Skip to content

File

Category: IO

Description

Import geometry from external file formats. Currently supports Wavefront OBJ (.obj) files.

This is a source node that generates geometry from disk, requiring no input connections.

Inputs

This node imports geometry and requires no inputs.

Parameters

File

File Path (string)

Path to the geometry file to import (e.g., models/mesh.obj)

  • Default: ""
  • Supports: .obj files

Reload (button)

Force reload the file from disk. Use this when the source file has changed.

  • Default: 0

Supported Formats

Wavefront OBJ (.obj)

  • ✅ Vertices
  • ✅ Faces (triangles and polygons)
  • ✅ Normals
  • ✅ UV coordinates
  • ✅ Vertex colors (if present)

Planned Formats

  • STL (.stl)
  • PLY (.ply)
  • glTF (.gltf, .glb)

Example Usage

  1. Create a File node from the Node Library (IO category)
  2. Set File Path to your geometry file (e.g., C:/models/bunny.obj)
  3. Click Reload if you modify the source file
  4. Connect output to other nodes for further processing

Common Workflow

[File] → [Transform] → [Export]

Import a model, scale/rotate it, then export to a new location.

Error Handling

Error Message Cause Solution
"No file path specified" File Path is empty Enter a valid file path
"File does not exist" Path is incorrect Check path and filename
"Failed to load file" Unsupported format or corrupt file Verify file is valid OBJ

Tips

  • Use absolute paths or paths relative to the project file
  • OBJ files can be exported from Blender, Maya, 3ds Max, etc.
  • The node automatically detects attributes (normals, UVs, colors) in the file
  • Large meshes may take a moment to load - use the Cache node downstream if needed

See Also

  • Export - Export geometry to files
  • Cache - Cache imported geometry for performance