Extract text from 3D game models (3DG)
To convert 3DG 3D models to another format, you need Test Drive Unlimited or other 3D software.
To convert other file formats to the "Game Assets" file type, you need software like Test Drive Unlimited or a similar tool.
The .3DG extension usually refers to one of three distinct 3D formats, creating significant compatibility confusion. Most commonly, it is a proprietary 3D geometry file used in the racing simulation game Test Drive Unlimited (TDU) to store vehicle meshes and environment data. These files are typically locked within larger BNK archives and cannot be opened directly by standard modeling tools like Blender or Autodesk 3ds Max. To edit these models, modders must extract them and convert the geometry to an intermediate format like OBJ or Z3D using specialized community-made tools (e.g., TDU Modding Tools).
Alternatively, a .3DG file may be a sliced print file generated for BigRep large-format 3D printers. In this context, the file contains machine instructions (similar to G-code) rather than a clean 3D mesh. Users commonly have issues here because they cannot easily edit the file or revert it to a source STL; they can usually only preview the toolpath. A third, legacy use case involves the 3D GameStudio (Acknex) engine, where the format stored compiled scene geometry. Regardless of the source, direct editing is rarely possible. The best workflow involves converting TDU files to OBJ for editing, or converting print files to PDF or images for documentation and archiving.
Convert.Guru analyzes your 3DG file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted G3D, 3DS, OBJ, MTL, TEXTURES, MODELS and LXF files.
If you want to convert 3DG file to OBJ, FBX, DAE, 3DS, MAX, BLEND, MA, MB, C4D, STL, PLY or WRL, you can use Test Drive Unlimited or similar software from the "Game Model / Print Data" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DWG, DAE, X3D, IGES, WRL, JT, SKP, 3DS, 3DM, OBJ, STEP or FBX files to 3DG, try Test Drive Unlimited or another comparable tool in the "Game Model / Print Data" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our 3DG converter.