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Armorsmith Designer supports several common 3D file formats, so you can bring in models from a wide variety of sources — whether you downloaded them from a model-sharing site, exported them from your own 3D software, or unfolded them in Pepakura. Once a model is in the scene, you can attach it to your avatar and begin fitting your costume.

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Supported File Formats

OBJ

A widely supported, geometry-only format. Most 3D modeling tools and model libraries export OBJ files. Materials may be stored in a companion .mtl file.

STL

The standard format for 3D printing. STL files contain only mesh geometry — no color or material data. Common for armor pieces sourced from print-ready libraries.

FBX

A full-featured format that can carry mesh data, textures, and scene hierarchy. Useful when importing models exported from tools like Blender, Maya, or 3ds Max.

PDO

Pepakura Designer’s native format. Armorsmith loads PDO files directly and can generate unfolded patterns from them — no copy of Pepakura Designer required.

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Importing a Model

1

Open the Import dialog

In the menu bar, go to File → Import. The file browser will open.
2

Select your file

Navigate to the location of your model file. Select a file with a supported extension (.obj, .stl, .fbx, or .pdo) and click Open.
3

Review the import settings

Armorsmith may present options such as unit scale or axis orientation depending on the file type. Adjust these if needed, then confirm.
4

Confirm the import

Click Import (or OK) to bring the model into your scene. The part will appear in the 3D viewport and in the Parts list in the side panel.
PDO files are the native format for Pepakura Designer, a popular tool for creating paper-craft armor patterns. When you import a PDO file into Armorsmith, the app reads the 3D mesh and lets you generate flat patterns directly — you do not need a separate Pepakura Designer license to work with these files.

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After Importing

Coming soon: You will be able to include imported meshes in your armor file or link to their source files. See Linked files for storage choices, missing-file recovery, and portable copies.
Models created in different software often use different unit scales or coordinate systems. A model that looks correct in its source app may appear very large, very small, or rotated unexpectedly after import. Use the Scale and Rotate transform tools to correct the size and orientation before attaching the part to your avatar. See Move, Rotate, and Scale Costume Parts for details.
Looking for models to import? Several free and paid libraries host print-ready and cosplay-specific 3D files:
  • Thingiverse — large community library of free STL and OBJ files
  • MyMiniFactory — curated models, including many cosplay and prop designs
  • Printables — Prusa’s model-sharing platform with a growing cosplay section
You can also model parts from scratch in tools like Blender, Fusion 360, or ZBrush and export them as OBJ or FBX for import into Armorsmith.