meshfile
meshfile is a free C library for reading and writing 3D mesh file formats on Linux and UNIX systems.
What meshfile is
meshfile is a free C library for reading and writing 3D mesh file formats on Linux and UNIX systems. It handles indexed triangle meshes, multiple objects per file, optional vertex attributes, materials with optional texture maps, and transformation node hierarchies. Supported formats are Wavefront OBJ, JTF, GLTF, 3DS, and STL. GLTF is read-only, STL support is binary-only, and quads, n-gons, triangle strips, and triangle fans are unsupported. Animation is outside the library’s scope. The distribution includes meshview, an OpenGL 3D model viewer, and meshconv, a converter for supported formats. Developers can install meshfile system-wide, include its header and link the library, or build the source into an application. It has no dependencies beyond libc and is released under the GNU Lesser General Public License version 3 or later. Before version 1.0, API and ABI stability are not guaranteed. Incorporating source and include directories requires a free-software application.
Good
- Free and open source
- Supports five listed mesh formats
- Includes viewer and converter tools
- Has no dependencies beyond libc
- Can be embedded in applications
Watch out
- GLTF support is read-only
- STL support is binary-only
- No quads, n-gons, strips, or fans
- API and ABI stability are not guaranteed
Who it suits
meshfile suits developers building Linux or UNIX applications that need basic 3D mesh format input and output. It is especially relevant when zero dependencies and included viewer or converter tools matter.
Verdict
meshfile offers a small, dependency-free C library for supported triangle-mesh formats, with viewer and conversion utilities included. Check its geometry and format limits, licensing condition, and pre-1.0 API stability before integration.
The facts
Each one read from meshfile's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Animation
- Animations are outside the scope of the library.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Animation scope
- Animations are outside the scope of the library.checked 4 Oct 2026
- API stability
- The README says API and ABI stability are not guaranteed before version 1.0.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Dependencies
- The project describes the library as having zero dependencies.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Download
- The project site identifies meshfile 0.2 as the latest release and links to tar.gz and zip downloads.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Examples
- The distribution includes meshview, an OpenGL 3D model viewer, and meshconv, a converter between supported formats.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Example tools
- The distribution includes meshview, an OpenGL 3D model viewer, and meshconv, a converter for supported formats.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Format caveats
- The README says glTF is read-only and STL support is binary-only.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Format limits
- GLTF is read-only, STL support is binary-only, and the library does not support quads, n-gons, strips, or fans.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Formats
- Supported formats are Wavefront OBJ, JTF, glTF, 3DS and STL.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Geometry limits
- It does not support quads, n-gons, triangle strips or triangle fans.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Integration
- You can install it system-wide, include meshfile.h and link with -lmeshfile, or build its source files as part of your program.checked 11 Oct 2026
- License
- The project is distributed under the GNU Lesser General Public License version 3 or later.checked 11 Oct 2026
- License constraint
- The README says incorporating the source and include directories into an application is only possible when that application is free software.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Materials and hierarchy
- It supports materials with optional texture maps and an optional transformation node hierarchy.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Mesh data
- It supports indexed triangle meshes, multiple objects per file, optional vertex attributes, materials and an optional transformation node hierarchy.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Meshfile is a C library for reading and writing 3D mesh file formats.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Use and dependencies
- The library can be installed system-wide or built into an application, and it has no dependencies beyond libc.checked 4 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Platform
- The build instructions describe building the library on UNIX with make.checked 11 Oct 2026
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