glTF and GLB: the 3D file format for the web and AR
glTF is an open 3D file format made for the web, and GLB is the same format packed into one binary file. Both carry a model's meshes, materials and separate parts, ready for a browser or an AR view to load. A .gltf is text that usually points to separate .bin and texture files, so a single .glb is easier to send and to open.
3D Jewelry Designer1 min read
One format, two packages
A .gltf is JSON, a plain text format. A .glb packs that text, the geometry and any textures into one binary file, so converting between them changes the packaging, not the model. Both are glTF, an open standard from the Khronos Group.
What it means for jewellery
A GLB is a mesh of flat triangles, so the 3DM stays the file you design and edit in. Unlike an STL, it keeps separate parts and materials, so a viewer can tell metal from stones and shoppers can switch metals. glTF measures in metres, but not every exporter follows that, so check a ring's scale before weighing it.
Opening and exporting GLB files
The studio opens .glb and .gltf files, and the free GLB viewer opens a .glb in your browser without uploading it, Draco-compressed files included. From the Growth plan, the studio exports the 3D model as GLB, STL or OBJ, plus USDZ for AR on iPhone and iPad.
See also: a 3D viewer for your website and the best 3D format for a jewellery website.
Questions
Why export USDZ as well as GLB?
AR Quick Look on iPhone and iPad opens USDZ, not GLB. Download the USDZ export on either and tap it to place the piece in AR.
Related
- GLB viewer: open a GLB file online
Open a .glb file in your browser, rendered with jewellery materials and studio lighting, with every part listed. Draco-compressed files open too.
- USDZ file: AR Quick Look on iPhone and iPad
A USDZ file packs a 3D model and its textures into one archive that iPhone and iPad open in AR Quick Look. What it holds and how it compares with GLB.
- A 3D jewelry viewer for your website
Put an interactive 3D view of your jewellery on your own site with one iframe snippet locked to your domains, or send it as a live 3D link.