PRC/U3D - Format Overview
Table of Contents
General Information
This guide is part of the RapidPipeline 3D Formats Knowledge Database.
| Format Name | PRC/U3D |
|---|---|
| Long Name | Product Representation Compact / Universal 3D |
| Extensions | .prc, .u3d |
| Internet Media Type (previously MIME) | unspecified |
| Common Use Cases | Technical Documentation, 3D PDF, CAD Visualization, Publishing, Archiving |
What is the PRC/U3D format, and what is it used for?
PRC (Product Representation Compact) and U3D (Universal 3D) are compressed 3D file formats designed for embedding 3D content in documents, particularly PDF files. U3D was developed by the 3D Industry Forum and later standardized by Ecma International, while PRC was developed by Adobe as a more advanced successor. Both formats support geometry compression, materials, textures, and animations, making them ideal for technical documentation, 3D PDFs, and digital publishing. PRC offers better compression and more advanced features than U3D, supporting CAD data more effectively. It is a file format mostly used for 3D data embedding in documents and technical publishing.
Features supported by the PRC/U3D format
| Feature | Supported? |
|---|---|
| Morph Targets | Partial0 |
| Rigid Animations | Yes |
| Skinned Animations | Partial1 |
| Animations | Yes |
| Free-Form Surfaces | Yes |
| Geometry Compression | Yes |
| Quad Meshes | Yes |
| Basic 3D Geometry | Yes |
| PBR Materials | No |
| Transparent Materials | Yes |
| Vertex Colors | Yes |
| Materials | Yes |
| Scene Composition | Yes |
| Hierarchical Scene Graph | Yes |
| Scene Nodes | Yes |
| Standardized Format | Yes |
| Embedded Textures | Yes |
| Multiple UV Channels | Yes |
| Normal Mapping | Partial2 |
| Procedural Textures | No |
| Texture Compression | Partial3 |
| Texture Transforms | Yes |
| Texturing | Yes |
Converting and Optimizing PRC/U3D Files
There are various ways to convert between PRC/U3D files and other 3D formats. With RapidPipeline, you can easily convert and and optimize PRC/U3D files, at scale. It supports PRC/U3D, as well as many other file formats (examples: 3dsMax, 3MF, ACIS, AutoCAD, CATIA, COLLADA, Creo, DGN, FBX, glTF, I-deas, IFC, IGES, Inventor, JT, Navisworks, OBJ, Parasolid, PLY, Revit, Rhino 3DM, Solid Edge, SolidWorks, STEP, STEP Enhanced, STL, USD, USDZ, VDA-FS, VRM, VRML), at high quality.
Due to the potential limitations aforementioned on the table above, in principle, this format cannot always perfectly convert 3D data between PRC/U3D and other formats. In the following, you can find format conversion guides between PRC/U3D and the most important other formats, along with a rough score for compatibility of this workflow:
Converting PRC/U3D to Other 3D File Formats
What's the best way to get PRC/U3D files into my 3D applications?
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 PRC/U3D files - the conversion guide above gives a rough idea. Once you know what you would like to do, tools like RapidPipeline can help you perform the necessary steps, and to automate the process.
However, especially when introducing pipelines and workflows at scale in an enterprise context, it is usually good to rely on dedicated 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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