# Install lib3ds with Homebrew, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, apt, zypper
Library for managing 3D-Studio Release 3 and 4 '.3DS' files. Version 1.3.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install lib3ds-1-3.
## Install
```sh
sudo av install brew:lib3ds
```
Additional install commands:
### macOS
- Homebrew (100%):
```sh
brew install lib3ds
```
Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata
- MacPorts (94%):
```sh
sudo port install lib3ds
```
Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: graphics/lib3ds/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
### Linux
- dnf (92%):
```sh
sudo dnf install lib3ds
```
Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: lib3ds from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst
- Nix (92%):
```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#lib3ds
```
Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/li/lib3ds/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Debian apt (92%):
```sh
sudo apt install lib3ds-1-3
```
Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: lib3ds-1-3 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
- zypper (92%):
```sh
sudo zypper install lib3ds-1-3
```
Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: lib3ds-1-3 from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst
## Package facts
- **Package key:** brew:lib3ds
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 1.3.0
- **Source summary:** Library for managing 3D-Studio Release 3 and 4 '.3DS' files
- **Homepage:**
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00
## Executables
- 3dsdump (alias)
- lib3ds-config (alias)
## Install behavior
- Bottle: not available
## Freshness
- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 1.3.0
## Project history and usage
lib3ds is a small C library for reading and writing Autodesk 3D Studio Release 3 and 4 .3DS files. Its niche is old 3D interchange: it exists to let renderers, converters, and import filters handle a once-common binary model format without depending on Autodesk's toolkit.
### Project history
The public project was hosted on Google Code and described itself as an overall library for managing 3D-Studio Release 3 and 4 .3DS files. The archived source tree includes an initial-1.3.0 tag, and the project became effectively a preservation-era dependency after Google Code was archived.
### Adoption history
Its adoption pattern is typical of file-format libraries: it appears in Unix package managers and older graphics pipelines because .3DS files remained common in sample assets, asset catalogs, and legacy conversion workflows long after 3D Studio DOS itself was obsolete.
### How it is used
Package users usually encounter lib3ds indirectly through an importer, exporter, or conversion utility, with command-line tools such as 3dsdump useful for inspecting old .3DS assets.
### Why package nerds care
For package maintainers, lib3ds is interesting less because it changes rapidly and more because it is a fossil dependency: a compact LGPL library that keeps old binary 3D assets readable on modern systems.
### Timeline
- 2000s: lib3ds was hosted as a Google Code project for managing 3D Studio Release 3 and 4 .3DS files.
- 2008: The Google Code archive retained a lib3ds-20080909 source download.
- 2016: Google Code project hosting was archived, leaving the archived project page and source browser as the main upstream record.
### Related projects
- Related projects include Autodesk 3D Studio and 3ds Max, applications with .3DS import/export filters, and other small 3D asset libraries used by model viewers and game tools.
### Sources
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-
-
## Security Notes
library-like package without higher-risk signals.
- **Geiger risk:** green / low
- library-like package without higher-risk signals
## Other Package-Manager Records
- Debian apt - lib3ds-1-3 - 1.3.0-10+b2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: lib3ds-1-3 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Autodesk 3D Studio file reader C library | http://www.lib3ds.org/
- Debian apt - lib3ds-dev - 1.3.0-10+b2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: lib3ds-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Autodesk 3D Studio file reader development files | http://www.lib3ds.org/
- Nix - lib3ds: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/li/lib3ds/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Ubuntu apt - lib3ds-1-3 - 1.3.0-10build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: lib3ds-1-3 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Autodesk 3D Studio file reader C library | http://www.lib3ds.org/
- Ubuntu apt - lib3ds-dev - 1.3.0-10build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: lib3ds-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Autodesk 3D Studio file reader development files | http://www.lib3ds.org/
- dnf - lib3ds - 1.3.0-48.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: lib3ds from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | 3D Studio file format library | http://lib3ds.sourceforge.net
- dnf - lib3ds-devel - 1.3.0-48.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: lib3ds-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | 3D Studio file format library | http://lib3ds.sourceforge.net
- dnf - lib3ds-tools - 1.3.0-48.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: lib3ds-tools from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | 3D Studio file format library | http://lib3ds.sourceforge.net
- zypper - lib3ds-1-3 - 1.3.0-31.18: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: lib3ds-1-3 from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Import and Export of Autodesk 3DS Files | http://lib3ds.sourceforge.net
- zypper - lib3ds-devel - 1.3.0-31.18: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: lib3ds-devel from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Import and Export of Autodesk 3DS Files | http://lib3ds.sourceforge.net
- MacPorts - lib3ds: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: graphics/lib3ds/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
## Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/lib3ds.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/lib3ds.yml)
## Sources
- pkg.so package database
- Geiger risk classifier
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation
- external package-manager database matches
- cross-ecosystem install command graph