> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://education.printm3d.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://education.printm3d.com/file-formats.md).

# File Formats

### File Formats

| Name                                                                                 | License        | Encoding       | Features                                                                        |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | -------------- | -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [3MF](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_Manufacturing_Format)                         | Open           | Compressed XML | geometry, material, metadata, signature, texture, thumbnail                     |
| [ACIS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ACIS#File_format)                               |                | text or binary |                                                                                 |
| [AMF](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Additive_Manufacturing_File_Format)              | Open           | Zipped XML     | color, constellations, curved triangles, formulas, geometry, material, metadata |
| [CKD](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KeyCreator)                                      | Proprietary    |                |                                                                                 |
| [DWG](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.dwg) (Drawing)                                  | Proprietary    | OpenXPS        |                                                                                 |
| [DXF](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoCAD_DXF) (Drawing Exchange Format)           | Proprietary    | text/binary    |                                                                                 |
| [DWF](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_Web_Format) (Design Web Format)           |                | OpenXPS        | Communicate design information                                                  |
| [IGES](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IGES) (Initial Graphics Exchange Specification) | Vendor-neutral | text           |                                                                                 |
| [OBJ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavefront_.obj_file) (Object)                    | Open           | text           | geometry                                                                        |
| [PLY](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PLY_\(file_format\)) (Polygon File Format)       | Open           | text or binary | color, geometry, normals, texture, transparency                                 |
| [STL](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_\(file_format\))                             | Proprietary    | text or binary | geometry, normals                                                               |
| [STEP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_10303)                                      | <p>ISO<br></p> |                |                                                                                 |