# GLB to OBJ Converter

> Get a GLB into tools that only read OBJ: meshes as separate objects, materials in an .mtl, and textures as PNG files, all in one .zip.

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

Some modelling, sculpting and slicing tools still don't read glTF. GLB to OBJ unpacks the model into the classic trio: the .obj with every mesh as its own object, a .mtl with each material's color, and the textures saved as PNG. The UVs are flipped to OBJ's convention, so the textures line up.

The OBJ keeps glTF's numbers (metres) and its Y up, which is what Blender, Maya and ZBrush expect. Going to a slicer instead? Pick **Z up** and set the output to millimetres, or use [GLB to STL](https://printpal.io/convert/glb-to-stl).

## How to convert GLB to OBJ

1. **Drop your GLB files.** Drop .glb files, including Draco, Meshopt and KTX2 compressed ones.
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 triangle is kept at full precision. |
| 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 GLB was read in (metres); you can change that in the options. |
| Orientation | Kept the way the GLB 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. |

## GLB at a glance (glTF 2.0 binary)

glTF 2.0 is the Khronos Group's "JPEG of 3D", and GLB is its single-file binary form. It is what AI 3D generators, Sketchfab downloads and web apps hand out, and it is the only common format whose units (metres) and axes (Y up) are fixed by the spec.

- **Stores:** Meshes, PBR materials, textures, animation and scenes in one binary file
- **Color:** Full: textures, base colors and vertex colors
- **Units:** Metres, fixed by the glTF spec
- **Up axis:** Y, fixed by the spec
- **File size:** Compact; Draco or Meshopt compression shrinks meshes 5 to 10 times
- **Opens in:** Web viewers, Blender, Windows, Android Scene Viewer, Godot, Unity and Unreal importers

## 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

- **Keep the folder together** Unzip the .obj, .mtl and textures into one folder; the .mtl finds textures by file name.
- **PBR is simplified** OBJ materials are basic: base color and texture come across; roughness, metalness and normal maps don't.
- **Compressed GLB** Draco and Meshopt GLBs are decompressed for you.

## FAQ

### Does GLB to OBJ keep textures?

Yes. The base color textures are saved as PNG next to the .obj and referenced from the .mtl.

### Why is the download a .zip?

An OBJ with materials is several files: the .obj, the .mtl and the textures. The .zip keeps them together.

### Can I get just the .obj?

Yes. Untick materials in the OBJ options for a single geometry-only .obj.

### 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)
- [GLB to STL Converter](https://printpal.io/convert/glb-to-stl)
- [OBJ to GLB Converter](https://printpal.io/convert/obj-to-glb)
- [GLB to glTF Converter](https://printpal.io/convert/glb-to-gltf)
- [OBJ to 3MF Converter](https://printpal.io/convert/obj-to-3mf)
- [GLB to 3MF Converter](https://printpal.io/convert/glb-to-3mf)
- [GLB to USDZ Converter](https://printpal.io/convert/glb-to-usdz)
- [OBJ to USDZ Converter](https://printpal.io/convert/obj-to-usdz)
- [3D model viewer](https://printpal.io/tools/3d-model-viewer)
- [3D model converter](https://printpal.io/tools/3d-model-converter)
- [Mesh Repair](https://printpal.io/tools/mesh-repair)
- PrintPal for LLMs: https://printpal.io/llms.txt