# FBX to OBJ Converter

> Move FBX models into tools that read OBJ: every mesh as its own object, materials and textures in an .mtl, in one .zip.

Page: https://printpal.io/convert/fbx-to-obj
Updated: 2026-11-12
Use it: open https://printpal.io/convert/fbx-to-obj in a browser and drop a file. Free, no account, files are processed locally and never uploaded.

OBJ is the simplest format nearly every 3D tool reads. FBX to OBJ writes each FBX mesh as an OBJ object, with its material colors and textures (embedded or dropped alongside) saved to an .mtl and PNG files. Skeletons and animation are dropped; the meshes come out in their bind pose.

FBX units (usually centimetres) are converted to millimetres in the OBJ by default; set the output unit if your next tool expects metres. Y up is kept.

## How to convert FBX to OBJ

1. **Drop your FBX files.** Drop .fbx files (FBX 7.0 or newer, binary or ASCII) with any separate textures.
2. **Check the preview.** The model appears at the size and orientation it will have. Fix the file units, up axis or size under Size, units and orientation if needed.
3. **Choose OBJ options.** Keep materials on to get a .zip with the .obj, its .mtl and textures. Pick the up axis: Y for Blender and game engines, Z for slicers and CAD.
4. **Convert and download.** One file downloads straight away. A batch gives a download per file and one .zip of all of them.

## What carries over

| | Result |
|---|---|
| Geometry | Every face is kept; quads and n-gons are split into triangles. |
| Color | Kept: material colors and textures go in a .mtl with PNG textures (you get a .zip); vertex colors are written into the OBJ. |
| Units | OBJ stores no units. The numbers stay in the unit the FBX was read in (millimetres); you can change that in the options. |
| Orientation | Kept the way the FBX had it. Switch to Y up (Blender, game engines) or Z up (slicers, CAD) in the options. |
| Objects | Each part stays a separate object or mesh. |
| Animation | Dropped: the model is written in its rest pose. |

## FBX at a glance (Autodesk Filmbox)

FBX began as Kaydara's FiLMBOX and has been owned by Autodesk since 2006. It is the standard for moving rigged, animated characters between DCC tools and game engines; the format is proprietary, so most tools read it through Autodesk's SDK or reverse-engineered readers.

- **Stores:** Meshes, materials, textures, skeletons, animation, cameras
- **Color:** Materials and textures, embedded or as separate files
- **Units:** Declared as a scale factor, centimetres by default
- **Up axis:** Usually Y
- **File size:** Binary, large when textures are embedded
- **Opens in:** Maya, 3ds Max, Blender, Unity, Unreal, Mixamo

## OBJ at a glance (Wavefront OBJ)

OBJ came out of Wavefront Technologies' animation software and became the plain-text lingua franca of 3D. The geometry is in the .obj; colors and texture references live in a companion .mtl file, which is why OBJs so often arrive grey.

- **Stores:** Vertices, faces (triangles, quads, n-gons), UVs and normals as text
- **Color:** Materials and textures in a separate .mtl file; vertex colors as an unofficial extension
- **Units:** None, the numbers are bare
- **Up axis:** Y by convention (Blender, Maya, most 3D apps)
- **File size:** Text: about a binary STL's size for bare geometry, up to twice that with UVs and normals
- **Opens in:** Blender, Maya, 3ds Max, ZBrush, Cinema 4D, game engines, most slicers

## Tips

- **Textures** Drop the texture images with the FBX if they aren't embedded.
- **Blender users** Blender imports FBX directly; OBJ is useful for tools that don't.
- **Printing** Going to a slicer? [FBX to STL](https://printpal.io/convert/fbx-to-stl) is simpler.

## FAQ

### Does FBX to OBJ keep textures?

Yes. Textures are written as PNG and referenced from the .mtl, in one .zip.

### Are animations kept?

No. OBJ has no animation; meshes are written in the bind pose.

### What units is the OBJ in?

The unit the FBX was read in, converted from its declared scale. Change it in the options if needed.

### Is the converter free? Are there limits?

Free, with no sign-up, watermark or file count limit. Batches and files of a few hundred MB work on most laptops; the only limit is your device's memory.

### Are my files uploaded?

No. Files are read and written by JavaScript and WebAssembly in your browser and never sent to PrintPal. The STEP and IGES reader is the only extra download, once, from a public CDN.

## Related

- [OBJ to STL Converter](https://printpal.io/convert/obj-to-stl)
- [OBJ to GLB Converter](https://printpal.io/convert/obj-to-glb)
- [FBX to STL Converter](https://printpal.io/convert/fbx-to-stl)
- [FBX to GLB Converter](https://printpal.io/convert/fbx-to-glb)
- [OBJ to 3MF Converter](https://printpal.io/convert/obj-to-3mf)
- [OBJ to USDZ Converter](https://printpal.io/convert/obj-to-usdz)
- [STL to OBJ Converter](https://printpal.io/convert/stl-to-obj)
- [STEP to OBJ Converter](https://printpal.io/convert/step-to-obj)
- [3D model viewer](https://printpal.io/tools/3d-model-viewer)
- [3D model converter](https://printpal.io/tools/3d-model-converter)
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- PrintPal for LLMs: https://printpal.io/llms.txt