Tips to open WRL file

Can't open the WRL file? You are not the only one. Thousands of users face similar problems every day. Below you will find tips on how to open WRL files as well as a list of programs that support WRL files.

WRL file extension

File Name VRML World
File Category 3D Image Files

The WRL file is supported on 4 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the WRL files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the WRL file on each system platform.

Operating systems
  • 4
  • 1
  • 1
  • 0
  • 1
  • 0

What is WRL file?

The WRL file has been categorized as 3D Image Files. Additionally, the 3D Image Files category contains 622 of other files. VRML World is most often found on 4 operating systems. Although it can be found with greater or lesser success on any operating system, it will only be useful on iOS, Linux, Mac OS, Windows. The FreeWRL application is recommended to open the file. It was released by SourceForge.net. This file type can also be opened by 6 other programs. You can use TurboCAD, XnView, Blender, Cortona3D Viewer in case FreeWRL cannot be used.

How to open WRL file?

The most common problem when using VRML World is that a specific WRL is not associated with the program. This is manifested by the fact that WRL files open in unusual applications or do not have an assigned program. How to solve such a problem?

The first thing you should do is just "doubleclick" on the WRL file icon you want to open. If the operating system has an appropriate application to support it and there is also an association between the file and the program, the file should be opened.

Step 1. Install FreeWRL

In this case, you should first verify that the FreeWRL application is installed on the computer. The easiest method is to use the system search engine by entering the program name FreeWRL in it. If we do not have this program, it is worth installing it, as it will help you automatically associate the file WRL with FreeWRL. Below is a list of programs that support the file WRL.

Programs to open WRL file

Remember to download programs supporting WRL files only from verified and safe sources. We suggest using the websites of software developers.

Step 2. Create association of FreeWRL with WRL files

If, despite the installed application, the WRL file does not start in the FreeWRL application, you must create a file association. The association can be created using the drop-down list available by right-clicking on the file and selecting Properties. Information about the file and the program that the file is associated with are available here. Using the "Change" button we can select the desired program. It may happen that in the next window there will be no appropriate program - however, this can be corrected with the "Browse" option where you should manually indicate the program location. The "always use the selected program ..." field will set the FreeWRL application as the default for handling the WRL file.

Step 3. Update FreeWRL to the latest version

The fault may also lie with the FreeWRL program, it is possible that VRML World requires a newer version of the program. Some applications allow you to update from the program level, and for others you need to download the installer from the SourceForge.net page and install.

Step 4. Check for the following problems with the WRL file

If the above steps do not help, you can assume that the file itself is not correct. This could be due to the file itself, the cleanest issues are:

The affected file may be 0 KB or smaller than expected. This suggests truncating the WRL file contents when downloading or copying. The file should be downloaded again, making sure that the process has finished correctly.
The computer may have fallen victim to a computer virus or hacker. A quick virus scan using an up-to-date antivirus program should clear up any doubts. Alternatively, you can use the scanners available online. However, it is important to scan the entire system, not only the file WRL or the program directory. As a result of the scan, sometimes it is not possible to recover WRL files, which are deleted if there is a backup of this file, then after restoring it, it must also be scanned.
This can happen especially when the program is dynamically developed and the structure of the WRL files changes over time. On their websites, developers usually offer free solutions to such problems, e.g. in the form of a conversion program or an older version of the program.
There can be many reasons for this. Depending on the type of file, it is necessary to repair it accordingly. Some programs offer the ability to automatically repair WRL file corruption. The easiest way is to restore the file from a backup, if there is one, or contact N/A
The program indicates that the file is encrypted or corrupted. The encrypted WRL files can be used by the device on which they were encrypted, on any other device it is required to have the appropriate cryptographic key and decrypt the file before its recovery.
Some operating systems do not allow file operations in certain locations, eg in system directories or directly on the system drive. While there is usually no problem reading such a file, it may not be possible to save it. If possible, you can try to move the WRL file to another location.
This problem usually affects more complex files. In this case, the WRL file is blocked by the first application to open it. Closing other programs should help. Sometimes it is necessary to wait a while before referencing the WRL file again. However, some background programs may block the WRL file while scanning. If the problem persists, restart the machine.