Abstract The rise of new technologies has led to a growth in the number of 3D models. They can come from various source, hence they are heterogeneous and complex. The level of 3D data access is often a function of the user’s expertise since the 3D data are often registered to different file formats. Some file formats do not show the data tree, as IGES. For using information inside a 3D model, that does not show a data tree, each company adopts his own system that will allow him to access easily to 3D model in order to exploit the hidden knowledge within the models. In this article, we are going to speak about technologies that helps user to exploit and knowledge coming from different file formats. In addition, we are going to present a system named VAQUERO that uses ontology to access, store and share knowledge coming from 3D models.