An XAF file is focused on XML-formatted animation data in workflows such as 3ds Max or Cal3D, holding timing information, keyframes, and bone transforms instead of complete models, so viewing it in Notepad only exposes structured XML and numbers that describe motion mathematically, with the file carrying animation tracks but omitting meshes, textures, lights, cameras, and other scene data while assuming the presence of a compatible rig.
When dealing with an XAF file, "opening" it typically requires loading it into the correct 3D software—such as 3ds Max’s animation system or a Cal3D workflow—and mismatched bone structures can cause twisting or incorrect motion, so a fast identification method is searching the top of the file in a text editor for "Cal3D" or 3ds Max/Biped/CAT references to see which tool can load it and what rig should accompany it.

If you have any concerns regarding where and ways to use XAF file editor, you could contact us at our own web-page. An XAF file stores purely animation data rather than models or scene details, offering timelines, keyframes, and transform tracks that rotate or move bones identified by names or IDs, often including smoothing curves, and it may house a single action or multiple clips but consistently describes the skeleton’s progression through time.
An XAF file usually leaves out everything needed to make an animation look complete on its own, since it lacks geometry, textures, materials, and scene elements like lights or cameras and often doesn’t provide a full standalone skeleton, instead assuming the correct rig is already loaded, which is why it can seem "useless" alone—more like choreography without the performer—and why mismatched rigs with different bone names, hierarchies, orientations, or proportions can cause the animation to fail or appear twisted, offset, or incorrectly scaled.
To determine which type of XAF you’re dealing with, the fastest method is to treat it like a self-describing text file, using Notepad or ideally Notepad++ to see if it’s readable XML—structured tags mean XML, while scrambled symbols could imply a binary or misleading extension—and if it is readable, use Ctrl+F or skim the first 20–50 lines for terms like Max, Biped, CAT, or Autodesk plus recognizable bone names that indicate a 3ds Max animation workflow.
If the file contains "Cal3D" markers or XML attributes that resemble Cal3D animation tracks, it’s probably a Cal3D-format XML expecting the correct skeleton/mesh pair, while detailed per-bone transform data and rig-style identifiers tend to imply 3ds Max workflows, and a compact game-oriented clip layout usually means Cal3D, with surrounding files offering hints and the header lines giving the clearest indication of the exporter.