Convert CIF to USDZ (Free)
Also converts STL, OBJ, GLB, PLY, 3MF, FBX 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 CIF to USDZ
- 1
Open your .cif file
Drag it onto the viewer above, or click "Open a CIF File". Files up to 200 MB open directly; the parse runs in a worker so the page stays responsive.
- 2
Click Download USDZ
Once the file is open, the Download USDZ button sits at the bottom right of the viewer. The Export menu in the toolbar has every other format.
- 3
Download
The .usdz 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 CIF into USDZ, and what does not.
| Geometry | Kept | Both formats store triangle meshes, so the shape transfers directly. |
|---|---|---|
| Colors and materials | Kept | USDZ carries full PBR materials, which is at least what CIF stores, so the colors come across. |
| Layers and structure | Reduced | USDZ has named objects but no layers, so each layer becomes a named part instead. |
| Units and scale | Reduced | CIF coordinates are in ångströms, and the export treats one ångström as one meter: a protein 50 Å across arrives 50 meters across. Scale the model on import to the size you want. |
| Lines and points | Dropped | AR Quick Look renders neither lines nor point clouds, so only the triangle meshes are written. |
What the USDZ writer emits: An uncompressed, 64-byte-aligned USDZ holding a USD layer with UsdPreviewSurface materials and any baseColor texture. Lines and points are skipped because Quick Look renders neither.
The source: mmCIF / CIF structure (.cif, .mmcif, .mcif)
A PDBx/mmCIF structure from the Protein Data Bank, as a cartoon of its chains with ligands as ball and stick, or a small-molecule crystallography CIF, as ball and stick inside its unit cell, in ångströms with every atom coloured by element and a space-filling layer. The first data block of the file is read.
The target: USD for AR Quick Look (.usdz)
Apple AR: tap the file on an iPhone or iPad and the model stands in the room.
Opens in: iOS and iPadOS AR Quick Look, visionOS, macOS Preview, Reality Composer.
Your file never leaves your computer
Both the CIF parser and the USDZ 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.
Free to Use, No Signup
There are no accounts and no watermarks on this converter. If it saved you time, the one thing we ask is a mention: a post, a link from your blog or course page, or a reply to someone asking how to open a file.
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Hear about new formats
Occasional emails when the viewer learns a new format or gets a new tool.
Frequently asked questions
▶Is this CIF to USDZ converter free?
Yes. No signup, no watermark, no per-file limit and no paid tier. Innerscene.
▶Is my CIF 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 USDZ export?
USDZ carries full PBR materials, which is at least what CIF stores, so the colors come across.
▶Do layers and named parts carry into the USDZ file?
USDZ has named objects but no layers, so each layer becomes a named part instead.
▶Will the USDZ open at the right size?
CIF coordinates are in ångströms, and the export treats one ångström as one meter: a protein 50 Å across arrives 50 meters across. Scale the model on import to the size you want.
▶How large a CIF 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 USDZ back to CIF?
Not here. We read CIF and write USDZ, 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 CIF to something else
Convert something else to USDZ
Or start from the universal 3D viewer.