Convert OBJ to DAE - Free Online Converter
Drop a .obj file below and download it as .dae (COLLADA) in seconds. The conversion runs entirely in your browser - no upload, no signup, no watermark. The standard route into SketchUp and Second Life.
Updated July 2026
Done in seconds
Your OBJ converts to DAE 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 obj to dae
Drop your OBJ file
Drag the .obj 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 DAE
The .dae download starts from the same spot. Convert as many files as you like - there is no limit or watermark.
OBJ and DAE, explained
What is OBJ?
OBJ is the plain-text workhorse of 3D interchange. It stores vertices, faces, UV coordinates, and normals in a human-readable file, with materials referenced from a companion .mtl file. Practically every 3D application of the last 30 years can read it.
Because OBJ splits materials and textures into separate files, a bare .obj carries geometry and UVs but shows up untextured unless the .mtl and texture images travel with it. It has no units, no rigging, and no animation - which keeps it simple and universally compatible.
- Developed by
- Wavefront Technologies (circa 1990)
- Structure
- Plain-text geometry, with materials in a separate .mtl file
- Used by
- Blender, Maya, 3ds Max, ZBrush, game engines, 3D scanners
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
What survives the obj to dae 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 faces carry over exactly, triangulated the standard way.
UV coordinates & normals
Texture coordinates and normals are written into the COLLADA, so texturing in the target tool maps correctly.
Object groups
OBJ groups become COLLADA scene nodes, keeping the assembled layout.
Materials (.mtl) & textures
OBJ materials live in sidecar files that are not part of the single file you drop - assign materials in the target tool.
Rigs & animations
OBJ has none to carry; the DAE is a static scene.
When should you convert OBJ to DAE?
Convert to DAE for the two ecosystems that insist on it: SketchUp imports COLLADA natively (OBJ needs Pro or plugins), and Second Life mesh uploads accept DAE only.
Everywhere else, OBJ is the more portable side - keep it as the working file and produce DAE copies on demand.
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.
OBJ to DAE - frequently asked questions
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