Opening THING Files

The THING file type is primarily associated with MakerBot Desktop.

THING	File extension: THING
	File type:	compressed thing

What is a THING file?

THING files mostly belong to MakerBot Desktop by MakerBot. Files with THING file extension are associated with compressed containers used to store multiple STL files sent to a MakerBot Replicator 3D printer from MakerBot Desktop. The XML manifest file in the root directory of the compressed file lists dependencies for printing the 3D models in the STL files.

How to open THING files

You need a suitable software like MakerBot Desktop to open a THING file. You need a suitable software like MakerBot Desktop from MakerBot to open a THING file. Without proper software you will receive a Windows message "How do you want to open this file?" or "Windows cannot open this file" or a similar Mac/iPhone/Android alert. If you cannot open your THING file correctly, try to right-click or long-press the file. Then click "Open with" and choose an application. You can also display a THING file directly in the browser:. Just drag the file onto this browser window and drop it.

Online THING Text Viewer

Choose your .thing file to analyze

or drag and drop it here

Online File Viewer

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4 Steps to Open an Unknown .THING File

Because .THING files can come from different programs, they aren't universally openable.

1. Identify the Source: A file from a 3D printing workflow or designer is likely a MakerBot 3D Image.
2. Check the Header: Inspect the first bytes in a text editor or hex viewer.
   • "PK" indicates a ZIP-based compressed archive (common for MakerBot "compressed thing" files).
   • Readable JSON/XML suggests a configuration file.
3. Use the Original Software: The original program is usually required; try MakerBot Desktop or MakerBot Print, or ask the sender if uncertain.
4. Use this Webpage: Drag and drop your file into our viewer to detect the format, extract readable text/metadata, and preview when possible.

THING file format:

Every file has a defined file format, i.e. how the data is arranged in the file. The file format can be deduced from the file extension and the signature. If the file extension does not match the file format, double-clicking on the file will cause an error upon opening. When there is a problem with a file, the first step to solving it is to determine the file format. Below is our analysis of the THING files:

The THING file extension is quite common and mainly uses a special format. The two most popular formats are as follows:

• 96% of all THING files use ZIP compression, so several files are compressed and saved in one THING file. A THING file contains 2 to 4 files, the average being 2. File names are e.g. manifest.json. A little tip: If you rename the file extension to .zip and then double-click, you will see the included files and images. The files are often between 8 KB and 4 MB in size. The files contain the following words: manifest.json. These files are attributed to uploads, allemand, chien, base, birdeames, holder, print, toyota, hilux and scan.

The remaining 4% of all THING files are files with no common format. Sometimes used for dispenser, black, leber, body, mask, golden, helmet, snitch, motor, parts, easy, face or nest. Drag & drop your file here to see the file format and a preview of your THING file!