# GLB to OBJ Converter

> To convert GLB to OBJ, load the glTF scene and write each mesh's vertices, UVs, normals and faces to an OBJ file. Kenerate's free converter does it in your browser, including Draco and Meshopt compressed GLBs. The OBJ keeps geometry, UVs and normals; textures stay in the GLB, so export them separately. Nothing is uploaded.

URL: https://kenerateai.com/glb-to-obj
Publisher: Kenerate AI (https://kenerateai.com)
Last updated: 2026-10-01

## Key facts
- Price: Free, no account
- Converts: GLB (glTF 2.0 binary, Draco / Meshopt OK) → Wavefront OBJ
- Kept: Geometry, UVs, normals, mesh positions
- Not kept: Textures, PBR materials, animation
- Orientation: Y-up as in glTF, or Z-up if you choose
- Privacy: Converted locally — no upload
- Older pipelines: Tools for sculpting, retopology, CNC and some renderers read OBJ but not glTF.
- UVs preserved: UV coordinates are written to the OBJ, so you can re-apply the texture maps later in your 3D app.
- Compressed input: Draco and Meshopt GLBs are decoded first, so you don't need gltf-transform or Blender.
- Positions kept: Each mesh is written with its node transforms applied, so parts stay where they were.
- Unpack: The GLB container is read and compressed meshes are decoded.
- Flatten: Node transforms are applied so every mesh sits in the right place.
- Orient: Optionally scale the model and turn it Z-up.
- Write: Vertices, UVs, normals and faces are written as OBJ text.
- GLB (glTF 2.0 Binary): Single-file scene with PBR materials; by Khronos Group, 2017 (glTF 2.0). Holds: Meshes and PBR materials, Textures in the same file, Animation and skins. Lacks: Units beyond metres, CAD precision. Best for: Web, AR and real-time apps — the “JPEG of 3D”. Opens in: Browsers (three.js, model-viewer), Blender, Unity, Unreal, Godot.
- OBJ (Wavefront OBJ): Plain-text mesh; by Wavefront Technologies, 1980s. Holds: Vertices, faces, UVs and normals, Materials via a separate .mtl file. Lacks: Animation and rigs, Embedded textures. Best for: Moving static meshes between 3D apps. Opens in: Blender, Maya, 3ds Max, ZBrush, most slicers.
- Geometry, UVs, normals — GLB vs OBJ: Yes | Yes
- Textures — GLB vs OBJ: Embedded | Separate image files via .mtl
- PBR materials — GLB vs OBJ: Yes | Basic .mtl materials only
- Animation and rigs — GLB vs OBJ: Yes | No
- Encoding — GLB vs OBJ: Binary, compact | Text, larger

## Steps
1. Open the GLB — Drop your .glb onto the box above, or try the sample astronaut.
2. Preview — Check the model and its triangle count.
3. Pick OBJ — Turn Z-up off to keep glTF's Y-up axes for game tools.
4. Download — Click Download OBJ.

## In depth

### Two eras of 3D formats
OBJ dates from Wavefront's tools in the 1980s [2]; glTF 2.0 from Khronos in 2017 [4]. Both describe triangle meshes with UVs and normals, but glTF adds PBR materials, scenes and animation in a GPU-ready binary [8].

### Getting the textures too
Open the GLB in Blender, then File → External Data → Unpack Resources to save the images. Assign them to the OBJ's material in your target app using the preserved UVs.

References:
[1] Wikipedia — STL (file format): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format)
[2] Wikipedia — Wavefront .obj file: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavefront_.obj_file
[3] Wikipedia — FBX: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FBX
[4] Khronos Group — glTF: https://www.khronos.org/gltf/
[5] 3MF Consortium — 3MF specification: https://3mf.io/specification/
[6] Wikipedia — Universal Scene Description (USD / USDZ): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Scene_Description
[7] Wikipedia — PLY (file format): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PLY_(file_format)
[8] Khronos Group — glTF 2.0 specification: https://registry.khronos.org/glTF/specs/2.0/glTF-2.0.html
[9] Apple — AR Quick Look: https://developer.apple.com/augmented-reality/quick-look/
[10] three.js — documentation: https://threejs.org/docs/
[11] Prusa Knowledge Base — Modeling with 3D printing in mind: https://help.prusa3d.com/article/modeling-with-3d-printing-in-mind_164135
[12] Prusa Blog — lithophanes and filament transparency: https://blog.prusa3d.com/lets-play-with-filament-transparency-how-to-make-amazing-lifelike-color-photos-with-just-a-simple-color-change_104338/
[13] Polymers (2024) 16(20):2862 — FFF parameters and translucency of PLA: https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16202862
[14] Wikipedia — Lithophane: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithophane
[15] W3C — CSS Values and Units Level 3 (absolute lengths): https://www.w3.org/TR/css-values-3/
[16] Adobe Substance 3D — OpenGL vs DirectX normal maps: https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/substance-3d/bakers/common-questions/what-is-the-difference-between-the-opengl-and-directx-normal-format
[17] Blender Manual — Normal Map node: https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/render/shader_nodes/displacement/normal_map.html
[18] Wikipedia — Normal mapping: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_mapping
[19] SIL Open Font License: https://openfontlicense.org/

## FAQ
Q: Is GLB to OBJ conversion free?
A: Yes. It runs in your browser with no account.

Q: Are textures included?
A: No — the OBJ contains geometry, UVs and normals. Extract the textures from the GLB in Blender if you need them; the UVs will line up.

Q: Does it handle Draco-compressed GLB?
A: Yes. Draco and Meshopt are decoded on your device.

Q: Will animations convert?
A: No. OBJ can't store animation, so the model is exported in its rest pose.

Q: Is my file uploaded?
A: No — conversion happens locally.

Q: Can I convert OBJ to GLB?
A: Yes. Open the OBJ in the free 3D model converter and pick GLB as the output. The GLB keeps the mesh and UVs; textures from a separate .mtl aren't included, so re-apply them in your 3D app. Nothing is uploaded.

Q: Can I convert .gltf?
A: Use the .glb version; a separate .gltf needs its .bin and textures alongside it.

## Related pages
- AI 3D Model Generator: https://kenerateai.com/ai-3d-model-generator
- Image to 3D: https://kenerateai.com/image-to-3d-converter
- AI STL Generator: https://kenerateai.com/ai-3d-printing-model-generator
- Text to 3D: https://kenerateai.com/text-to-3d-generator

## Sources
- Wikipedia — STL (file format): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format)
- Wikipedia — Wavefront .obj file: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavefront_.obj_file
- Wikipedia — FBX: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FBX
- Khronos Group — glTF: https://www.khronos.org/gltf/
- 3MF Consortium — 3MF specification: https://3mf.io/specification/
- Wikipedia — Universal Scene Description (USD / USDZ): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Scene_Description
- Wikipedia — PLY (file format): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PLY_(file_format)
- Khronos Group — glTF 2.0 specification: https://registry.khronos.org/glTF/specs/2.0/glTF-2.0.html
- Apple — AR Quick Look: https://developer.apple.com/augmented-reality/quick-look/
- three.js — documentation: https://threejs.org/docs/
- Prusa Knowledge Base — Modeling with 3D printing in mind: https://help.prusa3d.com/article/modeling-with-3d-printing-in-mind_164135
- Prusa Blog — lithophanes and filament transparency: https://blog.prusa3d.com/lets-play-with-filament-transparency-how-to-make-amazing-lifelike-color-photos-with-just-a-simple-color-change_104338/
- Polymers (2024) 16(20):2862 — FFF parameters and translucency of PLA: https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16202862
- Wikipedia — Lithophane: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithophane
- W3C — CSS Values and Units Level 3 (absolute lengths): https://www.w3.org/TR/css-values-3/
- Adobe Substance 3D — OpenGL vs DirectX normal maps: https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/substance-3d/bakers/common-questions/what-is-the-difference-between-the-opengl-and-directx-normal-format
- Blender Manual — Normal Map node: https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/render/shader_nodes/displacement/normal_map.html
- Wikipedia — Normal mapping: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_mapping
- SIL Open Font License: https://openfontlicense.org/