The Complete Creo to PRC/U3D Conversion Guide

August 05, 2025

General Information

This guide is part of the RapidPipeline 3D Formats Knowledge Database. It shows how to convert Creo to PRC/U3D, if you'd like to know more about the formats, please check out the following links:

Converting and Optimizing Creo Files to PRC/U3D

RapidPipeline can import Creo files, but currently doesn't support exporting to PRC/U3D format yet.

If you specifically need PRC/U3D export functionality for your workflow, please feel free to get in touch with us - we'd be happy to discuss your requirements and potential timeline for adding this export capability.

If you need, you can import PRC/U3D files and convert them to any of these 8 formats: FBX, glTF, OBJ, PLY, STL, USD, USDZ, and VRM.

In the meantime, you can explore other options on the 3D Formats Knowledge Database, which might serve as suitable alternatives for your workflow depending on your target applications and use cases.

What are Creo and PRC/U3D files commonly used for?

The Creo file is a format mostly used for Advanced parametric 3D CAD/CAM/CAE software for mechanical engineering and product development.
The PRC/U3D file is a format mostly used for 3D data embedding in documents and technical publishing.

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Comparison of Features Supported by Creo and PRC/U3D

FeatureSupported by CreoSupported by PRC/U3D
Morph TargetsNoPartial0
Rigid AnimationsYesYes
Skinned AnimationsNoPartial1
AnimationsYesYes
Free-Form SurfacesYesYes
Geometry CompressionNoYes
Quad MeshesYesYes
Basic 3D GeometryYesYes
PBR MaterialsPartial2No
Transparent MaterialsYesYes
Vertex ColorsPartial3Yes
MaterialsYesYes
Scene CompositionYesYes
Hierarchical Scene GraphYesYes
Scene NodesYesYes
Standardized FormatPartial4Yes
Embedded TexturesPartial5Yes
Multiple UV ChannelsPartial6Yes
Normal MappingNoPartial7
Procedural TexturesNoNo
Texture CompressionNoPartial8
Texture TransformsPartial9Yes
TexturingPartial10Yes

0 - Simple morphing capabilities
1 - Basic skeletal animation support in U3D
2 - Basic PBR material support through appearance properties and rendering capabilities, but not as advanced as dedicated rendering software.
3 - Limited vertex color support, mainly through part coloring and display properties rather than per-vertex color data.
4 - Creo uses proprietary file formats but supports extensive import/export of industry-standard formats like STEP, IGES, and others for interoperability.
5 - Textures can be included with appearances but with limited embedding capabilities compared to graphics-focused formats.
6 - Limited multi-UV support, mainly through basic material and appearance assignments rather than complex UV mapping workflows.
7 - Limited normal mapping support
8 - Basic texture compression for document embedding
9 - Basic texture mapping capabilities through appearance properties, but not as advanced as dedicated 3D graphics applications.
10 - Limited texture support primarily through appearance and material properties for visualization purposes, not extensively used in typical engineering workflows.

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Limitations of Creo Files to PRC/U3D Conversion Workflow

The following limitations should be taken into account when converting Creo files to PRC/U3D format:

Creo Feature (not supported by PRC/U3D)Limitation Details
PBR Materials

PBR Materials Support:

Creo: Partial support | PRC/U3D: No support

PBR Materials illustratedlack of support for PBR Materials illustrated

Creo Notes:

Basic PBR material support through appearance properties and rendering capabilities, but not as advanced as dedicated rendering software.

Impact:

PBR materials enable Physically-Based-Rendering (PBR) for a standardized, photorealistic look of rendered images. PBR uses concepts like metallic-roughness or specular-glossiness properties and a microfacet-based modeling of the surface, using a concept called BRDF (Bi-Directional Reflectance Distribution Function). In this example, PBR materials are used to achieve realistic looking plastic and metal materials. Without support for PBR materials, only basic colors and shading can be used (for example, based on more simple shading models, such as the Blinn/Phong model).

What's the best way to get Creo files into my 3D applications, and are there alternatives to using PRC/U3D?

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 Creo and PRC/U3D 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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Meet the Author

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3D Knowledge Team

3D Technical Artists

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