[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"extension:v3:en:obj":3},{"resolvedFromAlias":4,"canonicalExt":5,"ext":5,"name":6,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"updatedAt":9,"popularity":10,"summary":11,"howToOs":12,"quickAnswer":18,"answerIntro":19,"whatIs":20,"description":21,"furtherReading":22,"openInstructions":38,"commonIssues":49,"securityNotes":68,"faq":72,"aliases":82,"mimeTypes":83,"relatedExtensions":85,"breadcrumbs":131,"categoryAnchor":141,"categoryFuturePath":142,"metaDescription":143,"availableHowToOs":144,"openOnDeviceLinks":145,"cannotOpenReasons":161,"cannotOpenFixes":162,"convertOptions":163,"securityAffiliateMessaging":164,"securityAffiliates":165},false,"obj","Wavefront OBJ (3D geometry) file","3d","3D","2026-06-12T08:24:08.012Z",78,"OBJ is a widely used text-based 3D geometry format that stores vertices, texture coordinates, normals, and polygon faces. It is commonly accompanied by a separate MTL material library file for appearance settings.",[13,14,15,16,17],"windows","mac","linux","ios","android","To open .OBJ files on Windows, open Blender, then go to File → Import → Wavefront (.obj).","To open an .obj file, use a 3D modeling or viewing program that supports Wavefront OBJ—Blender can import and export it. If the model looks untextured, make sure the companion .mtl file (and referenced texture images) are present next to the .obj.","Wavefront OBJ is a plain-text format for describing 3D geometry, including vertex positions, texture coordinates, vertex normals, and faces. Materials are typically stored in a companion .mtl (material template library) file referenced from the OBJ. The syntax is line-based, using record types such as v, vt, vn, f, and mtllib/usemtl.","Wavefront OBJ is a common interchange format for 3D meshes because it is human-readable and supported by many 3D tools. It primarily represents polygonal geometry (often triangles or quads) and can include grouping and smoothing information.\n\nA typical OBJ workflow also involves a material library: the OBJ references an MTL file (via an mtllib statement), and the MTL may reference texture images. If you receive only the .obj without its .mtl and textures, the model can still load, but it may appear with default materials.\n\nBecause it is text-based, OBJ files are easy to inspect and can be generated or edited by scripts, but they can also become very large for detailed meshes. For reliable results when sharing, keep the .obj, .mtl, and any texture files together and avoid renaming one without updating the references inside the files.",[23,26,29,32,35],{"title":24,"url":25},"Library of Congress: Wavefront OBJ File Format","https://www.loc.gov/preservation/digital/formats/fdd/fdd000507.shtml",{"title":27,"url":28},"IANA Media Types Registry (model/obj)","https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types",{"title":30,"url":31},"Blender 5.0 Manual: Wavefront OBJ (Import/Export)","https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/5.0/files/import_export/obj.html",{"title":33,"url":34},"Wikipedia: Wavefront .obj file","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavefront_.obj_file",{"title":36,"url":37},"OBJ specification PDF (Paul Bourke mirror): Object Files (.obj)","https://paulbourke.org/dataformats/obj/obj_spec.pdf",{"windows":39,"macos":42,"linux":44,"ios":46,"android":48},[40,41],"Open Blender, then go to File → Import → Wavefront (.obj).","Select the .obj file; if there is an .mtl and textures, keep them in the same folder so materials can resolve.",[40,43],"Import the .obj; if materials are missing, place the .mtl and textures next to the .obj and re-import.",[40,45],"Choose the .obj file; confirm that any .mtl and texture images referenced by the model are accessible.",[47],"If you need reliable viewing or editing, transfer the .obj (and any .mtl/textures) to a desktop system and open it in Blender.",[47],[50,56,62],{"title":51,"description":52,"steps":53},"Model imports with no textures or wrong materials","OBJ geometry and material definitions are commonly split: the .obj references a separate .mtl file, and the .mtl may reference texture images. If the .mtl or textures are missing or moved/renamed, the model will appear untextured or with default materials.",[54,55],"Check whether there is a companion .mtl file with a matching name and ensure it is in the same folder as the .obj.","Verify that any texture images referenced by the .mtl are present and paths still match; re-import after fixing file locations.",{"title":57,"description":58,"steps":59},"Model imports at the wrong size or orientation","OBJ stores geometry but does not standardize scene units or coordinate conventions across all tools, so an importer may interpret scale and axes differently.",[60,61],"In your importer (for example, Blender’s OBJ import), adjust scale and axis conversion options if available.","If you export the OBJ again, document the intended units/axes for the receiving tool.",{"title":63,"description":64,"steps":65},"Missing parts, holes, or shading looks faceted","OBJ can include normals and smoothing/grouping information, but exporters/importers may omit or reinterpret them. Face winding/backface culling can also make parts look invisible from one side.",[66,67],"Try importing with options that preserve normals/smoothing when available; if shading is wrong, recalculate normals in the 3D tool.","If surfaces disappear from certain angles, check face orientation and flip/recalculate normals as needed.",[69,70,71],"OBJ is a text-based geometry format, but opening untrusted OBJ/MTL content can still be risky if a viewer/importer has parsing vulnerabilities; prefer up-to-date, well-maintained tools.","MTL files can reference external texture images; if those textures are missing, the model may load incorrectly, and if they are unexpectedly large they can cause performance or memory issues during import.","Very large OBJ files (dense meshes) can consume significant RAM/CPU on import and may cause application slowdowns or crashes; consider inspecting file size before opening.",[73,76,79],{"question":74,"answer":75},"What’s the difference between .obj and .mtl?",".obj primarily stores the mesh geometry, while the companion .mtl material library stores material properties (and often references texture images). The .obj links to the .mtl using an mtllib statement and applies materials with usemtl.",{"question":77,"answer":78},"Is OBJ a binary format?","Wavefront OBJ is typically plain text with line-based records (for example v, vt, vn, f), which makes it readable in a text editor.",{"question":80,"answer":81},"What MIME type should be used for .obj on the web?","The IANA-registered media type for Wavefront OBJ is model/obj.",[],[84],"model/obj",[86,92,97,103,109,115,120,125],{"ext":87,"name":88,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"popularity":89,"summary":90,"howToOs":91},"stl","STL (Stereolithography) 3D Mesh",85,"STL is a widely used 3D model exchange format for 3D printing and rapid prototyping, storing a surface as a triangle mesh. It commonly comes in either ASCII or binary form.",[13,14,15,16,17],{"ext":93,"name":94,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"popularity":10,"summary":95,"howToOs":96},"fbx","Autodesk FBX (Filmbox) 3D interchange format",".fbx is a proprietary 3D scene and asset exchange format owned by Autodesk and widely used to move models, animation, and scene data between 3D tools and game/animation pipelines.",[13,14,15,16,17],{"ext":98,"name":99,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"popularity":100,"summary":101,"howToOs":102},"gltf","glTF (GL Transmission Format) 3D Asset",70,".gltf is a JSON-based 3D scene/model format (glTF 2.0) used to exchange and render 3D assets. It’s commonly opened in 3D tools like Blender, web apps via Three.js, and viewers that support glTF.",[13,14,15,16,17],{"ext":104,"name":105,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"popularity":106,"summary":107,"howToOs":108},"glb","glTF Binary (GLB)",68,".glb is the binary form of glTF 2.0, commonly used to deliver 3D models and scenes as a single file. It’s widely supported by 3D tools and viewers that can import/export glTF.",[13,14,15,16,17],{"ext":110,"name":111,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"popularity":112,"summary":113,"howToOs":114},"3mf","3D Manufacturing Format (3MF)",55,".3mf is the 3D Manufacturing Format (3MF), an open standard for exchanging 3D print-ready models and related data. It is commonly opened in 3D printing “slicer” software such as PrusaSlicer.",[13,14,15,16,17],{"ext":116,"name":117,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"popularity":112,"summary":118,"howToOs":119},"blend","Blender Project File (BLEND)",".blend is Blender’s native project file that can store an entire 3D scene (objects, materials, textures references, animations, etc.) in one file. It is primarily opened and edited with Blender.",[13,14,15,16,17],{"ext":121,"name":122,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"popularity":112,"summary":123,"howToOs":124},"ply","Polygon File Format (PLY / Stanford Triangle Format)",".ply is a 3D geometry file format commonly used for polygon meshes and point clouds. It can store vertex/face data plus per-element properties, in either ASCII or binary encodings.",[13,14,15,16,17],{"ext":126,"name":127,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"popularity":128,"summary":129,"howToOs":130},"mtl","Wavefront Material Template Library (MTL)",45,".mtl is a text-based material library used with Wavefront OBJ (.obj) files to describe surface appearance such as colors, shininess, transparency, and texture maps.",[13,14,15,16,17],[132,135,138],{"label":133,"to":134},"Home","/",{"label":136,"to":137},"File Extension Index","/file-extension",{"label":139,"to":140},".OBJ","/file-extension/obj","category-3d","/category/3d","Learn what .OBJ files are, how to open them on every platform, common fixes, and security best practices.",[13,14,15,16,17],[146,149,152,155,158],{"os":13,"label":147,"to":148},"Open .OBJ on Windows","/how-to/open-obj-on-windows",{"os":14,"label":150,"to":151},"Open .OBJ on Mac","/how-to/open-obj-on-mac",{"os":15,"label":153,"to":154},"Open .OBJ on Linux","/how-to/open-obj-on-linux",{"os":16,"label":156,"to":157},"Open .OBJ on iOS","/how-to/open-obj-on-ios",{"os":17,"label":159,"to":160},"Open .OBJ on Android","/how-to/open-obj-on-android",[51,57,63],[54,55],[],"untrusted_source",[166,170],{"name":167,"description":168,"affiliateUrl":169},"Avast","Avast offers free and premium antivirus software that protects against viruses, malware, ransomware, and phishing. Scan files before opening them to ensure safety.","https://www.avast.com/lp-aff-consumer-store?expid=inf601",{"name":171,"description":172,"affiliateUrl":173},"Norton","Norton 360 delivers comprehensive antivirus protection, VPN, and identity theft monitoring. Scan files for threats before opening to keep your device secure.","http://buy.norton.com/aff_home?utm_campaign=en-ww_nor_n36_aff_nas_nau_nah_cj_nad_low:_sec_nat_mktc_norton_360"]