Some developers use a plugin to import .rad files into Blender (for editing legacy assets). This doesn't help you export, but it shows the community is still active.
The 3D RAD Exporter Plugin is a software module integrated directly into the 3D modeling environment. It serves as a translator, converting visual geometry into a mathematically rigorous RAD file format ready for simulation.
To illustrate the power of the exporter plugin, let's walk through a real-world scenario.
Goal: Export a fully textured, drivable car with rotating wheels and a glass shader.
Step 1: Model in Blender
Step 2: Set up the hierarchy
Step 3: Apply materials
Step 4: Use the 3D Rad Exporter Plugin
Step 5: In 3D Rad
Result: Within 10 minutes of exporting, the car drives with full physics, reflections, and collisions—all thanks to a functioning exporter plugin.
3D Rad Exporter plugins for software like are legacy tools designed to bridge the gap between 3D modeling applications and the 3D Rad game engine by converting assets into the required
(DirectX) format. While useful for their era, they are generally considered dated and prone to compatibility issues with modern software versions. Exporter for SketchUp
Primarily used to export models from the Google/Trimble 3D Warehouse for use in 3D Rad. Performance:
Users report significant issues with newer versions of SketchUp (2017+), including frequent crashes or files failing to generate upon "successful" export. Known Challenges: Flipped Faces: 3d rad exporter plugin
SketchUp often creates models with reversed face normals, which look correct in SketchUp but appear invisible or "inside-out" in 3D Rad. Poly Count:
Exporters do not automatically optimize models. Users must manually ensure counts remain between 5K and 25K polys for stable engine performance. Texture Overload:
Excessive texture usage in SketchUp can lead to export failures or engine lag. Exporter for Blender Functionality:
Supports exporting meshes, rigid bodies, and even skeletal animations. User Experience:
Verified to work on legacy versions like Blender 2.77, though the installation is non-standard, requiring an external placed in the 3D Rad directory alongside a script in Blender. Workflow Quirk: Animations are exported as separate mesh files (e.g.,
) rather than a single combined model, requiring a specific export order (skinmesh first). Risk of Overwrites:
The exporter uses generic naming (e.g., "Blender_model_"), which can overwrite existing projects unless the user manually renames the generated folders and index files. Review Summary Ease of Use
Requires manual file movements and strictly older software versions. Reliability
Prone to crashing on modern OS/software and often fails to export textures correctly without baking. Best Use Case Legacy hobbyist projects or archival work using SketchUp 8 Blender 2.7x
For modern workflows, it is often more reliable to export models as and use an intermediary tool like fragMOTION 3D Builder
to convert them to DirectX before importing them into 3D Rad. manually installing the SketchUp plugin on a legacy version?
The 3D Rad Exporter plugin is a specialized utility designed to bridge the gap between popular 3D modeling software—primarily SketchUp and Blender—and the 3D Rad game engine. This plugin enables developers to convert their complex 3D assets into formats that 3D Rad can interpret, such as generic DirectX (.x) files, ensuring that models maintain their geometry and textures within the game environment. Key Features of the Exporter
DirectX Export: Its primary function is to generate .x files, which are the standard for 3D Rad's rendering engine. Some developers use a plugin to import
Texture Retention: The plugin is designed to handle UV mapping and material textures, though users sometimes report challenges with specific texture types.
Support for Multiple Objects: Users can export static meshes, rigidbodies, and even individual animation frames. Supported Software and Installation
The 3D Rad community has developed versions of this exporter for different modeling suites: 1. SketchUp
For SketchUp users, particularly those on versions like SketchUp 2016 or older (such as SketchUp 8), the exporter is a vital addition.
Installation: Download the .rbz file (recommended over .rbs) and install it via the SketchUp Extension Manager. Alternatively, place the plugin files manually into the Plugins or Tools folder of your SketchUp installation directory.
Usage: Once installed, models can be exported by navigating to the Extensions > 3D Rad menu and selecting "Export as generic DirectX file". 2. Blender
Blender users often utilize a dedicated 3D Rad Exporter script, compatible with versions like Blender 2.77.
Setup: Place the provided .exe into the 3D Rad installation directory and install the .py script through Blender's plugin manager.
Advanced Options: Blender users can export skinmeshes first, followed by animations, which are typically exported in a 000_mesh sequence format. Common Issues and Troubleshooting Despite its utility, users frequently encounter hurdles:
Missing Files: Some users report the exporter confirming a "successful export" without actually creating a file. This is often due to permission issues or incompatible software versions.
Texture Errors: Ensuring all meshes have consistent UV texture names and numbers is critical to avoid export failures or missing textures in the game engine.
Naming Conflicts: In Blender, exported models may default to a generic name like "Blender_model," which can overwrite previous exports if not manually renamed. Alternatives for Modern Workflows
For those working with newer versions of modeling software that may not support the aging 3D Rad plugin, many developers use intermediary converters. For instance, exporting a model as a Collada (.dae) file and using an online converter to reach the .x format is a common workaround. 3D Rad Exporter for SketchUp To illustrate the power of the exporter plugin,
Before we discuss the plugins, we must understand the problem. 3D Rad utilizes proprietary file extensions (typically .rad, .x or custom binary formats). The base installation includes a handful of sample models, but these are rarely sufficient for a commercial or serious hobby project.
You have three options to get custom models into 3D Rad:
The plugin method is the only professional solution. It automates the conversion of normals, UV unwraps, texture paths, and (crucially) hierarchy data.
You build a standalone executable that reads a file (e.g., a Blender export) and converts it into a proprietary file format that your custom 3D Rad element reads.
A naive exporter that simply dumps raw vertices will produce inefficient assets. 3D Rad was built for an era of limited VRAM (Video RAM); thus, the plugin must implement aggressive optimization.
First, the exporter must apply “baking” of transforms. In a source application like Blender, an object might have a location ((5, 0, 0)), rotation ((90°, 0, 0)), and scale ((2, 2, 2)). The .rad3D format stores vertices in object space only; it does not support a transformation matrix. Consequently, the plugin must compute the world-space vertex positions by multiplying each vertex by the object’s combined matrix, then write the absolute values. The object’s pivot point is lost upon export, meaning that animations or constraints in 3D Rad must be applied to a dummy parent object, not the mesh itself.
Second, the plugin should perform vertex welding and optimization. Since 3D Rad lacks advanced LOD (Level of Detail) generation, the exporter should offer an option to remove duplicate vertices based on a user-defined epsilon (e.g., 0.0001 units). Furthermore, the plugin must recalculate normals if the source geometry uses smoothing groups or edge splitting, because 3D Rad ignores explicit edge data and relies entirely on per-vertex normals for shading.
I managed to get the plugin working. Here is the dark magic required.
The Find:
You need RadExport.dle. This file is floating around on obscure GitHub repositories and Internet Archive backups.
The Installation:
The Export Process:
Once loaded, the plugin sits under File > Export > Rad Scene (.rad).
Here is the trick: Collision is everything. 3D Rad doesn't use mesh collision by default. You have to name your objects with specific prefixes:
If you don't do this, your beautiful model will fall through the floor. The exporter plugin passes these string names directly to the engine.
The Verdict: It works, but it crashes if you have NURBS, modifiers in the stack, or more than 65k polygons. It was clearly built for the Quake 3 era of assets.
© 2026 — Bright Grove
