Convert GLB to OBJ Online Free
Extract mesh geometry from a binary glTF (GLB) into the classic Wavefront OBJ format. Vertex positions, normals, and UVs are preserved; materials come out as a companion MTL file. Note: PBR material parameters degrade through the OBJ format.
By ChangeThisFile Team · Last updated: March 2026
ChangeThisFile converts GLB to Wavefront OBJ by reading the glTF binary scene with Assimp and exporting mesh geometry, vertex normals, and UVs into the classic OBJ text format. Materials are written to a companion MTL file. Note: OBJ uses the legacy Phong material model — glTF's PBR metallic-roughness, animations, skins, and `KHR_*` extensions are lost in this conversion. Free, encrypted upload, files auto-deleted after conversion.
Convert GLB (Binary glTF) to Wavefront OBJ
Drop your GLB (Binary glTF) file here to convert it instantly
Drag & drop your .glb file here, or click to browse
Convert to Wavefront OBJ instantly
GLB (Binary glTF) vs Wavefront OBJ: Format Comparison
Key differences between the two formats
| Feature | GLB | OBJ |
|---|---|---|
| Format type | Binary container (glTF 2.0) | Plain text + MTL companion |
| Materials | PBR metallic-roughness | Legacy Phong (Ka/Kd/Ks) |
| Animations | Supported (channels/samplers) | Not supported |
| Skins | Supported (joints + weights) | Not supported |
| Hierarchy | Full scene graph | Flat groups |
| File size | Compact (binary) | Verbose (text) |
| Ecosystem | Modern web + game engines | Universal — every 3D tool reads OBJ |
When to Convert
Common scenarios where this conversion is useful
Loading into legacy 3D tools
Older CAD, sculpting, and rendering tools predate glTF and rely on OBJ. Use this to bridge a modern GLB into a Blender 2.7-era pipeline or a vintage tool.
3D printing prep
OBJ is widely accepted by slicers. Convert from a GLB delivered by a designer into an OBJ your slicer or CAD tool understands.
Mesh-only workflows
If you just need vertices, normals, and UVs — no materials, no animations — OBJ is the simplest stable format.
Universal model exchange
Sharing with a collaborator whose tools you don't know? OBJ + MTL is the safest lowest common denominator.
Who Uses This Conversion
Tailored guidance for different workflows
For 3D Developers
- Bridge a GLB from a modern web pipeline into an older OBJ-only toolchain
- Extract a mesh-only OBJ for use in a tool that doesn't care about materials
- Hand a model to a collaborator whose pipeline only accepts OBJ
For 3D Printing / CAD Users
- Bring a GLB designed for web display into a CAD or slicer that expects OBJ
- Strip unnecessary glTF metadata before importing into a tool that's picky about extensions
- Convert a downloaded GLB model into OBJ for a vintage CAD pipeline
How to Convert GLB (Binary glTF) to Wavefront OBJ
-
1
Upload your .glb file
Drop your binary glTF file. Embedded buffers and textures are supported, up to 50MB per upload.
-
2
Server-side mesh extraction
Assimp loads the GLB scene, walks the node hierarchy, applies node transforms to mesh vertices, and writes positions, normals, and UVs into the OBJ text format. Materials translate to MTL.
-
3
Download the OBJ + MTL bundle
The result is delivered as a zip containing the `.obj`, `.mtl`, and any referenced texture files. Uploaded GLB is deleted from disk immediately after conversion.
Developers: convert via API →
Frequently Asked Questions
No — and there's no way to. OBJ's MTL format predates PBR by decades. It supports diffuse (Kd), ambient (Ka), specular (Ks), and a texture map per channel — but not metallic, roughness, or any glTF `KHR_*` material extension. The base color texture is preserved; the rest of the PBR workflow is lost.
No. OBJ is a static mesh format. Animation channels, skin matrices, and morph targets are all discarded. If you need animation, stick with glTF/GLB or use FBX.
Yes. Positions (`v`), normals (`vn`), and UVs (`vt`) all round-trip through OBJ. Vertex colors are not in the OBJ spec proper, though some loaders read non-standard `v x y z r g b` lines.
Flattened. OBJ has groups (`g`) and objects (`o`) but no real scene graph. Node transforms from the glTF are baked into the vertex positions during export, so the geometry is correct but the hierarchy is gone.
External. The MTL file references texture files by relative path; the textures themselves are written out alongside as PNGs or JPEGs. The zip download bundles everything together.
glTF is Y-up, meters by default. OBJ has no standard — different tools assume different conventions. Assimp preserves the coordinates as-is; if your downstream tool flips the model, you may need to rotate or scale on import.
Assimp is a large native library. Doing this in-browser would mean a multi-megabyte WASM download. Server-side keeps the page fast and the importer current.
50MB per upload on the anonymous endpoint, 5 requests per minute per IP. Use the authenticated /v1/convert API for larger files.
Yes. HTTPS upload, ephemeral temp directory, files deleted immediately after the conversion response. Contents are not logged.
Related Conversions
Need to convert programmatically?
Use the ChangeThisFile API to convert GLB (Binary glTF) to Wavefront OBJ in your app or script. Free tier included.
Ready to convert your file?
Convert GLB (Binary glTF) to Wavefront OBJ instantly — free, no signup required.
Start Converting