Convert SCAD 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 SCAD to 3DM
- 1
Open your .scad file
Drag it onto the viewer above, or click "Open an SCAD 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 SCAD into 3DM, and what does not.
| Geometry | Reduced | SCAD stores exact B-rep solids and 3DM stores triangles, so the surfaces are tessellated. Curved faces become faceted at the display tolerance, which is fine for visualization, printing and clash checking, but not for further parametric CAD work. |
|---|---|---|
| Colors and materials | Kept | 3DM carries one color per object, which is at least what SCAD stores, so the colors come across. |
| 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. SCAD 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: OpenSCAD (.scad) (.scad)
The OpenSCAD program run as OpenSCAD runs it: modules, functions, loops and every built-in solid, transform, boolean, extrusion, offset, hull and minkowski, with OpenSCAD’s exact facet counts from $fn, $fa and $fs, color() colours, and text in OpenSCAD’s own default font. include<> and use<> files are read from the same ZIP.
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 SCAD 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.
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.
Share it
Made something reusable? Add it to the Free Parts Library. Writing about it? Copy a link, badge or citation. Send us your post and we’ll feature it with a link to your site.
Hear about new formats
Occasional emails when the viewer learns a new format or gets a new tool.
Frequently asked questions
▶Is this SCAD to 3DM converter free?
Yes. No signup, no watermark, no per-file limit and no paid tier. Innerscene.
▶Is my SCAD 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?
3DM carries one color per object, which is at least what SCAD stores, so the colors come across.
▶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. SCAD does not, so the size is taken from how the viewer read the file. Check the scale once on import.
▶How large an SCAD 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 SCAD?
Not here. We read SCAD 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 SCAD to something else
Convert something else to 3DM
Or start from the universal 3D viewer.