What is the DSF file format?
The .dsf extension identifies a 3D asset file created by DAZ Studio (DAZ 3D). A single .dsf file can contain 3D model data - object properties, shape, positioning, shading, textures, and other information for a given model. .dsf files serve as the reusable *asset* half of DAZ's DSON library; companion .duf files reference these assets to define scenes and presets.
DSON / JSON syntax
.dsf files are stored in DSON (DAZ Studio Object Notation), a structured dialect based on the JSON standard to facilitate data exchange and readability. Uncompressed .dsf files are plain UTF-8 JSON beginning with {.
Compression
.dsf files may optionally use gzip compression to significantly reduce file size. Compressed files begin with the 1F 8B magic header and can be decompressed with any ZIP archive-compatible tool to reveal the underlying JSON.
Uses of .dsf files
.dsf files can be used as a basis for rendering and animating objects in a given environment. Objects can interact with a given scene or other objects stored in appropriate resource files, such as .obj meshes and .fbx assets.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWA DAZ DSF is a passive JSON data/asset file - it doesn't execute on its own, so opening one in DAZ Studio is low-risk. The realistic problems are integrity, not security: a DSF references image maps and is referenced by .duf scenes, so a missing or wrongly-pathed DSF shows up as broken/missing content. Only the largest caveat: DAZ content from untrusted sites can bundle DAZ Scripts (.dse/.dsa/.dsb) that DO run code - those are separate files; the DSF asset itself is data. Decompressing a gzipped DSF to inspect the JSON is safe.
Format details
in a nutshell- DSD Stream File (Sony DSD audio) - Sony's high-resolution DSD audio container (1-bit, e.g. DSD64 = 2.8224 MHz) also uses .dsf - a completely different, audio file opened by foobar2000/Audirvana.
- Delusion / DmeltDown (DSF) game music module - Tracker/module music format from the 1990s demoscene also used the .dsf extension.
- Designer / dBASE structure file - Some legacy CAD/database tools wrote .dsf design or structure files; obsolete.
Programs that open DSF files
Windows4 apps
DAZ Studio
Free Install DAZ Studio (free), then load the asset from the Content Library, or File > Open a .duf scene that references it. 
7-Zip
Open-source Open a compressed DSF as a gzip archive to extract the underlying JSON for inspection. 
DSF Toolbox
Free A DAZ Script utility set for batch-converting and inspecting DSF/DUF files (runs inside DAZ Studio).
Visual Studio Code / Notepad++
Free Open an UNCOMPRESSED DSF to read/edit the JSON; decompress a gzipped one first (rename to .gz and extract). 
macOS2 apps
DAZ Studio
Free Free on macOS; load DSF assets via the Content Library or open a referencing .duf scene. Technical details
deep spec| Format standard | DSON (DAZ Studio Object Notation) - a JSON dialect defined by DAZ 3D |
| Text encoding | UTF-8 JSON when uncompressed; gzip-compressed binary stream of the same JSON when the compressed save option is used |
| Magic bytes | `{` (0x7B) at offset 0 for uncompressed files; `1F 8B` (gzip header) at offset 0 for compressed files |
| Compression | Optional gzip, user-selectable in DAZ Studio's save dialog; significantly reduces JSON payload size for geometry-heavy assets |
| MIME type | application/json (uncompressed); application/octet-stream (gzip-compressed) |
| Role in DSON format pair | Reusable library asset file (figures, morphs, materials, rigging); .duf scene files reference .dsf assets via URIs |
| Asset types stored | Geometry definitions, morph and modifier data, material and shader parameters, UV maps, rigging and skeleton data |
| Internal version field | file_version key inside the asset_info node; library assets typically carry version 0.6.0.0 |
| Asset referencing | URI-based cross-references from .duf scene files; supports relative and absolute content-library paths |
| Integrity checking | No DAZ-level checksum; gzip wrapper includes a CRC-32 of the decompressed JSON stream |
| Typical file size | Tens of KB to tens of MB; geometry-heavy assets are larger; gzip compression significantly reduces JSON payload |
| Top-level JSON structure | Root DSON object contains asset_info, geometry_library, modifier_library, material_library, and node_library arrays |
| Supersedes | The older binary .daz format used before DAZ Studio 4 and the introduction of the DSON standard |
| Platform support | Windows and macOS (native DAZ Studio targets); .dsf parsing libraries allow use in other environments |
| Released | 2012 (DAZ Studio 4, with the DSON file format) |
| Latest version | DSON format as used by DAZ Studio 4.x (current 4.2x line) |
| Open standard | Yes · royalty-free |
| Specification | docs.daz3d.com |
DSF conversions
Community Q&A
asked by usersNo questions yet - be the first to ask about DSF files.
