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OBJ (3D model)

OBJ is a plain-text 3D geometry format that stores a model’s vertices, faces, and texture coordinates. It is one of the most widely supported interchange formats, but it carries no animation and stores materials in a separate .mtl file.

Files & formatsGeneral

OBJ (3D model)

Also known as: .obj file, Wavefront OBJ, how to open OBJ

OBJ is a plain-text 3D geometry format that stores a model’s vertices, faces, and texture coordinates. It is one of the most widely supported interchange formats, but it carries no animation and stores materials in a separate .mtl file.

  • Plain-text 3D mesh: vertices, normals, UVs, faces
  • No animation; materials live in a separate .mtl file
  • Opens in Blender, Preview, and Windows 3D Viewer

What an OBJ file stores

Developed by Wavefront, an OBJ file describes a static 3D mesh as readable text: lists of vertex positions, normals, texture (UV) coordinates, and the faces that connect them. Because it is text, the same geometry can take more space than a packed binary format.

OBJ does not store colors, lighting, or animation on its own. Surface materials live in a companion .mtl file, and any image textures it references are separate files again — so a shared OBJ is usually a small bundle, not one file.

How to open and use OBJ

Almost every 3D tool reads OBJ, which is why it is a go-to for moving models between programs. Free options include Blender, while macOS Preview and the Windows 3D Viewer can open one for a quick look. Online viewers work too if you only need to inspect the shape.

For interchange, OBJ is reliable but dated. When you need animation, embedded materials, or a smaller download for the web, glTF/GLB or FBX are usually better choices.

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.GeneralFiles & formatsFBX (3D)FBX is a rich 3D interchange format owned by Autodesk that can carry geometry, materials, textures, rigs, and animation in a single file. It is the common pipeline format for games and film, and files tend to be large because they bundle so much.GeneralFiles & formatsSTL (3D printing)STL is the standard file format for 3D printing. It describes a model’s surface as a mesh of triangles, with no color, texture, or units — just the geometry a slicer needs to turn into printer instructions.GeneralStorage conceptsFile systemA file system is the method a device uses to organize and track files on storage — naming them, recording where each one lives, and managing free space. Common ones include APFS (Apple), NTFS (Windows), and exFAT and FAT32 (cross-platform).General