What is a BVH file?
A .BVH file is a Biovision Hierarchy Animation File. Originally developed by Biovision, it is a widely used standard text format designed to store 3D motion capture data. The file contains a skeleton structure (hierarchy) and the motion data (translations and rotations) for each bone over time. Animators use .BVH files to apply realistic human movements to 3D characters.
How to open BVH files?
You can open .BVH files with popular 3D animation software. Programs like Blender, Autodesk Maya, and Cinema 4D can import this format to animate character rigs. Game engines like Unity and Unreal Engine also support it for game development. Because .BVH is a plain text format, you can even open it with basic text editors like Notepad++ to inspect the raw skeletal data and animation frames.
Since .BVH has specific standard variations, viewer.online/bvh analyzes .BVH files to identify their exact format and creator software, shows which programs can open the file, and usually previews it.
Converting BVH files
Many modern 3D workflows require different file formats. You can easily convert a .BVH file to other 3D formats using convert.guru. Sensible target formats include .FBX for importing animations into game engines, .DAE (Collada), and .GLTF for modern web applications.
Summary
viewer.online/bvh directly opens and previews .BVH files in the browser, eliminating the need to install software or troubleshoot compatibility issues.