.raw File Extension
File extension details for .raw
Partial Support| File type | RAW triangle data |
|---|---|
| MIME type | |
| Encoding | ASCII text for triangle meshes; other RAW formats vary |
| Operating systems | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Opens with | Text editor for triangle data, The originating application for other RAW files |
| Poly support | Partial. 3D features apply to supported RAW triangle data content, not every file sharing the suffix. |
| Indexed by Poly | Yes. Filename search, plus visual similarity when supported geometry is processed. |
| Preview in Poly | Partial. Interactive preview when a supported model with visible geometry is available. |
| Poly agent | Partial. An optimized rendition of the 3D object or scene is provided to the agent, allowing compact yet information-rich multimodal interaction with 3D files. An available visual rendition is required. |
What kind of file is a .raw?
The .raw suffix is ambiguous. In 3D graphics it can mean a plain-text list of triangles, with nine coordinates describing the three vertices of each triangle. The same suffix is also used for camera data and other unstructured binary files, which require different software.1
Panasonic used .raw for older camera files before RW2. Do not send a camera RAW file to a triangle-mesh importer just because the names match. For a text mesh, inspect a small portion in a text editor; for camera data, use a compatible photographic application.
The 3D format's Poly identifier is model/x-raw.
Opening the file
A text editor is enough to inspect triangle coordinates. To render or convert them, choose a tool that explicitly supports the appropriate RAW triangle convention. There is no universal RAW viewer because the filename does not establish the data layout.
Poly support
Poly does not infer a 3D mesh from .raw alone. Supported triangle data identified as model/x-raw can receive 3D features. Other RAW meanings follow their own format support; arbitrary binary data is not made visually readable by relabelling it.
For a supported model, orbit, pan, and zoom let you inspect its shape. Search by filename, or by visual similarity when visual content is available. Available geometry and scene counts appear in 3D Details.
An optimized rendition of the 3D object or scene is provided to the agent, allowing compact yet information-rich multimodal interaction with 3D files. Ask about visible shape or compare models; use the original application for precise authoring work.
Background and alternatives
The documented triangle convention was used with the RAW2POV utility. Variants can add colour values or a texture name to each triangle.1 Those variants should be identified explicitly before conversion.
For clearer mesh exchange, export OBJ, PLY, or STL. These formats make intent easier to communicate. Keep the original coordinates when measurements or reproducibility matter.
Footnotes
- Steve Anger; compiled by Paul Bourke. RAW triangle format. ↩ ↩2