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Updates to the C3D.ORG site

This page documents all major changes to the C3D web site. Minor changes to the HTML code, spelling, and grammar corrections are not recorded but may be reflected in at updated page date at the bottom of each page. The C3D help pages and documentation will be revised frequently to add addition clarifications, these will be documented in the "revisions" section of the documentation.

  • Octrober 6, 2021 - A C3D User Guide update, including downloadable PDF copy.
  • July 26, 2021 - updated the sample10.zip C3D file, adding a C3D file containing sample gait data from a lab using both TYPE-2 and TYPE-3 force plates.
  • June 23, 2020 - added the user written PyC3Dserver to the applications page. PyC3Dserver provides C3D access for applications written in Python by interfacing Python directly to the C3Dserver for guaranteed reliable C3D access.
  • May 31, 2020 - updated the OpenSIM description because OpenSIM only supports C3D access via other applications. Added a link to the Hochschule der Medien HDM05 Motion Capture database to the list of sample C3D files and updated the C3D documentation page and User Guide.
  • April 19, 2020 - a minor update to the C3D scaling spreadsheet to demponstrate that the analog scaling calculations apply to both integer and floating-point formatted C3D files and remove a broken hyperlink.
  • March 3, 2020 - The help web page theme updated with larger text size for mobile access.
  • December 18, 2019 - updated the c3d_scale spreadsheet to improve the analog scaling descriptions.
  • November 5, 2019 - The C3D User guide is being updated frequently, check the manual revision date displayed on the opening page to ensure that you are using the current version, this page also displays information about the current updates. Adding a set of C3D files that demonstrate that the POINT:FRAMES parameter can be stored as either an integer or floating point value.
  • November 1, 2019 - Added a link to the 2008 version of the C3D User Manual for reference so that anyone reading an old post about the C3D format on-line can find the original page numbers and chapter references. Updated the sample00.zip file to add current C3D file examples from Advanced Realtime Tracking GmbH and NexGen Ergonomics systems.
  • October 26, 2019 - Removed the "Favorites" option from the C3D help page because it was storing data in a cookie on users computers, recording the items that they had selected - the website is now completely cookie free. Reorganized the sample C3D files to display the downloadable filename and make the contents of each collection of C3D files clearer.
  • October 15, 2019 - Updated the C3D User Guide, the on-line web site help guide, and added a compiled help version of the C3D User Guide describing the current status of the C3D file format. This release documents the addition of support for UTF-8 encoding to support end-user localization, and adds support for additional analog channels, as well as correcting errors in the previous releases of the documentation.
  • October 14, 2019 - Added a PDF scan of the original AMASS Reference manual documenting the C3D format in 1994. A spreadsheet has been added to the sample01.zip C3D file test suite to demonstrate the calculation of the POINT:SCALE factor based on data from one of the files in the test suite.
  • September 30, 2019 - Added two source code examples, written in C and FORTRAN, that demonstrate how to read data written in DEC, Intel, and SGI/MIPS formats. These are included in the ADTech PRM zip file collection available for download.
  • September 7, 2019 - The current C3D User Manual and on-line help pages available on this site were last revised in 2010. An updated manual and proposed extension to the C3D format will be posted in the near future. The documents describing a New Label Range and Camera Mask extensions to the C3D file format have been removed as these features have never been implemented.
  • August 24, 2019 - replaced the original FORTRAN term "REAL", used throughout the early C3D documentation, with "floating-point" to be consistent with modern usage.
  • July 30, 2019 - Applied a mobile-friendly, responsive design to the C3D web site and updated the contents to bring it up to date with current C3D discussions and status. Removed Di-O-Matic from the list of companies supporting C3D files as they no longer support the C3D format. The Biomechanical Tool Kit (BTK) may be removed in future as it is no longer supported - EzC3D appears to be developed to replace BTK and has been added. Added a collection of C3D icon files for anyone creating C3D applications.
  • May 23, 2019 - Corrected the title hyper link to the BTK Apple operating system version and updated the BTK, OpenSim information. Added OpenSim to the site of C3D file support applications.
  • May 21, 2019 - Added Moveshelf to to the list of companies supporting C3D files.
  • November 6, 2018 - Added BSN Labs to to the list of companies supporting C3D files.
  • June 8, 2018 - Added a zip file containing a copy of the Biomechanical Tool Kit binaries for Apple operating systems to the Applications page.
  • May 7, 2018 - Updated the website to document our non-usage of cookies and notify users that we do not collect or store any information about visitors. All Google tracking code has been removed from the web site.
  • December 1, 2017 - Removed non-responsive and duplicate links from the list of companies supporting C3D files.
  • September 29, 2016 - Added BTS Bioengineering to the links page.
  • September 18, 2016 - Removed broken company links and added a link to the Mokka application. Removed links to older MSDOS applications that are no longer used.
  • March 8, 2016 - Updated download links for Motion Lab Systems applications to current setup images.
  • October 27, 2015 - Updated the Charnwood Dynamics address and added Codamotion.
  • February 12, 2015 - Access to the C3D web site is now secured by SSL.
  • February 2, 2015 - Removed the C3D list server information from the website - this has had a very low message volume for some time now. The FTP site has also been discontinued.
  • September 18, 2013 - Added Shadow to the list of companies supporting the C3D file format.
  • May 8, 2013 - Renamed the NaturalPoint link in companies supporting C3D to Optitrack at their request.
  • March 11, 2013 - Added Mega Electronics to the list of companies supporting the C3D file format via their product MegaWin. A sample file containing C3D data from this application is available containing sample isometric EMG, angle and torque data.
  • August 28, 2012 - Added Polhemus to the list of companies supporting the C3D file format.
  • June 22, 2012 - Added Xcitex to the list of companies supporting the C3D file format with ProAnalyst, a 3-D motion analysis software package that can extract and characterize motion of objects from video data, storing the results at 3D point within a C3D file.
  • May 1, 2012 - Added Xsens to the list of companies supporting the C3D file format with their MVN BIOMECH product and added sample34.zip containing example Xsens C3D files. Removed Visol from the company list as their website no longer loads.
  • October 19, 2011 - Minor code changes to accommodate moving the web site to a new host to improve performance and accessibility.
  • June 23, 2011 - Updated the applications page to remove user written applications that are unsupported. These applications remain accessible from the FTP site.
  • March 23, 2011 - Added two sample C3D files, one showing analog data corruption caused by failure to sync/import data from a USB connected Zero-Wire EMG system, and a second C3D file with a very large parameter block.
  • October 15, 2010 - Added Di-O-Matic to the links of companies supporting C3D files.
  • February 22, 2010 - Added a page describing a user-written LabVIEW interface that documents using the C3Dserver within the National Instruments LabVIEW environment to access C3D files.
  • October 12, 2009 - Added sample31.zip, a very large dataset with two C3D files that contain 3D point and analog data. These are interesting because each C3D file contains more than 65534 frames of data and, as a result, these files can only be opened by applications that support the use of the TRIAL group to store frame numbers within the parameter block.
  • September 22, 2009 - Added Northern Digital to the list of companies supporting C3D files as the software supplied with their motion capture systems exports data in C3D format and can stream C3D in real time.
  • August 30, 2009 - Added a link to an application called BTK. BTK is an open-source and cross-platform library for biomechanical analysis that can read and write C3D, TRC, and ANC data files.
  • 23 July 2009 - Added three sample C3D files supplied by Biogesta. These files are stored in sample30.zip on the FTP site.
  • 2 July 2009 - Added Visol and Kwon3D to the list of companies supporting C3D files.
  • 19 June 2009 - Added Biogesta to the list of companies supporting the reading and writing of C3D files.
  • 21 May 2009 - Added NaturalPoint to the list of vendors supporting C3D files. Sample C3D files are posted in sample29.zip on the FTP site. Removed the links to the user-written stand-alone MATLAB driver that read C3D point and analog data from simple C3D files into three dimensional data arrays that can be accessed by MATLAB because the drive is not maintained - the driver files are still available here. This driver is largely superceded by the C3Dserver.
  • 23 April 2009 - Indexed the site contents and add a PHP server based search facility to the right side panel. Spent most of the day debugging CSS. The panel layout has changed to accommodate the search box with the public domain statement now on the lower left panel.
  • 13 April 2009 - Added this update page to document changes to the information contained in the C3D site.
  • 7 April 2009 - Added AnyBody Technology to the list of companies supporting C3D files. The AnyBody Modeling System reads C3D files but does not create them. Prior to the creation of this page we updated the appearance of the web site and added several new sample C3D files to site.
  • 1 June 1998 - This web site was launched in 1998 to support the C3D file format and provide open access to the C3D documentation.