| Extension | DXF |
| Full Name | Drawing Exchange Format |
| Type | CAD |
| Mime Type | image/x-dxf |
| Format | Binary |
A DXF file was created by Autodesk as a standardized format for storing complex 2D and 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) drawings in a single, standard package that can be used for seamless exchanging of data between different CAD systems.
The DXF format is plain text and allows CAD elements such as points, lines, curves, and other elements to be represented in an efficient manner that is easy to read by other CAD applications. The use of plain text does, however, cause the files to grow in size quickly when storing large and complex CAD drawings.
As DXF files are designed from the start to be an open and standard format, there are many CAD and 2D drawing applications that offer support for importing and exporting to the DXF format.
| Extension | 3MF |
| Full Name | 3D Manufacturing Format |
| Type | 3D Model |
| Mime Type | application/vnd.ms-package.3dmanufacturing-3dmodel+xml |
| Format | Binary |
The 3MF file format was created as a standard storage medium for 3D models for use within the area of 3D printing. A 3MF file will contain 3D model data stored within an XML-formatted document with additional assets such as image previews and material data. These files are wrapped up within a compressed ZIP file (using the 3MF extension).
The 3MF format was created in response to the constraints of the STL format, which is the most popular format for storing 3D printable models. Unlike the STL format, which can only store triangular information, the 3MF format can store mesh geometry along with material, units of measurement, and other relevant 3D printing information that is impossible to store within an STL file.
Storing the 3D data within a ZIP file container ensures the file size is kept to a minimum while making it easily extendable in the future. 3MF files are widely supported by 3D printing slicer software and are a common export option within 3D editing software.
