The Complete SolidWorks to USDZ Conversion Guide
Table of Contents
- General Information
- Converting and Optimizing SolidWorks Files to USDZ
- What are SolidWorks and USDZ files commonly used for?
- Comparison of Features Supported by SolidWorks and USDZ
- Limitations of SolidWorks Files to USDZ Conversion Workflow
- What's the best way to get SolidWorks files into my 3D applications, and are there alternatives to using USDZ?
General Information
This guide is part of the RapidPipeline 3D Formats Knowledge Database. It shows how to convert SolidWorks to USDZ, if you'd like to know more about the formats, please check out the following links:
Converting and Optimizing SolidWorks Files to USDZ
There are various ways to convert between SolidWorks and USDZ. With RapidPipeline, you can easily convert and and optimize SolidWorks files, at scale. It supports USDZ, as well as many other file formats (examples: 3dsMax, CATIA, Creo, FBX, glTF, OBJ, PLY, STEP, STL, USD, VRM), at high quality.
Below you can find a video explaining how to convert your files:
What are SolidWorks and USDZ files commonly used for?
The SolidWorks file is a format mostly used for Professional 3D CAD software for mechanical design and product development.
The USDZ file is a format mostly used for interactive 3D, on the Web and elsewhere (e.g., in XR).
Comparison of Features Supported by SolidWorks and USDZ
| Feature | Supported by SolidWorks | Supported by USDZ |
|---|---|---|
| Morph Targets | No | Yes |
| Rigid Animations | Yes | Yes |
| Skinned Animations | No | Yes |
| Animations | Yes | Yes |
| Free-Form Surfaces | Yes | Yes |
| Geometry Compression | No | No |
| Quad Meshes | Yes | Yes |
| Basic 3D Geometry | Yes | Yes |
| PBR Materials | Yes | Yes |
| Transparent Materials | Yes | Yes |
| Vertex Colors | Partial0 | Yes |
| Materials | Yes | Yes |
| Scene Composition | Yes | Yes |
| Hierarchical Scene Graph | Yes | Yes |
| Scene Nodes | Yes | Yes |
| Standardized Format | Partial1 | Yes |
| Embedded Textures | Partial2 | No |
| Multiple UV Channels | Partial3 | Yes4 |
| Normal Mapping | Partial5 | Yes |
| Procedural Textures | Partial6 | Yes |
| Texture Compression | No | No |
| Texture Transforms | Yes | Yes |
| Texturing | Yes | Yes |
Limitations of SolidWorks Files to USDZ Conversion Workflow
The following limitations should be taken into account when converting SolidWorks files to USDZ format:
| SolidWorks Feature (not supported by USDZ) | Limitation Details |
|---|---|
| Embedded Textures |   Embedded Textures: supported in SolidWorks, but not in USDZ. Embedded textures allow the storage and exchange of an entire 3D model and its materials within a single file, by embedding the texture images directly into the 3D file (and not storing them as separate image files). Without support for this feature, textures have to be stored in separate image files, and referenced from the main 3D model file. |
What's the best way to get SolidWorks files into my 3D applications, and are there alternatives to using USDZ?
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 SolidWorks and USDZ 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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