Exporting Rhino 3D Models to Blender with Material Retention

Updated at: 06/07/2025

Rhino 3D and Blender are powerful 3D modeling tools, but switching between them often leads to material loss. This article provides a clear, step-by-step guide to exporting your Rhino 3D models to Blender while preserving your meticulously crafted materials. Learn how to maintain your textures, colors, and material properties, saving you valuable time and ensuring a seamless workflow between these popular programs. Let's get started!

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Exporting from Rhino

    • Select the geometry in Rhino that you want to export.
    • Go to File > Export Selected.
    • Choose OBJ as the file type.
    • Name your file and save it.
    Name your file and save it. Name your file and save it. Name your file and save it. Name your file and save it.
    Exporting from Rhino
    • In the export options, ensure you're exporting as a polygon mesh object. Keep other settings at default.
    • Select 'Obj objects' under 'Naming' to import each object individually into Blender.
    • Leave mesh settings at default; you don't need to adjust polygon count unless your model is extremely high-poly.
    • Click OK to export.
    Click OK to export. Click OK to export. Click OK to export. Click OK to export.
    Exporting from Rhino

  2. Importing into Blender

    • Open Blender and go to File > Import > OBJ.
    • Select your exported OBJ file and click Import OBJ.
    Select your exported OBJ file and click Import OBJ. Select your exported OBJ file and click Import OBJ.
    Importing into Blender

  3. Organizing Objects in Blender

    • Organize objects in Blender by selecting one object, pressing Shift+L, selecting 'Material', and then right-clicking to add them to new collections for easier management.
    Organize objects in Blender by selecting one object, pressing Shift+L, selecting 'Material', and then right-clicking to add them to new collections for easier management.
    Organizing Objects in Blender
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Tips

  • Add block color materials in Rhino before exporting to easily identify and manage objects in Blender.
  • Exporting as 'Obj objects' keeps each Rhino object separate in Blender, simplifying organization.
  • Materials and texture mapping are retained during the export process, which is beneficial for workflow efficiency.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Incorrect File Format Selection

Reason: Exporting as an FBX file without proper settings can lead to material loss or texture path issues in Blender.
Solution: Ensure you select FBX as the export format in Rhino and check the options to embed textures or specify correct paths.

2. Missing or Incorrect Material Assignments in Rhino

Reason: If materials aren't properly assigned to objects in Rhino before exporting, they won't transfer to Blender.
Solution: Double-check that all objects in your Rhino model have the desired materials applied before exporting.

FAQs

Why are my materials not transferring correctly when exporting from Rhino to Blender?
Several factors can cause material loss. Ensure you're using a compatible file format like FBX or 3ds. Check that your Rhino materials are properly assigned to your objects and that you haven't accidentally disabled material export settings in the export dialog. Blender's material system also differs from Rhino's; you may need minor adjustments in Blender after import to perfectly match.