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XPS Import/Export

by maylog·Workflow

Images © maylog. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

XPS Import/Export earns its place in the blender_extensions library as a maintained continuation of johnzero7's XNALara Mesh tool, brought forward for Blender 5.0 after the original sat unupdated for five years. Worth knowing that binary .xps export is currently disabled in favour of ASCII.

What is XPS Import/Export?

XPS Import/Export is a Blender toolshelf add-on for bringing XPS/XNALara models and poses into Blender and sending them back out. It imports and exports models with their armature, handles poses and custom normals, creates materials on import, and lets you set a new rest pose for a model.

The add-on is a fork of johnzero7's XNALara Mesh import/export tool, updated for Blender 5.0. maylog maintains this version after the original went unmaintained for five years as of 2025. Version compatibility is tied to Blender releases: v2.1.0 targets Blender 4.40, while v2.2.0 and later require Blender 5.0.

Native .xps binary export is currently disabled due to compatibility issues with the format, so the exporter redirects to ASCII by default. XPS Import/Export is released under the GNU General Public License v3.0 or later and appears in the blender_extensions library.

Who is XPS Import/Export best for?

XPS Import/Export is best for blender artists importing and exporting XPS/XNALara models, poses and custom normals.

How much does XPS Import/Export cost?

XPS Import/Export is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Imports and exports XPS/XNALara models with armature
  • Imports and exports poses
  • Imports and exports custom normals
  • Creates materials on import
  • Easily set a new rest pose for a model
  • Native .xps binary export disabled; exporter redirects to ASCII by default

Tags

#XPS#XNALara#import/export#poses#armature#custom normals#materials

Frequently asked questions

Which Blender versions does XPS Import/Export support?

XPS Import/Export requires Blender 5.0 and newer. The version numbering tracks Blender releases: v2.2.0 and later run on Blender 5.0, while v2.1.0 was built for Blender 4.40. Because the original XNALara Mesh add-on had not been updated for five years as of 2025 and no longer ran on newer Blender builds, maylog forked it and rebuilt compatibility for the current release line. If you are on Blender 5.0 or later, the recent 2.x versions are the ones to install.

Can XPS Import/Export save files in the .xps binary format?

XPS Import/Export currently has its native .xps binary export disabled because of compatibility issues with that format. Instead, the exporter redirects to ASCII by default, which the developer notes as the stable, compatible path for writing files back out. Import of XPS/XNALara models, poses and custom normals is still supported, and the developer has openly asked experienced contributors to help resolve the binary header construction on GitHub. For now, expect exports to land in ASCII rather than the binary .xps format.

Can XPS Import/Export transfer poses as well as models?

XPS Import/Export handles poses in addition to models. It imports and exports XPS/XNALara models with their armature, imports and exports poses, and imports and exports custom normals. On import it also creates materials, and it lets you set a new rest pose for a model. Both the model geometry and the pose data can move in and out of Blender, so rig and pose information stays with the assets you transfer to and from XNALara.

Is XPS Import/Export free, and what license does it use?

XPS Import/Export is listed as free here in the catalog. It is released under the GNU General Public License v3.0 or later, so you are free to use, study and modify the source under those terms. The project is a public fork hosted on GitHub, where you can review the code and check the latest releases. For current licensing details and any updates, see the developer's page. The add-on is maintained by maylog as an ongoing fork of the original XNALara Mesh tool.

Alternatives to XPS Import/Export

Also in Workflow for Blender.

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