The Complete OBJ to Inventor Conversion Guide
Table of Contents
- General Information
- Converting and Optimizing OBJ Files to Inventor
- What are OBJ and Inventor files commonly used for?
- Comparison of Features Supported by OBJ and Inventor
- Limitations of OBJ Files to Inventor Conversion Workflow
- What's the best way to get OBJ files into my 3D applications, and are there alternatives to using Inventor?
General Information
This guide is part of the RapidPipeline 3D Formats Knowledge Database. It shows how to convert OBJ to Inventor, if you'd like to know more about the formats, please check out the following links:
Converting and Optimizing OBJ Files to Inventor
There are various ways to convert between OBJ and Inventor. With RapidPipeline, you can easily convert and and optimize OBJ files, at scale. It supports Inventor, as well as many other file formats (examples: 3dsMax, AutoCAD, CATIA, Creo, FBX, glTF, Navisworks, PLY, Revit, Solid Edge, SolidWorks, STEP, STL, USD, USDZ, VRM), at high quality.
Below you can find a video explaining how to convert your files:
Comparison of Features Supported by OBJ and Inventor
| Feature | Supported by OBJ | Supported by Inventor |
|---|---|---|
| Morph Targets | No | No |
| Rigid Animations | No | Partial0 |
| Skinned Animations | No | No |
| Animations | No | Partial1 |
| Free-Form Surfaces | No | Yes |
| Geometry Compression | No | No |
| Quad Meshes | Yes | Yes |
| Basic 3D Geometry | Yes | Yes |
| PBR Materials | Partial | Partial2 |
| Transparent Materials | Yes | Yes |
| Vertex Colors | No | Partial3 |
| Materials | Yes | Yes |
| Scene Composition | No | Yes |
| Hierarchical Scene Graph | No | Yes |
| Scene Nodes | Yes | Yes |
| Standardized Format | Partial4 | Partial5 |
| Embedded Textures | No | Partial6 |
| Multiple UV Channels | No | Partial7 |
| Normal Mapping | Partial | No |
| Procedural Textures | No | No |
| Texture Compression | No | No |
| Texture Transforms | No | Partial8 |
| Texturing | Yes | Partial9 |
Limitations of OBJ Files to Inventor Conversion Workflow
The following limitations should be taken into account when converting OBJ files to Inventor format:
| OBJ Feature (not supported by Inventor) | Limitation Details |
|---|---|
| Texturing |   Texturing: supported in OBJ, but not in Inventor. Texturing describes the process or refining the visual appearance of a 3D model's surface through additional 2D or 3D data, defined in a different reference system. The by far most common use of texturing are 2D texture images, applied to model visual material properties the 3D surface. Other cases include the use of procedural 2D or 3D funtions that produce intensity or color signals, which are then mapped to the 3D surface. For the vast majority of these cases (all of them except for 3D procedural functions), a parameterization or "Texture Mapping" is needed, which maps the 2D content to the 3D surface. Coming from a 2D coordinate space with coordinate axes often entitled U and V (in contrast to XYZ, which are the 3D surface positions), this process of mapping is also called UV Mapping, and it can be done with a dedicated UV map, or through a live mapping (e.g., box mapping). In this example, a texture image is applied to the 3D model to give the control panel a realistic look. Without support for texturing, the panel would have to use a single material instead, or all controls (including text) would need to be modeled through 3D geometry, instead of a 2D texture image. |
| Normal Mapping |   Normal Mapping: supported in OBJ, but not in Inventor. Normal maps are used to model shading differences that are arising from small geometric details on a surface, such as fabric structures, visible gaps between bricks forming a wall, or rough rock surfaces. In this example, a normal map is used to model a fabric structure. Without support for this feature, the rendered fabric will look smoother than it actually is in the real world, as the fabric structure won't be visible. |
What's the best way to get OBJ files into my 3D applications, and are there alternatives to using Inventor?
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 OBJ and Inventor 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!
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