Extract text from Rhinoceros 3D models (3DM)
To convert 3DM 3D models to another format, you need Rhinoceros 3D or other 3D software.
To convert other file formats to the "NURBS Modeling File" file type, you need software like Rhinoceros 3D or a similar tool.
The .3dm file format is primarily a 3D model file created by Rhinoceros 3D (often called Rhino). It utilizes Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines (NURBS) to mathematically represent precise 3D curves, surfaces, and solids. A rare, secondary use for this extension is as a 3D model for train simulation software like Trainz Simulator or Eisenbahn.exe Professional.
The primary software to open these files is Rhinoceros 3D. Because the format is built on the openNURBS toolkit, there is limited third-party support in CAD applications like AutoCAD or 3D suites like Blender (usually requiring specific plugins).
The .3dm format is highly specialized and requires expensive proprietary software to fully utilize. The files often exceed hundreds of megabytes in size, cannot be opened by standard operating system tools, and are entirely unsupported by web browsers. Sharing a raw .3dm file with a client or manufacturer guarantees compatibility issues unless they also own a Rhino license.
To make the file usable across different platforms, you should convert it to OBJ for general 3D rendering, STL for 3D printing, or STEP and IGES for cross-platform CAD engineering. Note that converting a NURBS-based .3dm to a mesh-based format like OBJ or STL permanently bakes the geometry. The mathematical curves are converted to a rigid mesh of flat triangles, meaning you lose the original editability.
Because .3dm relies on complex NURBS mathematics and proprietary internal data structures, it is extremely difficult to open or convert correctly outside of its native environment. Standard online converters often fail to process the complex geometry. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format, viewing or conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your 3DM file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted DM, 3D, JCD, DM3, RHL, PDF, SKP, IFC, STL, BIP, MTL, MAX and 3DF files.
If you want to convert 3DM file to STL, OBJ, SKP, FBX, DWG, STEP, GLB, STP, DAE, 3DS, MAX or BLEND, you can use Rhinoceros 3D or similar software from the "3D NURBS Model Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DWG, DAE, X3D, IGES, WRL, JT, SKP, 3DS, OBJ, STEP, FBX or PLY files to 3DM, try Rhinoceros 3D or another comparable tool in the "3D NURBS Model Storage" 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 3DM converter.