How do I convert a DAE file to FBX?

Drop the .dae into the converter above; the binary .fbx downloads in seconds, converted locally in your browser - no account, no upload.

Why convert COLLADA to FBX at all?

Tool support: COLLADA importers have been quietly rotting for a decade, while FBX import is a first-class citizen in Maya, 3ds Max, Unity, and Unreal. Converting resurrects legacy assets for current pipelines.

Do animations survive?

No - COLLADA's skeletal animation has no path through this static conversion; the mesh exports in rest pose. For animated legacy content, import the .dae into Blender (which still reads COLLADA animation) and export FBX from there.

Is my file uploaded anywhere?

No - the XML parsing and FBX writing run entirely in your browser.

The model imports rotated - why?

COLLADA files declare an up-axis (Y-up or Z-up) that some exporters set inconsistently. If the model lies on its side, rotate it 90° around X in the target tool - the geometry itself is intact.

Should I convert my DAE to FBX or GLB?

FBX for Autodesk tools and FBX-first engine pipelines; GLB for web viewers, AR, and modern engines (Unreal 5+, Godot). Both converters are on this site - produce both from the same file if you need to cover both worlds.

Convert DAE to FBX - Free Online Converter

Drop a .dae (COLLADA) file below and download it as .fbx in seconds. The conversion runs entirely in your browser - no upload, no signup, no watermark. Move legacy SketchUp-era assets into Autodesk and engine pipelines in one step.

Updated July 2026

Done in seconds

Your DAE converts to FBX locally in your browser - no upload queue, no waiting.

Private by design

Your file never leaves your device. Nothing is uploaded, nothing is stored.

Free, no strings

No signup, no watermark, no file limit - convert as many files as you need.

How to convert dae to fbx

Drop your DAE file

Drag the .dae file into the converter above or click to browse. No account and no upload - the file stays on your device.

Conversion runs in your browser

The model is parsed and rewritten locally, in seconds for typical files. Geometry is carried over 1:1 - no remeshing, no quality loss.

Download the FBX

The .fbx download starts from the same spot. Convert as many files as you like - there is no limit or watermark.

DAE and FBX, explained

.dae

What is DAE?

COLLADA (.dae) is an XML-based interchange format that predates glTF. It can carry full scenes with materials, rigs, and animations, and remains common in SketchUp exports, older asset marketplaces, and legacy game pipelines.

As an XML format, .dae files are verbose and slow to parse, and tool support has been fading in favor of glTF/GLB and FBX. It survives on two ecosystems: SketchUp imports COLLADA natively (most other mesh formats need Pro or plugins), and Second Life accepts mesh uploads only as .dae - so files move both ways, legacy assets out and fresh conversions in.

Developed by: Khronos Group (originally Sony) (2004)
Structure: XML scene description
Used by: SketchUp, older game pipelines, Second Life, legacy asset stores

.fbx

What is FBX?

FBX is Autodesk's proprietary scene format and the long-standing standard for moving rigged, animated characters between DCC tools and game engines. Skeletons, skinning, blend shapes, and animation clips all travel inside one file.

Because the format is closed, no official browser tooling exists - this fleet writes FBX through assimp's open-source FBX writer running as WebAssembly, right in your browser. Static geometry with UVs is the reliable path; rigs and animation clips need a DCC-tool export.

Developed by: Autodesk (proprietary) (2006 (Autodesk era))
Structure: Proprietary binary scene container
Used by: Unity, Unreal Engine, Maya, 3ds Max, MotionBuilder

What survives the dae to fbx conversion

Format conversion is honest work: some data has nowhere to go in the target format. Here is exactly what carries over.

Mesh geometry

All meshes carry over exactly, with the COLLADA node hierarchy's transforms baked in.

UV coordinates & normals

Vertex attributes survive where the source provides them.

Scene assembly

Parts stay positioned as the COLLADA scene arranged them.

Materials & textures

COLLADA references textures as external files that are not part of the single file you drop - reassign materials in the target tool.

Rigs & animations

COLLADA skeletal animation is not carried - the mesh exports in rest pose. For animated conversion, route through Blender.

When should you convert DAE to FBX?

Convert to FBX to bring 2000s-era content into today's pipelines: old asset-store purchases, SketchUp exports, and archived projects stuck in .dae become importable in Maya, 3ds Max, Unity, and Unreal.

Producing new COLLADA only makes sense for SketchUp or Second Life - the FBX to DAE converter covers that. If your target reads GLB, prefer DAE to GLB; glTF is COLLADA's official successor.

And if what you actually need is a new model rather than a new file format: 3D AI Studio's main tool can generate 3D models from photos with AI - with exports to every format on this page.

DAE to FBX - frequently asked questions

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