Import all the things

Supported Formats

Since V0.1, ProtoTwin has only supported importing GLTF and GLB files. These remain our preferred 3D mesh formats, but with the latest V1.3 release, we are expanding the list of supported formats to include:

• STEP: Common CAD exchange format, storing the boundary representation of objects.
• OBJ (Wavefront): Simple text-based 3D format, supporting per-vertex normals and basic materials.
• STL: Simple text-based 3D format.
• DAE (Collada): XML-based 3D format, supporting basic materials and textures.
• FBX: Common 3D modeling format, supporting materials and textures.
• URDF: Common format for robotics, supporting meshes, physics and joints.
• USDZ: Advanced format for robotics, supporting meshes, physics and joints.

Materials

Some formats include material properties. These properties may be as simple as just a single base color. Others support full Physically Based Rendering (PBR) materials. ProtoTwin supports PBR materials and the importer will automatically convert simpler material types to PBR materials.

STEP Tessellation

The ability to import STEP files means that CAD models can now be brought directly into ProtoTwin without first exporting them to an intermediate tessellated mesh format. During import, the CAD geometry is tessellated into meshes suitable for real-time rendering while preserving visual fidelity.

Robotics with URDF and USD(Z)

The URDF and USDZ formats support more than just graphical 3D meshes. They can embed information about the physics, including rigid bodies, center of mass, inertia tensor, collision geometry and joints. This information is extremely useful for robotics, with many robot manufacturers providing URDF or USDZ files that encode the base frame, TCP frame, joint positions and joint limits.

URDF is limited to open-chain kinematic trees, so closed-loop kinematic graphs are not supported. However, URDF does support transmission (mimic joint) information, which often allows us to bridge this gap. ProtoTwin will automatically add physics components, joints and motors when importing URDF and USDZ files.

Onshape Workflow

Onshape can export URDF, including any joints created in your Onshape assembly. This workflow now allows you to import your Onshape CAD, with joints already preconfigured, directly into ProtoTwin. Our integrated robot controller will automatically solve the inverse kinematics for just about any robot you can dream up. You are not constrained to a limited set of robot types. Just import your URDF and immediately start programming through the intuitive user interface.