---
title: "3D Studio Import"
url: "https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/html/F3DSIMPORT.html"
section_path: "Configuration > Preferences > Import/Export > 3D Studio Import"
element_id: "F3DSIMPORT"
group_id: "F3DSIMPORTFILTER_GROUP"
description: "This page documents the 3D Studio (.3ds) import in Cinema 4D. It loads legacy 3DS, PRJ and MLI files including materials — note the inverted …"
---

## 3D Studio Import

> **Note:** **What is it about?**
>
> This page documents the **3D Studio (.3ds) import** in **Cinema 4D**. It loads legacy 3DS, PRJ and MLI files including materials — note the inverted transparency-texture convention compared to Cinema 4D.

- These files are loaded:\
  – 3DS (regular 3DS files)\
  – PRJ (3DS project files)\
  – MLI (3DS materials libraries).
- The object hierarchy is copied 1:1, referenced objects are duplicated in Cinema 4D.
- The following material channels are imported: environment light, specular color, specular settings (which are recalculated), transparency, luminance, color texture, specular texture, transparency texture, environment texture, relief (bump) texture, luminance texture.
- Attention!The 3DS transparency texture is the exact opposite of the Cinema 4D transparency mode. In 3DS a material is more transparent the darker a pixel in the texture is, in Cinema 4D it's the other way around.
- UV mapping is copied.
- Animation.
- Position, scaling, rotation and light sequences are adjusted to suit Cinema 4D.
- Textures can be renamed automatically on loading.
- Target objects loaded from 3DS (from cameras and light sources) become axes (null objects) and are given the extension **t**, which is added to their object name.
- 3DS files are binary files and are not recognized by their extensions but by their identifier.