PLOT-3D .P3D, .XYZ Files

 

The PLOT-3D filter imports Plot-3D data sets.

 

File Description

A Plot-3D data set consists of a coordinate file and (optionally) a solution file. The coordinate file contains three-dimensional X,Y,Z coordinates in several possible formats. The solution file (if present) contains several columns of data values associated with each of the coordinates. P3D is a system that originated at Carnegie Mellon University's Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, which retains the copyright for the system. The P3D format used by the P3D system was intended for the storage of 3D models and was designed to be portable, flexible, compact, and extensible. The authors wished to create a format that would be compatible with applications, renderers in particular, on a number of platforms.

 

Since a Plot-3D data set does not contain any header information to indicate the specific format of the file, the user is required to provide some information about the file format in the Import Options dialog. A detailed discussion of the various format options for Plot-3D files is beyond the scope of this document.

 

File Format

A P3D file consists of a number of ASCII lines that are usually Common Lisp statements. Extensions to the language are mainly in an idiosyncratic terminology that is unfortunately at odds with most of the rest of the computer graphics world.

 

File Name Extensions

coordinate file .P3D, .XYZ; optional solution file .Q

 

Format(s) Supported for Import

3D curvilinear lattice; float

 

Format(s) Supported for Export

3D curvilinear lattice; float

 

Import Options

Several import options appear in the PLOT3D Import Options dialog.

 

Export Options

Several options appear in the PLOT3D Export Options dialog.

 

Export Restrictions/Limitations

If doubles are exported, they are truncated to floats in order to be compatible with the PLOT-3D file format. When this occurs, a warning is displayed.

 

 

See Also

File Format Chart

PLOT3D Import Options

PLOT3D Export Options

Can I create an ASCII XYZC lattice file?