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About model and data exchange with 3rd party solutions: Revit, Solibri, dRofus, Bluebeam, structural analysis solutions, and IFC, BCF and DXF/DWG-based exchange, etc.

Opening a .3DS file in ArchiCAD

Anonymous
Not applicable
Is it possible to open a .3ds file with ArchiCAD 10?
If so, how?

thanks,

T
5 REPLIES 5
Karl Ottenstein
Moderator
Asked at least once every week. Did you try the 'search' link above?

Karl
One of the forum moderators
AC 27 USA and earlier   •   macOS Ventura 13.6.6, MacBook Pro M2 Max 12CPU/30GPU cores, 32GB
Chazz
Enthusiast
To summarize those posts as well as my own experience.....

Using the .3ds import plugin goodie makes it possible to bring these objects into AC but the results are not pretty. Hi Poly counts, large GSM files sizes and yucky faceting when viewed in hidden line mode. For most applications I have just had to create the thing I wanted to import from scratch using AC native tools and elements. AC is pretty much an island when it comes to exchanging 3d data with the outside CAD world.

Good luck.
Nattering nabob of negativism
2023 MBP M2 Max 32GM. MaxOS-Current
Dwight
Newcomer
A partial solution to this facet/file size problem is to bring the .3ds file through Cinema 4D.
Dwight Atkinson
tsturm
Newcomer
Hey Dwight.

How does bringing the 3ds file through Cinema help out? Could you elaborate for us?

Thanks
Terrence Sturm, Architect
_______________
MBP OSX 10.15.4 Quad Core Intel i7 2.2hz
AC 17 build 5019
AC 22 build 7000
AC 23 build
AC 24 build 5000
Dwight
Newcomer
My experience was with winged nymphs made in Poseur [that's the version with the foppish Hollywood wardrobe.]. They took an eternity to open as 3Ds in Archicad.

But when i opened the 3Ds in Cinema [virtually instantly] recomposed the group of them and saved them, the group opened quickly in Archicad.

It was like a magical streamlining. In Canada's Newfoundland they catch food by "jigging the cod." I imagine this to be "jigging the code."
Dwight Atkinson