The .x3d file format is an ISO/IEC xml-based standard for representing 3d images. Also known as X3D, .x3d files originated as a way to represent 3D images for computer graphics. Over time applications grew from virtual reality (VRML), to CAD design, architectural rendering, 3D printing, medical and anatomical imaging, representation of molecular chemical structures, human animation, and more.

The Web3D Consortium maintains the X3D standard, with XML Schemas documented here. Current versions include definitions of more than 250 XML elements, over 100 simple types, 70 complex types, and more than 40 defined node groups.

It takes that much complexity to accurately describe anything from a precisely manufactured machine part to a richly textured virtual environment, especially considering lighting, texture, and point of view! XMLSpy, the world’s most popular tool for modeling, editing, transforming, and debugging XML and JSON related technologies, supports .x3d files. XMLSpy offers standards-based tools for anyone who may need to examine, exchange, consume, or validate .x3d files. Let’s look at some examples.