MeshFormat

DAE to OBJ Converter

Drop a .dae file below and get a .obj back. The conversion happens inside this page using WebAssembly, so nothing is uploaded to a server and there is no queue to wait in.

  • Private by designFiles stay on your device.
  • No queueConversion starts instantly.
  • No sign upNo account, no limits per day.

Compatibility

What survives the trip from DAE to OBJ.

FeatureDAEOBJResult
GeometrySupportedSupportedSupported
Vertex colorsPartialPartialNot supported
MaterialsSupportedSupportedSupported
TexturesSupportedSupportedSupported
Scene hierarchySupportedPartialPartial
AnimationPartialNot supportedNot supported

How to convert DAE to OBJ

  1. 1Add your DAE fileDrop the .dae file into the box, or pick it from disk. Multiple files are converted one after another.
  2. 2Pick OBJ as the outputOBJ is already selected on this page. Adjust scale, up axis or triangle budget if the target application is picky.
  3. 3Download the resultThe .obj file is written locally and appears as a download button next to your file.

About DAE

COLLADA is an XML schema for whole scenes: nodes, transforms, materials, cameras and animation. It stayed relevant because SketchUp, Google Earth and many architectural tools rely on it for round trips.

  • SketchUp
  • Blender
  • Maya
  • Google Earth

About OBJ

OBJ is a human readable list of vertices, texture coordinates, normals and faces. Materials live in a companion .mtl file, which keeps the format simple but means textured models travel as several files.

  • Material definitions are written to a companion .mtl file and delivered as a ZIP.
  • Blender
  • Maya
  • 3ds Max
  • ZBrush
  • Cinema 4D

Questions

Is this DAE to OBJ converter free?

Yes. There is no account, no daily quota and no watermark. The tool is a static web page and the work is done by your own CPU, so there are no server costs to pass on.

Are my files uploaded anywhere?

No. MeshFormat loads a WebAssembly build of the geometry kernels into your browser and reads the file locally. You can open the network tab and confirm that nothing leaves the page, or disconnect after the page has loaded and keep converting.

How large can a DAE file be?

The practical limit is your available memory rather than an arbitrary cap. Models up to a few hundred megabytes work on a normal laptop; very dense scans convert faster if you lower the triangle budget in the options.

What is lost when converting DAE to OBJ?

Vertex colors: vertex colours are dropped because the output format has nowhere to store a colour per vertex. Animation: animation tracks are dropped, because the output format stores static geometry only.

Anything to know about OBJ output?

Material definitions are written to a companion .mtl file and delivered as a ZIP.

Which programs open OBJ files?

Blender, Maya, 3ds Max, ZBrush and most other tools that work with 3D meshes read .obj directly.

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