example, for different versions of the model (high detail vs. low detail).
You can upload or edit 3D models without writing any code using the CDF user interface, or you can upload them programmatically using our API and SDKs.
Supported 3D file formats
| Extension(s) | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| RVM | CAD | Aveva E3D and PDMS models. Attributes supported by providing ATT or TXT files in a ZIP archive together with the RVM file(s). |
| NWD | CAD | Navisworks models. |
| SLDASM, SLDPRT | CAD | SOLIDWORKS parts and assemblies. Assemblies and parts can be combined in a ZIP archive. |
| X_T, X_B | CAD | Parasolid can be exported from a range of 3D design tools. |
| STEP, STP | CAD | STEP versions AP 203 E1/E2, AP 214, AP 242. STEP files can be exported from a range of 3D design tools. |
| IFC | BIM/CAD | Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) is an exchange format frequently used in BIM. IFC files can be exported from a range of 3D design tools |
| FBX | CAD/General 3D | Autodesk Filmbox is a generic 3D format. Several 3D tools support this format, in particular Autodesk products. |
| OBJ | CAD/General 3D | Wavefront OBJ is a simple text-based 3D format suitable for small models. It can be combined with materials in an MTL file in a ZIP archive. |
| PTX | Point cloud | Text-based point cloud scan. Note that binary formats are recommended. |
| PTS | Point cloud | Text-based point cloud scan. Note that binary formats are recommended. |
| E57 | Point cloud | ASTM E57 is an exchange format for 3D image data. Note that 360 images embedded in E57 are currently not supported. |
| LAS | Point cloud | ASPRS LAS is a commonly used format for storing laser scans and point cloud models. |
| LAZ | Point cloud | LASzip is a lossless compression of LAS files. Because of the compression capabilities, LAZ is a recommended format. |
| ZIP | Zip files with CAD/Point cloud files | Combine many model files into a single ZIP archive to combine the models during processing. Note that you can't combine point cloud models with CAD models during processing but this is supported in some Cognite applications and by the Reveal SDK. |