The Complete COLLADA to Rhino 3DM Conversion Guide.

August 01, 2025

General Information

This guide is part of the RapidPipeline 3D Formats Knowledge Database. It shows how to convert COLLADA to Rhino 3DM, if you'd like to know more about the formats, please check out the following links:

Converting and Optimizing COLLADA Files to Rhino 3DM

There are various ways to convert between COLLADA and Rhino 3DM. With RapidPipeline, you can easily convert and and optimize COLLADA files, at scale. It supports Rhino 3DM, as well as many other file formats (examples: FBX, glTF, OBJ, PLY, STL, USD, USDZ, VRM), at high quality.

Below you can find a video explaining how to convert your files:

What are COLLADA and Rhino 3DM files commonly used for?

The COLLADA file is a format mostly used for 3D asset exchange for digital content creation.
The Rhino 3DM file is a format mostly used for NURBS-based 3D modeling and design.

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Comparison of Features Supported by COLLADA and Rhino 3DM

FeatureSupported by COLLADASupported by Rhino 3DM
Morph TargetsYesNo
Rigid AnimationsYesNo
Skinned AnimationsYesNo
AnimationsYesNo
Free-Form SurfacesPartial0Yes
Geometry CompressionNoNo
Quad MeshesYesYes
Basic 3D GeometryYesYes
PBR MaterialsPartial1Yes
Transparent MaterialsYesYes
Vertex ColorsYesYes
MaterialsYesYes
Scene CompositionYesYes
Hierarchical Scene GraphYesYes
Scene NodesYesYes
Standardized FormatYesPartial2
Embedded TexturesNoPartial3
Multiple UV ChannelsYesYes
Normal MappingYesYes
Procedural TexturesPartial4Partial5
Texture CompressionNoNo
Texture TransformsYesYes
TexturingYesYes

0 - Limited NURBS support, primarily polygonal
1 - Basic PBR support through material extensions
2 - Proprietary format with open specification (openNURBS)
3 - Textures can be embedded in the 3DM file
4 - Basic procedural material definitions
5 - Basic procedural material support

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Limitations of COLLADA Files to Rhino 3DM Conversion Workflow

The following limitations should be taken into account when converting COLLADA files to Rhino 3DM format:

COLLADA Feature (not supported by Rhino 3DM)Limitation Details
Animations

Animations Support:

COLLADA: Full support | Rhino 3DM: No support

Animations illustratedlack of support for Animations illustrated

Impact:

Animations are an important part of many interactive 3D assets, for example in real-time rendering (including games, XR training, assembly instructions, product demos, and other use cases). There are various kinds of animations that can be used on 3D models. In this example model, a rigid animation is used to make the gears spin. Without support for this feature, in this example, the gears won't move.

Skinned Animations

Skinned Animations Support:

COLLADA: Full support | Rhino 3DM: No support

Skinned Animations illustratedlack of support for Skinned Animations illustrated

Impact:

Skinned animations are commonly used for 3D character models in interactive applications, such as games or virtual worlds. They make it possible to easily animate the 3D model using a helper structure based on virtual bones, composing a virtual skeleton for animation control. In this example, a skinned animation is used to pose a 3D character. Without support for skinned animations, the 3D model will remain in its default pose, such as the default T-pose.

Morph Targets

Morph Targets Support:

COLLADA: Full support | Rhino 3DM: No support

Morph Targets illustratedlack of support for Morph Targets illustrated

Impact:

Morph Targets, or "Blend Shapes", are commonly used to animate facial expressions and soft surfaces, for example cloth under a cloth simulation. They model various states of the animations with different vertex positions. In contrast to skinned animations, morph targets do not use any virtual bones, but work solely on the vertex data. In this example, a facial animation is achieved through morph targets. Without suport for this feature, in this example, the face will not show the animation.

Rigid Animations

Rigid Animations Support:

COLLADA: Full support | Rhino 3DM: No support

Rigid Animations illustratedlack of support for Rigid Animations illustrated

Impact:

Rigid Animations are typically used to animate mechanical parts. In this example, the door of this 3D model of a microwave can be interactively opened or closed, using a rigid animation that gradually changes the 3D transformation of the door. Without support for this feature, in this example, the door will just stay in place and won't move.

Standardized Format

Standardized Format Support:

COLLADA: Full support | Rhino 3DM: Partial support

Standardized Format illustratedlack of support for Standardized Format illustrated

Rhino 3DM Notes:

Proprietary format with open specification (openNURBS)

Impact:

Standardization plays a huge role in 3D model formats. With a format being standardized, every application will have a clear way of how to load or store data using this format. This makes it easier to re-use the 3D model across different applications, but also to make sure it will still be accessible and usable after a couple of years.

What's the best way to get COLLADA files into my 3D applications, and are there alternatives to using Rhino 3DM?

Doing 3D conversion right, especially at scale, can be tricky, as 3D data is in general a rather complex (yet very powerful!) medium. This also applies to COLLADA and Rhino 3DM files - the conversion guide above provides a rough first idea about that. Once you know what you would like to do, tools like RapidPipeline can help you perform the necessary steps, and to even automate the process for thousands or even millions of files.

Especially when introducing pipelines and workflows at scale in an enterprise context, it is usually good to rely on dedicated tools and expertise, making sure you do not introduce any steps into your 3D workflow that are detrimental to the final output's quality, or that take your team too much time (and money).

If you're interested to hire dedicated expertise from the best in the field to help your company reach your goals fast and reliably, please do not hestitate to contact DGG. Being the creators of RapidPipeline, and ambassadors for open 3D standards for more than a decade, we have been building some of the world's most advanced 3D pipelines, having processed many millions of 3D assets.

Therefore, our expertise will help you to reach your goals faster, at scale, and with the least possible friction, since we are focused on maximum interoperability.

To get started with 3D data conversion and optimization today, sign up for a free account!

If you have any questions, feel free to chat with our human team.

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3D Knowledge Team

3D Technical Artists

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