Convert 3DS to 3DM (Free)
Also converts STL, OBJ, GLB, PLY, USDZ, 3MF from the same file.
Runs in your browser. No upload, no signup, nothing to install.
Also from Innerscene: Circadian Lab, a free lighting calculator for room illuminance, melanopic EML, and glare.
How to convert 3DS to 3DM
- 1
Open your .3ds file
Drag it onto the viewer above, or click "Open a 3DS File". Files up to 200 MB open directly; the parse runs in a worker so the page stays responsive.
- 2
Pick Rhino 3D Model in the Export menu
Click Export in the toolbar, then 3DM (.3dm).
- 3
Download
The .3dm is written in the browser and saved straight to your downloads folder. No queue, no email, no watermark.
What survives the conversion
A file conversion is a translation, and formats do not carry the same things. Here is exactly what moves from 3DS into 3DM, and what does not.
| Geometry | Kept | Both formats store triangle meshes, so the shape transfers directly. |
|---|---|---|
| Colors and materials | Reduced | 3DS can hold material colors and 3DM holds one color per object, so materials are flattened to that. |
| Textures | Dropped | 3DM does not carry texture images, so a textured model arrives in flat material colors. |
| Layers and structure | Kept | Layers survive as real layers in the 3DM file, so you can still isolate and toggle them. |
| Units and scale | Kept | 3DM stores an explicit unit. 3DS does not, so the size is taken from how the viewer read the file. Check the scale once on import. |
What the 3DM writer emits: openNURBS meshes, point clouds with per-point color and capped line curves, on real layers with their colors, Z-up, with the model unit system set from the source file so Rhino reads true size.
The source: 3D Studio (.3ds)
Meshes, the object hierarchy and material colors from the legacy 3D Studio container.
The target: Rhino 3D Model (.3dm)
Rhino native, written at archive version 5 so it opens in Rhino 5 from 2012 through current.
Opens in: Rhino 5 and later, Grasshopper, Matrix, RhinoGold.
Your file never leaves your computer
Both the 3DS parser and the 3DM writer are JavaScript and WebAssembly running in your own browser tab. There is no upload step, no server-side conversion queue, and no copy of your file anywhere but your machine. That matters for drawings under NDA, for client work, and for anything you would not email to a stranger.
Frequently asked questions
▶Is this 3DS to 3DM converter free?
Yes. No signup, no watermark, no per-file limit and no paid tier. Innerscene.
▶Is my 3DS file uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is read with the browser file API and converted in the same tab. Nothing is sent to a server unless you explicitly click Share, which is a separate, opt-in feature.
▶Will my colors and materials survive the 3DM export?
3DS can hold material colors and 3DM holds one color per object, so materials are flattened to that.
▶Do layers and named parts carry into the 3DM file?
Layers survive as real layers in the 3DM file, so you can still isolate and toggle them.
▶Will the 3DM open at the right size?
3DM stores an explicit unit. 3DS does not, so the size is taken from how the viewer read the file. Check the scale once on import.
▶How large a 3DS file can I convert?
Up to 200 MB, and the ceiling adapts to how much memory your device reports. The conversion runs on your own hardware, so a desktop with plenty of RAM will handle more than a phone.
▶Can I convert 3DM back to 3DS?
Not here. We read 3DS and write 3DM, but not the reverse. the universal 3D viewer
▶Which browsers does it work in?
Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari, on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. No plugin and no extension.
Convert 3DS to something else
Convert something else to 3DM
Or start from the universal 3D viewer.