Microvellum BSB, using BricsCAD Pro as its basis, offers full support for the same wide range of file types for import and export. Certain file formats not listed in this article can be imported/exported by BricsCAD, but are not, at the time of writing, available for import/export in Microvellum BSB. These file types may become available in future versions of the software.
CAD File Formats
CAD formats are file types that are either native to or available for usage in CAD software. Microvellum BSB supports the following file types for import or export. File types are marked according to whether they can only be imported or exported, or both. File types created specifically for use with BricsCAD (such as settings files or are designated as native files in the Import/Export column. Some file types capable of being imported (such as SketchUp files) may be imported in a state that requires an additional step to be usable in BSB (SketchUp files are imported as meshes, and require one to use the SOLIDIFY command, as noted below).
CAD Formats | Extension | Description | Import/Export |
FBX binary file | FBX | A Mudbox format used to send 3D models to animation and rendering software. Can be exported using the FBXEXPORT command. | Export only |
FBX ASCII file | FBX | An ASCII format (readable on the user end) version of the FBX format. Can be exported using the FBXEXPORT command. | Export Only |
AutoCAD® Drawing | DWG | CAD drawing format created by Autodesk®. To export drawings in an earlier DWG version, use the SAVEAS command. | Import/Export |
AutoCAD® ASCII DXF | DXF | Drawing interchange format created by Autodesk®; to create binary DXF files, use the DXFOUT command. | Import/Export |
Drawing Template | DWT | Templates on which new drawings are based. | Import Only |
3D DWF | DWF/DWFx | CAD viewing format for 3D models created by Autodesk®. Can be exported using EXPORT command. | Export Only |
Binary DWF | DWF | Compressed version of DWF. | Export Only |
Zipped ASCII Encoded 2D Stream DWF v6.0 | DWF | ASCII version of DWF compressed into a ZIP file. | Export Only |
Compressed DWF v5.5 | DWF | Compressed ASCII version of an older version of DWF. | Export Only |
Binary DWF v5.5 | DWF | Compressed version of an older version of DWF. | Export Only |
ASCII DWF v5.5 | DWF | ASCII version of an older version of DWF. | Export Only |
MicroStation DGN File | DGN | Design files created for use with the MicroStation CAD software. Imported using the IMPORT command. | Import Only |
Rhino Files | 3DM | 3D modeling file for the Rhinoceros CAD application software. Imported with the IMPORT command. | Import/Export |
LandXML | LANDXML | An XML format designed to contain survey/civil data. Can be imported/exported using the LANDXMLIMPORT/LANDXMLEXPORT commands. | Import/Export |
SketchUp file | SKP | SketchUp model files. When imported, they are imported as meshes. The model can be converted into a solid using either the SOLIDIFY command (if intending to only convert a mesh to a solid), or using the CONVTOSOLID and CONVTOMESH commands (if intending to convert back and forth between a mesh and a solid). Sketchup files are imported using the IMPORT command. | Import Only |
Standards File | DWS | Drawing standards file, used by the STANDARDS and CHECKSTANDARDS commands. | Import/Export, Native |
Vector Formats
Vector files are images coded with geometric formulas to enable them to be scaled with minimal quality loss. BricsCAD allows for the import and export of multiple different vector file formats. Specific formats have additional functionality tied to their import, as noted in the table below.
Vector Formats | Extension | Description | Import/Export |
Windows Meta File | WMF | Vector format created by Microsoft and used by the clipboard; can be exported using the WMFOUT command. | Import/Export
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Enhanced Windows Meta File* | EMF | Updated version of the WMF file format. | Import/Export |
Scalable Vector Graphics | SVG | An XML-based file format for describing two-dimensional vector graphics. Used by Web pages to display vector graphics. Multiple commands control the files; it can be exported using the EXPORT command. | Export Only |
Lithography | STL | A 3D format used by 3D printers, native to the stereolithography CAD software created by 3D Systems. Can be exported using the STLOUT command. | Export Only |
Collada file | DAE | A 3D format used by rendering and animation software. Imported and Exported using the IMPORT/EXPORT command. | Import/Export |
Slide File | SLD | Proprietary graphics format created by Autodesk® for saving screen grabs of viewports. Can be created using the MSLIDE command and viewed using the VSLIDE command. | Export Only |
3D PDF** | Portable Document Format (PDF) is a file format used to represent documents, independently from application software, hardware, and operating system. PDFs have a variety of associated commands in BSB, including PDFIMAGECOMPRESSION, PDFVECTORGEOMETRY, PDFIMPORTIMAGEPATH, and more. | Import/Export |
HTML Format | Extension | Description | Import/Export |
HTML | HTM | Hyper Text Markup Language format files are opened in a Web browser. The VMLOUT command exports drawings to VML (short for vector markup language) embedded in a HTML file. | Export Only |
Wavefront Object File | OBJ | A text file format which contains 3D graphic information such as vertices, polygonal faces, and 3D coordinates. Can be imported using the IMPORT command. | Import Only |
Raster Formats
Raster image file extensions that are available for import into Microvellum BSB. It should be noted that while the most common raster formats are not listed in this chart, JPEG, JPG, and PNG files are able to be imported and interacted with while using Microvellum BSB, for specific purposes (such as being set as a logo in paper-space or added to a specific drawing).
Raster Format | Extension | Description | Import/Export |
Bitmap | BMP | Raster format created by Microsoft; used by the clipboard. Can be imported and exported using the IMPORT/EXPORT commands. | Import/Export |
Point Cloud Formats
Point Cloud files contain data points collected for the purpose of analyzing geographical regions, terrain, buildings, or space. Microvellum BSB, being built using BricsCAD Pro, allows for the import and export of multiple different Point Cloud files. Generally, all the file types listed below can be imported into BSB using the POINTCLOUDREFERENCE command, then selecting to import a file.
Point Cloud Format | Extension | Description | Import/Export |
LIDAR Data Exchange | LAS | Open binary format created by the ASPRS to create maps and models of recorded areas. This is the standard format of LIDAR data. | Import Only |
LIDAR Data Exchange Compressed | LAZ | A format designed to contain compressed LAS files without data loss. | Import/Export |
Hexagon Smart Point Cloud | HSPC | A point cloud format that utilizes specialized coordinate encoding to enhance point collection for data. Created to replace the HPC format; used by Hexagon. | Import/Export |
Hexagon Smart Point Cloud Pack | HSPC.Pack | HSPC files that contain multiple clusters of data, rather than a singular set. | Import Only |
E57 ASTM Standard | E57 | A vendor neutral format for storing point cloud data, images, and metadata. | Import Only |
Leica Geosystem | LGSX | 3D scan files that contain raw survey and mapping data. These files are native to the Leica Cyclone software. | Import Only |
Plain Text Point Data | PTS | A Leica native format containing point cloud data that does not retain data from the original scan or registration. | Import/Export |
Plain Text Point Data Extended | PTX | An ASCII format based on the PTS that saves 3D data points as 4 or 7 values. This format retains all scan and registration information upon export. | Import Only |
ReCap Project | RCP | A file format containing an aggregation of multiple RCS files. Designed for use with Autodesk ReCap. | Import Only |
ReCap Scans | RCS | A file format containing data from either one or multiple scanners. Used primarily by Autodesk ReCap. | Import Only |
RiScan Pro File | RSP | A file format for RiSCAN Pro projects. | Import Only |
RiScan Pro Point Cloud Data | RDBX | The proprietary database extension format for RiSCAN Pro. | Import Only |
Zoller Frohlich File | ZFS | The binary format for gridded point cloud data gathered using Zoller+Frolich scanning devices. | Import Only |