Frequently Asked Questions

How do I install @aspose/3d?

Install from npm. Node.js 16 or later is required:

npm install @aspose/3d

Verify the installation:

import { Scene } from '@aspose/3d';
const scene = new Scene();
console.log('@aspose/3d ready');

TypeScript type definitions are bundled with the package. No separate @types/ package is needed.

Which file formats are supported?

Format	Import	Export
OBJ (Wavefront)	Yes	Yes
glTF 2.0 / GLB	Yes	Yes
FBX (Autodesk)	Yes	Yes
STL (Stereo Lithography)	Yes	Yes
3MF (3D Manufacturing)	Yes	Yes
COLLADA (.dae)	Yes	Yes

How do I load a 3D file?

Create a Scene and call scene.open():

import { Scene } from '@aspose/3d';
import { ObjLoadOptions } from '@aspose/3d/formats/obj';

const scene = new Scene();
scene.open('model.obj', new ObjLoadOptions());

For formats that don’t need special options, omit the second argument:

const scene = new Scene();
scene.open('model.glb');

Is scene.open() asynchronous?

No. scene.open() and scene.openFromBuffer() are synchronous calls. If you need non-blocking I/O, run them inside a Node.js worker thread or wrap with setImmediate.

How do I save to glTF/GLB?

Call scene.save() with a file path. The format is detected automatically from the extension:

scene.save('output.glb');   // binary glTF
scene.save('output.gltf');  // JSON glTF
scene.save('output.obj');   // OBJ
scene.save('output.stl');   // STL

How do I load from a Buffer (in-memory)?

Use scene.openFromBuffer():

import * as fs from 'fs';
import { Scene } from '@aspose/3d';
import { ObjLoadOptions } from '@aspose/3d/formats/obj';

const buffer = fs.readFileSync('model.obj');
const scene = new Scene();
scene.openFromBuffer(buffer, new ObjLoadOptions());

Error: Cannot find module ‘@aspose/3d/formats/obj’

This requires Node.js 12.7+ package exports resolution. Ensure you are on Node.js 16+. For TypeScript, set "moduleResolution": "node16" or "bundler" in tsconfig.json:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "moduleResolution": "node16",
    "target": "ES2020"
  }
}

What is the type of node.entity?

node.entity is typed broadly. To access mesh-specific properties, check for their presence with 'controlPoints' in node.entity or use the Mesh class from @aspose/3d/entities:

import { Mesh } from '@aspose/3d/entities';

if (node.entity instanceof Mesh) {
    const mesh = node.entity;
    console.log(mesh.controlPoints.length);
}

Does the library run in the browser?

The library is designed for Node.js. Browser support depends on bundler configuration and file system APIs being replaced with in-memory alternatives.

Is the library thread-safe?

Each Scene object is independent. Using separate Scene instances from separate Node.js worker threads is safe as long as you do not share a single scene across threads without external synchronization.

What Node.js versions are supported?

Node.js 16, 18, 20, and 22 are officially supported. TypeScript 5.0+ is recommended.

Does @aspose/3d support animations?

Yes. The animation system includes AnimationClip, AnimationChannel, and keyframe curve types accessible from @aspose/3d/animation.

Frequently Asked Questions