3D/BIM Export Plugins

Lossless Data Extraction from Professional CAD — via Each Vendor's Official API

Free plugins for Revit, Bentley, Tekla, Navisworks, SolidWorks and Inventor. Geometry, materials, hierarchy and BIM attributes are extracted 100% losslessly — no ODA shortcuts, no silent data loss.

Download Plugins (Free) Why Official API Matters Contact Us

Why Not Just Read the Files Directly?

'Generic' 3D/BIM viewers often show components randomly missing, materials corrupted, attributes lost — or entire floors silently disappearing when opening .rvt, .dgn, .nwc or .sldprt models. This is not bad luck. It is the inherent limitation of the ODA (Open Design Alliance) core they rely on.

ODA-based extraction

The Generic Approach

Reverse-engineered format interpretation — silently drops components it cannot parse
Materials and textures partially decoded — visual corruption on complex models
Parameter attributes and family types lost in translation
Errors surface after deployment — too late to trace
Unacceptable risk for collaboration, construction, inspection, and O&M workflows

Official API extraction

The 3D Expert Approach

Dedicated plugin for each CAD platform — built on the vendor's official API
Geometry, materials, hierarchy and BIM attributes extracted 100% losslessly
Component IDs and structure tree preserved 1:1 with the source model
Extraction happens inside the CAD software — verifiable against the source
Synchronized with each vendor's version updates — Revit, Tekla, Bentley, SolidWorks and more

For an engineer, one missing component means a rework cycle. One dropped attribute means a misdiagnosis in a maintenance event. One silently corrupted model can undermine confidence in an entire digital twin program. — why we invest the R&D to do it right

Where the Plugins Fit

The plugins are the upstream of the 3D Expert pipeline — the free "producer" that exports your CAD models losslessly for downstream conversion and web rendering.

CAD Software + Plugin

Install the free export plugin, open your model, export to .glzip

Plugin: Free

→

Rapid3D Converter

Processes .glzip → outputs .opt + .db with full lightweighting

Licensed

→

Rapid3D Loader

npm package loads .opt + .db in Three.js — 7 simple APIs

Loader: Free

Everything downstream — rendering performance, data query speed, viewer fidelity — depends on the completeness of what the plugin delivers.

What the Plugins Preserve

Not just geometry — the full engineering information your downstream workflows depend on.

■

3D Geometry

Complete tessellated geometry for every component — no missing valves, no vanished floors, no silently dropped disciplines. What you see in the CAD software is what you get.

🎨

Materials & Textures

Material definitions, colors, transparency and texture maps are carried over faithfully — no "messed up" appearance on complex architectural and plant models.

🌳

Hierarchy & Structure Tree

The full component hierarchy (disciplines → systems → components) is exported 1:1. Filter, isolate and navigate in the web viewer exactly as in the authoring software.

📋

BIM Attributes Queryable

Element IDs, family types, parameter sets and professional properties are exported to the .db data file — ready for engineering quantity takeoff, procurement and O&M queries.

🔒

Runs Inside Your CAD Software

The plugin executes within Revit, Tekla, Bentley, Navisworks, SolidWorks or Inventor itself — on your machine, in your environment. No model file ever leaves your network during export.

🚀

Version-Synced Maintenance

Each plugin is continuously adapted to new CAD releases (Revit 2014–2025, SolidWorks 2018–2024, and counting). Updates are included — no per-version upgrade fees.

Plugin Catalog & Downloads

All plugins are free to download and use. Format access in the downstream Rapid3D Converter is gated by license tier.

CAD Platform	Source Formats	Supported Versions	Integration Method	Converter Tier	Download
Autodesk Revit	.rvt, .rfa	Revit 2014–2025	Plugin for Revit → GLZIP	Tier 1	Download
Bentley MicroStation	.dgn, .i.dgn, .cel	MicroStation CE Update 10.6–10.17	Plugin for Bentley CE → GLZIP	Tier 2	Download
Tekla Structures	Tekla model database	Tekla Structures 2016–2023	Plugin for Tekla → GLZIP	Tier 2	Download
Autodesk Navisworks	.nwd, .nwc	Navisworks Manage 2017–2023	Plugin for Navisworks → GLZIP	Tier 2	Download
AVEVA PDMS via Navisworks	.rvm + .att	Opened in Navisworks Manage	Plugin for Navisworks → GLZIP	Tier 2	Same plugin
Intergraph SP3D via Navisworks	.vue + .xml	Opened in Navisworks Manage 2022+	Plugin for Navisworks → GLZIP	Tier 2	Same plugin
SolidWorks	.sldprt, .sldasm	SolidWorks 2018–2024	Plugin for SolidWorks → GLZIP	Tier 3	Download
Autodesk Inventor	.ipt, .iam	Inventor Professional 2019+	Plugin for Inventor → GLZIP	Tier 3	Download
AutoCAD In Development	.dwg	AutoCAD 2019–2024	Plugin for AutoCAD → GLZIP	—	—

PDMS (.rvm) and SP3D (.vue) models are opened and extracted through the Navisworks plugin — one plugin, four format families, no separate download or license required. Rhino, Siemens NX and PTC Creo plugins exist but are not yet offered outside selected markets — contact us for availability.

Case Study: Airport BIM Operations Platform

What ODA-based data loss looks like in production — and what changed after migrating to the 3D Expert pipeline.

The Problem

A large-scale airport BIM operations platform experienced a critical failure after deployment: 30% of HVAC valve components were absent from the operations viewer, traced to data loss in the ODA-based conversion pipeline. Equipment location lookups and maintenance routing were compromised across an entire mechanical system.

120,000+

elements across all engineering disciplines loaded completely in a single import cycle

99.98%

attribute match accuracy against the source Revit model

100%

of HVAC valve components present after migration

After migrating to the 3D Expert pipeline with native API-based export, the data continuity gap that had propagated into facilities management workflows was permanently resolved.

Kept in Sync with Every Release

Plugin maintenance is the hidden cost of official-API development — we carry it so you don't have to.

Continuous Adaptation

Every new CAD release brings API changes. Each plugin is re-validated against new versions and updated — included in your subscription, no per-version fees.

Priority by Demand

Need a specific version supported on your timeline? Active customers drive our adaptation priority — contact us with your requirement.

Verified Against Source

Because extraction runs inside the CAD software via official API, results are always verifiable against the source model — no black-box guessing.

FAQ

Are the plugins really free?

Yes. All export plugins are free to download and use — no license key, no time limit, no export quota. The plugins produce .glzip files, which are processed downstream by the Rapid3D Converter (licensed) for web delivery. If you only need to extract and inspect data inside your CAD software, the plugins cost nothing.

Why can't you just read .rvt or .dgn files directly?

Professional CAD software uses proprietary or confidential file formats. Without using each vendor's official API, it is impossible to guarantee complete and lossless extraction of both geometry and associated data — this is exactly the failure mode of ODA-based generic viewers. Our dedicated plugins run inside the CAD software and export models and their data into .glzip files that faithfully reconstruct the original model downstream.

What is a .glzip file?

GLZIP is 3D Expert's lossless intermediate payload produced by the export plugins — it carries complete geometry, materials, hierarchy and BIM attribute data. The Rapid3D Converter then transforms it into web-optimized .opt (geometry) + .db (data) files for high-performance rendering through the Rapid3D Loader for Three.js.

Does the plugin require the CAD software to be installed?

Yes — the plugin runs as an add-in inside the CAD application (Revit, MicroStation, Tekla, Navisworks, SolidWorks or Inventor), because that is precisely how it accesses the vendor's official API. This also means the export happens on your machine, in your environment: no model data ever leaves your network.

One Navisworks plugin really covers NWD, NWC, PDMS and SP3D?

Yes. Navisworks Manage natively opens .nwd and .nwc files, and can import AVEVA PDMS (.rvm + .att) and Intergraph SP3D (.vue + .xml) models. Since the plugin extracts through Navisworks' API after the model is open, one plugin serves all four format families — no separate download, no additional license.

What happens when a new CAD version is released?

We continuously maintain all plugins to support new CAD software versions — for example, Revit support spans 2014–2025. Plugin updates are included at no additional cost. If a breaking API change occurs in a new CAD version, we prioritize adaptation based on customer demand — contact us if you need support for a specific version.

Can we get plugins for other CAD platforms?

AutoCAD (.dwg) support is under development. Plugins for Rhino, Siemens NX and PTC Creo exist but are currently offered only in selected markets — contact us to check availability for your region. We also add new platforms based on user demand: tell us what you need.

Stop Losing Data You Can't See

Download the free plugins and compare the extraction against your source model — every component, every attribute, verifiable.

Download Free Plugins Contact us

Free plugins · Official-API extraction · Runs inside your CAD software