Available Mesh File Formats

In addition to primitive shapes such as boxes and cylinders, mesh files created with CAD or modeling tools can be used for the shapes of a model. A mesh file is loaded as a link shape with the Resource Node in Body files, or with the mesh node in URDF files. The format of a file is determined by its extension.

The mesh file formats available in Choreonoid are as follows.

Format	Extension	Remarks
glTF	.gltf, .glb	A format widely used in recent years for the exchange of 3D scenes and models.
Wavefront OBJ	.obj	The specification of colors, materials, and textures with material files (.mtl) is also supported.
STL	.stl	A simple format that stores triangle meshes. Both the ASCII and binary forms are supported. It does not contain color or material information.
COLLADA	.dae	A format supported for input and output by many modeling tools. Loading this format used to require the Assimp plugin, but it is now supported as standard.
VRML97	.wrl	The format also used in OpenHRP Model Files.
Standard scene file	.scen	Choreonoid’s own scene description file in the YAML format. A scene combining primitive shapes, meshes, and so on can be described.
Blender	.blend	The Assimp Plugin is required for loading.
DirectX	.x	The Assimp Plugin is required for loading.
DXF	.dxf	The Assimp Plugin is required for loading.

Loading a Mesh File by Itself

A mesh file can not only be referenced from a model file but also be loaded by itself as a body model. When you select “Scene / Mesh” as the file type in the dialog of “File” - “Load” - “Body” in the main menu, mesh files of the above formats can be loaded directly, and a body model with the shape of the mesh is generated.

In doing so, the length unit (meter / millimeter / inch) and the upper axis can be specified with the options of the load dialog, so that the file can be loaded with the conversion matching the convention of the tool with which the mesh was created.