Datasmith Supported Software and File Types

Details all the third-party software applications and data formats that Datasmith works with.

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macOS

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Supported Applications
Supported File Formats and Standards
- Export Plugins for macOS
Formats that Unreal Engine Supports Directly
Backward Compatibility

Datasmith currently works with the software applications and file formats listed in the following table.

For each type of software or file format listed, the Status column uses the following icons to indicate the level of readiness you should expect:


Icon	Meaning
	Production-ready.
	Beta or Experimental feature, shared with customers for testing and feedback. Expect changes, and we may deprecate functionality at our discretion.

The Workflow Type indicates how you package the information from your design application:

Direct means that the Datasmith Importer Plugin in Unreal reads the application's file format directly.
Export means that you need to export the content from your application to a specific file format before Datasmith can import it into Unreal Engine. You export the content using functionality that is already built into your application.
Export Plugin means that you need to install a new plugin into your application in order to export your design data into the format that Datasmith imports into Unreal.

The Importer Plugin column below tells you which Datasmith importer plugin you need to enable in your Unreal Engine Project to be able to import files of each type. For more information about this process, see Importing Datasmith Content .

You can download all Datasmith exporter plugins from the Datasmith exporter plugins page.

For most file formats supported by Datasmith, you don't need any additional software to be installed on your computer. All you need is the file that you want to import. However, the following file formats have specific requirements:

.wire - In order to use Datasmith to import a .wire file, you must have a version of Autodesk Alias AutoStudio installed that is compatible with your .wire file.

Supported Applications


Application	Version	Workflow Type	Importer Plugin
3D ACIS	Up to R27	Direct	CAD
3DEXCITE DELTAGEN	2017, 2018	Export (FBX only)	FBX
ArcGIS CityEngine		Export Plugin	Datasmith
Autodesk 3ds Max	2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022	Export Plugin	Datasmith
Autodesk Alias	Up to 2021	Direct	CAD
Autodesk AutoCAD		Direct	CAD
Autodesk Inventor	Up to 2019	Direct	CAD
Autodesk Revit	2018.3, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022	Export Plugin	Datasmith
Autodesk Navisworks	2019, 2020, 2021, 2022	Export Plugin	Datasmith
Autodesk VRED	VRED Professional 2018, 2019, 2020	Export Plugin	FBX
Dassault Systèmes CATIA V5	R10 - R29	Direct	CAD
Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKS	Up to 2021	Export Plugin	CAD
Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKS	2020, 2021	Direct	Datasmith
Graphisoft Archicad	23, 24, 25	Export Plugin	Datasmith
Maxon Cinema 4D		Direct	C4D
McNeel Rhinoceros	up to 7	Export Plugin	Datasmith
McNeel Rhinoceros	up to 6	Direct ( `.3dm` files)	Datasmith
PTC Creo (Pro/ENGINEER)	V13 up to Creo 6	Direct	CAD
Siemens NX	V11 - NX CR	Direct	CAD
Trimble SketchUp Pro	2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021	Export Plugin, DirectLink	Datasmith

Supported File Formats and Standards


File Format or Standard Name	Version	Workflow Type	Importer Plugin
3DXML	R2018X	Direct	CAD
glTF	2.0	Direct	glTF
Industry Foundation Classes (IFC)	IFC 2x3	Direct	IFC
Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES)	5.2, 5.3	Direct	CAD
JT Open	Up to 10.2	Direct	CAD
Parasolid (x_t)	up to 31	Direct	CAD
Siemens PLM XML	7.0.3 and later (Compatible with TeamCenter 11 or later)	Direct	CAD
STEP	AP203, AP214, AP242	Direct	CAD

Export Plugins for macOS

Most Export Plugins , as well as all Datasmith importers in the Unreal Editor, are currently only available for Microsoft Windows platforms. As of Unreal Engine 4.27, we also support exporting from the following applications on macOS:


Application	Supported Versions
Trimble SketchUp Pro	2019, 2020, 2021
Graphisoft Archicad	23, 24, 25
McNeel Rhinoceros	6, 7

Formats that Unreal Engine Supports Directly

Unreal Engine offers built-in support for importing and exporting FBX files.

These FBX-based workflows are optimized to support game requirements, which tend to be focused on working with individual objects. Datasmith, by contrast, brings in entire scenes, potentially containing thousands of objects, each with its materials, pivots, scale, hierarchy, and metadata, from a wide range of sources. However, you should feel free to use the FBX import pipeline if it suits your needs. For example, you might use it to import pieces of additional set dressing that you'll use to augment your Datasmith content in your Unreal Level.

For details, you can read about our FBX Content Pipeline .

We also offer experimental support for importing the glTF format directly into the Content Browser using the built-in Unreal Editor importer. Like the FBX import process, this has been optimized for object-based workflows, and has different limitations compared to the Datasmith glTF importer. However, you might find it works for you in select cases. To try it out, go to Edit > Plugins > Importers , enable the glTF Importer plugin, and restart Unreal Engine.

Backward Compatibility

Sometimes, we may need to change the Datasmith file format and the behavior of the importer plugins in order to add new features. We do not guarantee backward compatibility between all versions of Unreal and all versions of the Datasmith export plugins. Although you may be able to import a .udatasmith file generated with an older version of an export plugin into a newer version of Unreal Engine, we do not recommend depending on it.

Always use the version of an export plugin that matches the Unreal Engine and Datasmith plugin versions that you need to use the exported file with. To get the most out of Datasmith, and to make sure you benefit from the latest fixes and features, we recommend always using the latest available version of Unreal Engine and the export plugins.