The Complete Rhino 3DM to JT Conversion Guide
General Information
This guide is part of the RapidPipeline 3D Formats Knowledge Database.It shows how to convert Rhino 3DM to JT, if you'd like to know more about the formats, please check out the following links:
Converting and Optimizing Rhino 3DM Files to JT
RapidPipeline can import Rhino 3DM files, but currently doesn't support exporting to JT format yet.
If you specifically need JT 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 JT 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 Rhino 3DM and JT files commonly used for?
The Rhino 3DM file is a format mostly used for NURBS-based 3D modeling and design.
The JT file is a format mostly used for lightweight 3D visualization and collaboration.
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Comparison of Features Supported by Rhino 3DM and JT
| Feature | Supported by Rhino 3DM | Supported by JT |
|---|---|---|
| Morph Targets | No | No |
| Rigid Animations | No | Partial0 |
| Skinned Animations | No | No |
| Animations | No | Partial1 |
| Free-Form Surfaces | Yes | Yes |
| Geometry Compression | No | Yes |
| Quad Meshes | Yes | Yes |
| Basic 3D Geometry | Yes | Yes |
| PBR Materials | Yes | No |
| Transparent Materials | Yes | Yes |
| Vertex Colors | Yes | Yes |
| Materials | Yes | Yes |
| Scene Composition | Yes | Yes |
| Hierarchical Scene Graph | Yes | Yes |
| Scene Nodes | Yes | Yes |
| Standardized Format | Partial2 | Yes |
| Embedded Textures | Partial3 | Yes4 |
| Multiple UV Channels | Yes | Partial5 |
| Normal Mapping | Yes | Yes6 |
| Procedural Textures | Partial7 | Partial8 |
| Texture Compression | No | Partial9 |
| Texture Transforms | Yes | Yes10 |
| Texturing | Yes | Yes |
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Limitations of Rhino 3DM Files to JT Conversion Workflow
The following limitations should be taken into account when converting Rhino 3DM files to JT format:
| Rhino 3DM Feature (not supported by JT) | Limitation Details |
|---|---|
| Multiple UV Channels | Multiple UV Channels Support: Rhino 3DM: Full support | JT: Partial support   JT Notes: JT's material model supports multi-texture layers, but multiple independent UV coordinate sets per vertex are not fully defined across all geometry representations. Impact: Multiple UV channels allow the optimized and sophisticated use of various 3D modeling features at once. For example, one can use one set of UVs and 2D texture data to model a tiling texture or procedural material, and another UV set to leverage a global lightmap or occlusion map of the 3D model. In this example, a combination of tiled texture (UV channel 1) and baked ambient occlusion map (UV channel 2) is used. Without support for this feature, one needs to either give up the tiling property (e.g., by using a tool like RapidPipline to bake a single texture atlas), or give up the ambient occlusion map, as only one UV channel will be usable. |
| PBR Materials | PBR Materials Support: Rhino 3DM: Full support | JT: No support   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 Rhino 3DM files into my 3D applications, and are there alternatives to using JT?
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 Rhino 3DM and JT 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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