Reference

3DS (3D Studio)

3DS is an old 3D model format from Autodesk’s original 3D Studio for DOS. It stores meshes, basic materials, and simple animation, and it survives as a widely supported exchange format despite its age and limits.

Files & formatsGeneral

3DS (3D Studio)

Also known as: .3ds file, 3D Studio format, Autodesk 3DS

Legacy 3D model format from 3D Studio for DOS
Stores meshes, basic materials, simple animation
Widely supported but limited; FBX/glTF preferred

What 3DS stores

A .3ds file holds mesh geometry, basic material and texture references, cameras, lights, and limited keyframe animation. Its structure is dated, with constraints like short object-name limits and per-vertex restrictions.

It predates Autodesk’s newer MAX project format and the broader FBX interchange format, both of which carry far more detail.

3DS today

Because nearly every 3D app reads it, 3DS lingers as a lowest-common-denominator exchange format. For richer transfers, modern pipelines prefer FBX, OBJ, or glTF.

Related terms

Keep reading the reference.

Files & formatsOBJ (3D model)OBJ is a plain-text 3D geometry format that stores a model’s vertices, faces, and texture coordinates. It is one of the most widely supported interchange formats, but it carries no animation and stores materials in a separate .mtl file.General Files & formatsFBX (3D)FBX is a rich 3D interchange format owned by Autodesk that can carry geometry, materials, textures, rigs, and animation in a single file. It is the common pipeline format for games and film, and files tend to be large because they bundle so much.General Files & formatsglTF / GLB (3D)glTF is an open, royalty-free 3D format from the Khronos Group, often called "the JPEG of 3D." It bundles geometry, materials, textures, and animation in a compact, runtime-ready form, and GLB is its single-file binary version used on the web and in AR.General