Open Asset Import Library

Last updated
Open Asset Import Library
Developer(s) Alexander Gessler
Thomas Schulze
Kim Kulling, et al.
Stable release
6.0.2 [1]   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg / 8 June 2025;40 days ago (8 June 2025)
Repository
Operating system Cross-platform
Type 3D model import library
License BSD
Website www.assimp.org

Open Asset Import Library (Assimp) is a cross-platform 3D model import library which aims to provide a common application programming interface (API) for different 3D asset file formats. Written in C++, it offers interfaces for both C and C++. Bindings to other languages (e.g., BlitzMax, C#, Python) are developed as part of the project or are available elsewhere. [2] Given the importance and benefits of Assimp, a pure Java (/Kotlin) port is being developed here.

Contents

The imported data is provided in a straightforward, hierarchical data structure. Configurable post processing steps (i.e., normal and tangent generation, various optimizations) augment the feature set. [3]

Assimp currently supports 57 different file formats for reading, including COLLADA (.dae), 3DS, DirectX X, Wavefront OBJ and Blender 3D (.blend). [4] As of Version 3.0 Assimp also provides export functionality for some file formats. [5]

Projects using Assimp

Several open source projects use Assimp, such as MonoGame [6] and Urho3D. [7]

Resonite (and its predecessor NeosVR) – A social virtual reality platform that uses Assimp to import a wide range of 3D model formats, facilitating its real-time and collaborative content creation features. [8] [9]

Torque3D added Assimp in Torque3D 4.0. [10]

Godot added Assimp in Godot 3.2, [11] but this was replaced in Godot 3.3 and later. [12] [13]

See also

References

  1. "Release 6.0.2". 8 June 2025. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
  2. "Docs". Archived from the original on 2018-03-10. Retrieved 2018-03-10.
  3. "Features".
  4. "Features".
  5. "Open Asset Import Library".
  6. "MonoGame.Dependencies/Assimp at master · MonoGame/MonoGame.Dependencies". GitHub .
  7. "urho3d/Source/ThirdParty/Assimp at master · urho3d/urho3d". GitHub .
  8. "3D Model Import". NeosVR Wiki (Archived). 2018-04-21. Archived from the original on 2023-07-28. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
  9. "FrooxEngine - Resonite Wiki". wiki.resonite.com. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
  10. "Version 4.0". Torque3D.
  11. Lee, K. S. Ernest (iFire) (2018-11-19). "Add Open Asset Importer to Godot". Godot. Retrieved 2023-08-21. Supports various formats from Open Asset Import Library (assimp). The focus is on FBX and MMD.
  12. MacPherson, Gordon (2020-10-30). "FBX importer rewrite". Godot. Retrieved 2020-11-01. This is a complete rewrite of the importer. It will give more deterministic behavior. Over 1 year has gone into the development of this importer to remove the burden of the FBX SDK.
  13. Lee, K. S. Ernest (iFire) (2022-03-28). "Add fbx2gltf support for importing .fbx files". Godot. Retrieved 2023-08-21. Lets you drag or place .fbx files in the project folder and it will import the files. An editor setting sets the location of the fbx2gltf binary.