Features and Functionalities

Features and Functionalities

This page covers every major feature area of Aspose.3D 26.1.0 with working C# examples.

Loading and Saving Scenes

Scene.Open() loads a file; Scene.Save() exports it. The format is detected from the file extension:

using Aspose.ThreeD;

var scene = new Scene();
scene.Open("input.obj");
scene.Save("output.glb");

Use the static factory Scene.FromFile() as an alternative:

var scene = Scene.FromFile("input.fbx");
scene.Save("output.stl");

Format-Specific Options

Pass LoadOptions or SaveOptions subclasses for fine-grained control:

using Aspose.ThreeD;
using Aspose.ThreeD.Formats;

var scene = new Scene();
scene.Open("model.obj", new ObjLoadOptions { FlipCoordinateSystem = true });
scene.Save("model.fbx");

Available option classes:

Building a Scene Graph

Create nodes and attach entities to build a hierarchy:

var scene = new Scene();
var root = scene.RootNode;

var boxNode = root.CreateChildNode("box", new Box(5, 5, 5));
var sphereNode = root.CreateChildNode("sphere", new Sphere(3));

Access children via node.ChildNodes and the attached entity via node.Entity.

Mesh and Primitives

Create a Mesh programmatically with control points and polygons:

var mesh = new Mesh("custom");
mesh.ControlPoints.Add(new Vector4(0, 0, 0));
mesh.ControlPoints.Add(new Vector4(10, 0, 0));
mesh.ControlPoints.Add(new Vector4(10, 10, 0));
mesh.ControlPoints.Add(new Vector4(0, 10, 0));
mesh.CreatePolygon(0, 1, 2, 3);

Built-in primitives (Box, Sphere, Cylinder) can be converted to Mesh:

var box = new Box(10, 10, 10);
Mesh boxMesh = box.ToMesh();

Vertex Elements

Attach normals, UVs, and vertex colours to geometry:

var normals = new VertexElementNormal(MappingMode.ControlPoint, ReferenceMode.Direct);
mesh.AddElement(normals);

Available vertex element types: VertexElementNormal, VertexElementUV, VertexElementVertexColor, VertexElementBinormal, VertexElementTangent.

Transforms

Every Node carries a Transform with Translation, Rotation, and Scale:

var node = scene.RootNode.CreateChildNode("moved", new Box());
node.Transform.Translation = new FVector3(10, 0, 5);
node.Transform.Scale = new FVector3(2, 2, 2);

Read world-space position via node.GlobalTransform.Matrix or node.EvaluateGlobalTransform().

Materials

Assign materials to nodes for shading data:

var mat = new PhongMaterial("shiny");
mat.Diffuse = new Vector4(0.8, 0.2, 0.2, 1.0);
mat.Specular = new Vector4(1, 1, 1, 1);
mat.Shininess = 32;

scene.RootNode.CreateChildNode("red_box", new Box(), mat);

Material types: LambertMaterial, PhongMaterial, PbrMaterial.

Tips and Best Practices

• Use Scene.FromFile() for one-liner load when you do not need custom LoadOptions
• Convert primitives to Mesh with ToMesh() before adding vertex elements
• Use GltfSaveOptions with a .glb extension for compact binary output
• Check node.Entity for null before casting — not every node carries geometry
• Use PolygonModifier.Triangulate() to convert quad meshes before export to triangle-only formats like STL

Common Issues

FAQ

How do I detect the format of an unknown file?

Use FileFormat.Detect():

var format = FileFormat.Detect("unknown_file.bin");
Console.WriteLine(format.Extension);

Can I load from a stream instead of a file path?

Yes. Scene.Open() accepts a Stream:

using var stream = File.OpenRead("model.glb");
scene.Open(stream);

Which formats support both import and export?

OBJ, STL, glTF/GLB, FBX, COLLADA, and 3MF support both directions. PLY supports import only (the PLY exporter is not wired).

API Reference Summary