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Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about our 3D models — from file formats and payment methods to refunds and technical support. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Get in touch.
Choosing 3D models
How do I check whether a model will work in my software?
I was unable to find the model I needed. What should I do?
If I have a specific question regarding a model, who should I contact?
Does XO3D have free 3D models?
Payments and downloads
What payment methods are accepted?
Why am I charged VAT?
What do I receive after purchase?
Technical support
What does Low Poly, Rigged, PBR, UV mapping and Animated mean?
Low Poly models. A model with geometry reduced for its intended use. There is no universal polygon count that makes an asset suitable for every game, mobile device or web viewer. Materials, draw calls, texture memory, lighting and the rest of the scene also affect performance.
Use the Labs web and AR planning guide to set an initial budget, then test the complete scene on the target device. Its figures are planning thresholds, not guarantees or platform limits.
Check the actual asset for the features your renderer needs, including texture resolution, surface normals, transparency and any hair or particle system. A file extension or a low-poly label does not guarantee that every feature will transfer between applications.
Rigged. A model is considered rigged if it meets these criteria: a logical hierarchy (FK/IK) is followed by skeleton bones and joints; object parenting and precise pivots/control nulls are used in hard-surface rigs; skinning and weighting are done correctly (simple model deformations work as expected); morphs (blend shapes) are properly set up; controls are supplied and limitations properly set; a bind frame is incorporated; transforms are reset or frozen.
PBR (Physically Based Rendering). This is more precise and consistent under all lighting circumstances since it is based on real-world values. It’s the engine that drives AAA video games and high-end renderers. The most common workflows are Specular/Glossiness and Metallic/Roughness. All core spec/gloss or metal/rough workflow textures must be provided for the model to be approved as PBR in our marketplace.
UV mapping. This is the process of projecting a 2D picture onto the surface of a 3D model for texture mapping. If your model only has basic UV mapping, you can simply pick UV mapping and leave the Unwrapped UVs option blank. You must indicate a more complex mapping if one was used. You can choose between overlapping, non-overlapping and mixed patterns. This means that the model may have basic UVs as well as unwrapped UVs, or no UVs at all.
Animated. A model is considered animated if there are keyframes and animation curves, playback has no glitches, hiccups or unexpected spikes, and any looping animation transitions smoothly.
Polygonal mesh vs. Solid (NURBS/Spline)
A model made up of polygon faces is called a polygonal mesh. Most common mesh formats: .obj, .fbx, .3ds, .dae, .stl, .max, .ma, .mb, .c4d, .blend, .lws, .lwo, .lw, .abc, .hrc, .xsi, .lxo, .lxl, .ztl, .pp2, .3b, .spp, .duf, .mud, .tb.
3ds Max, Maya, Cinema 4D, Blender, Modo, Lightwave, Zbrush, Unity, UE4, SketchUp, Softimage, DAZ Studio and Poser are some of the most common tools that support mesh type.
We do not advocate converting or importing solid NURBS formats into any of the software listed above. Imported solid models will have a large polycount, will be triangulated and may have flaws like geometry cracks or inverted normals.
Splines are used to create solid (CAD/NURBS/Spline) models. A spline is a mathematical expression that describes a curve. Most common NURBS/solid formats: .stp, .iges, .ige, .igs, .cat, .sat, .3dm, .rfa, .rvt, .dxf, .dwg, .sldprt, .sldasm, .slddrw, .catproduct, .catpart, .ipt, .asm, .cad, .jcd, .iam.
Rhino, Solidworks, Inventor, AutoCAD, Revit, TinkerCAD, Infraworks, ArchiCAD, CATIA, Fusion 360 and 3D Builder are some of the most common software packages that support this geometry type. We do not advocate or perform conversions of mesh formats into CAD software — polygonal mesh formats may import as a single object and be difficult to edit.