.obj files
.obj file
Wavefront OBJ Model
A plain-text 3D mesh format that nearly every 3D program can import.
What opens a .obj file
- Windows
- Blender, MeshLab, Autodesk Fusion
- macOS
- Blender, MeshLab, Autodesk Fusion
- Linux
- Blender, MeshLab, FreeCAD
- In a browser
- Autodesk Viewer, Sketchfab
What a .obj file is
OBJ came from Wavefront Technologies in the 1980s and stores vertices, faces and texture coordinates as readable text. Materials live in a separate .mtl file and the textures in image files alongside, so an OBJ arriving on its own often appears untextured. It has no animation or rigging support, which is why game pipelines use FBX or glTF instead.
Converting it
A .obj file is commonly converted to .stl, .fbx, .gltf, .3mf or .blend. It is a plain text format, so any text editor can open and edit it directly.
Details
- Extension
- .obj
- Full name
- Wavefront OBJ Model
- Category
- 3D and CAD
- MIME type
- model/obj
- Created by
- Wavefront Technologies
- Format
- Plain text
Common questions
- How do I open a .obj file?
- On Windows use Blender; on macOS use Blender; on Linux use Blender. A plain-text 3D mesh format that nearly every 3D program can import.
- What is a .obj file?
- Wavefront OBJ Model. OBJ came from Wavefront Technologies in the 1980s and stores vertices, faces and texture coordinates as readable text. Materials live in a separate .mtl file and the textures in image files alongside, so an OBJ arriving on its own often appears untextured.
- Can I convert a .obj file?
- Yes. It is usually converted to .stl, .fbx, .gltf, .3mf or .blend, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.
Related pages
- .stl — Stereolithography Model The universal 3D printing format — a shell of triangles with no colour or units.
- .fbx — Filmbox 3D Scene The standard interchange format for 3D models with rigging, animation and materi
- .gcode — G-code Toolpath The line-by-line instructions a 3D printer or CNC machine actually executes.
- .blend — Blender Project Blender's own project file, holding an entire scene, its animation and its setti
- .3mf — 3D Manufacturing Format The modern replacement for STL, carrying colour, materials and units.
- .3ds — 3D Studio Model The legacy Autodesk 3D Studio mesh format from the DOS era.
Sources
- Media Types Registry — IANA
- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place