1

HOME/USEFUL GUIDES/GUIDE TO 3D FILE FORMATS/RS FILE FORMAT EXPLAINED

RS File Format Explained

The RS format is the Redshift Proxy File (.rs) format used by the Redshift rendering engine. It allows users to export complex geometry and scene data into an external file that is loaded only at render time.

	Icon	Extension	Original Software	Year	Primary Industry	Geometry	UV Maps	Textures	PBR	Animation	Rigging	Open Use
		.RS	Redshift	2014	Rendering Visualization	Polygon Mesh Volume	✔	✔	✔	✔	–	–
RS File Format Details What It Stores It can store Redshift scene data ranging from simple objects to complete scenes, including geometry, materials, shaders, lights, cameras, animation, global render options, and AOV setup. The exported proxy data is generally non-editable in the host application and changes usually require editing the original source scene and re-exporting the proxy. Primary Use Cases Managing massive scene complexity and high poly counts. Standardizing assets for use across different host applications. Accelerating viewport performance by using lightweight placeholders. Often used in workflows that involve repeated assembly of complex environment assets. Strengths Reduces scene memory usage by keeping proxy geometry unloaded until needed at render time. Supports interoperability across DCCs like Maya, Houdini, and Cinema 4D. Allows efficient loading during the render phase. Limitations The exported data is non-editable; changes require re-exporting the original source. It is a Redshift-specific proxy format and is not intended as a general interchange format for other render engines. Common Software Support Supported in Redshift workflows for Cinema 4D, Houdini, Maya, 3ds Max, Katana, and Blender, with feature support varying by host application.