The 3MF Consortium’s steering committee is soliciting feedback regarding the metadata that the industry wishes to be included by default in .3mf files.
The 3MF file format, currently under development by the 3MF Consortium, aims to reliably and efficiently transmit data for the additive manufacturing industry.
Its core specification enables the communication of geometry as a lightweight mesh with defined units.
The 3MF Specification includes provisions for metadata concerning the design and its manufacturing intent.
To better understand the specific data the industry wishes to see as a default in the 3MF file format’s metadata capabilities, we are requesting feedback from individual steering and associate members of the 3MF Consortium. This feedback will guide the decision-making process for integrating new components.
Given that the 3MF format is both extensible and open-source, any company has the liberty to augment additional metadata provisions for the read and/or write aspects of their implementation of the 3MF format.
3MF Metadata Survey
How 3MF is Developed and How Your Input Helps
The 3MF Specification, an open-source project, is developed under the structure of the Linux Foundation’s Joint Development Foundation.
Representatives from both software and hardware companies on the 3MF Steering Committee collaborate to develop the specifications, with additional guidance from the associate members. The steering committee members vote on which aspects of additive manufacturing data requirements to address and then work to implement the specification, ensuring reliable and efficient interoperability between software and hardware systems.
Once a specification is developed, the steering committee again votes to ratify it, following its testing by an independent third party.
While the combined expertise within the committee and their representative companies guides the development, the committee remains open to ideas and feedback to further augment and improve the specification.