Reference

DRC (Draco 3D)

DRC is the file format of Draco, an open-source library from Google for compressing 3D meshes and point clouds. It shrinks geometry dramatically so 3D models download and load faster, especially on the web.

Files & formatsGeneral

DRC (Draco 3D)

Also known as: .drc file, Draco compression, Google Draco

Google’s Draco compressed 3D geometry format
Shrinks meshes and point clouds for fast loading
Commonly used inside glTF for web and AR

What Draco does

Draco compresses 3D geometry — vertices, faces, and attributes — so a model takes far less space and bandwidth. A .drc holds that compressed data, which an app decodes back into a mesh or point cloud.

It is most commonly used inside glTF, where Draco compression keeps web and AR models small without changing the glTF workflow.

Working with DRC

DRC is a compression payload rather than an everyday editing format. You usually generate it during glTF export and decode it at load time; for editing, work in OBJ, PLY, or glTF.

Related terms

Keep reading the reference.

Files & formatsglTF / GLB (3D)glTF is an open, royalty-free 3D format from the Khronos Group, often called "the JPEG of 3D." It bundles geometry, materials, textures, and animation in a compact, runtime-ready form, and GLB is its single-file binary version used on the web and in AR.General Files & formatsPLY (Polygon)PLY (Polygon File Format, or Stanford Triangle Format) is a 3D format for storing meshes and point clouds. It records vertices and faces along with extras like color and normals, and is common in 3D scanning and research.General Storage conceptsCompression (lossy vs lossless)Compression shrinks a file by encoding its data more efficiently. Lossless compression rebuilds the original exactly, while lossy compression permanently discards detail the eye or ear is least likely to notice in exchange for much smaller files.General