Convert GLTF to DAE Online (Free & Secure)
To convert glTF to DAE, drop your .gltf file on this page and download a .dae file seconds later. The route is glTF → GLB → DAE (parsed into a GLB scene, then exported as DAE), and geometry and materials are carried across where DAE allows.
Select .GLTF file
or drag & drop .gltf file here
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⚡ AI Summary & Quick Answer
To convert glTF to DAE, drop your .gltf file on this page and download a .dae file seconds later. The route is glTF → GLB → DAE (parsed into a GLB scene, then exported as DAE), and geometry and materials are carried across where DAE allows.
Taking a web-ready asset into a desktop modelling format is the classic hand-off from publishing back to production. glTF (.gltf) is a JSON scene description that references separate .bin and image files. It holds indexed triangle meshes with optional morph targets and skins and is most often opened in Blender, Visual Studio Code glTF tools, and three.js. DAE (.dae) is verbose XML following the Khronos COLLADA schema, holding polygon meshes with scene graph, cameras and lights, and is typically used in SketchUp, Blender, and Google Earth.
Under the hood, the glTF file is decoded into an in-memory scene, then serialised as DAE. The axis convention moves from Y-up, right-handed to either Y-up or Z-up, as declared in the file. Everything runs in your browser or an isolated, auto-purged instance, so models stay private.
.gltfAbout glTF (JSON)
Standard open-source 3D scene description format using JSON with external or embedded buffers and textures.
- Structure: a JSON scene description that references separate .bin and image files
- Materials: PBR metallic-roughness materials
- Units: meters (fixed by the glTF specification)
- Axis: Y-up, right-handed
- Opens in: Blender, Cesium, three.js or any glTF 2.0 viewer
.daeTarget format: DAE (Collada)
ISO-standard XML schema for exchanging digital assets between graphics software applications.
- Structure: verbose XML following the Khronos COLLADA schema
- Materials: COLLADA effects (Blinn, Phong, Lambert) with image references
- Units: a unit scale declared in the asset header (often meters or inches)
- Axis: either Y-up or Z-up, as declared in the file
- Opens in: SketchUp, Blender, Google Earth, Gazebo or Rviz
What happens to your data in glTF → DAE conversion
Conversion route: glTF → GLB → DAE (parsed into a GLB scene, then exported as DAE).
| Aspect | Result | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Geometry | Preserved | glTF stores indexed triangle meshes with optional morph targets and skins; DAE stores polygon meshes with scene graph, cameras and lights. Surfaces are retriangulated where needed and positions, normals and UV coordinates are carried across. |
| Materials | Adapted | glTF uses PBR metallic-roughness materials. DAE only supports COLLADA effects (Blinn, Phong, Lambert) with image references, so values are mapped to the closest equivalent and advanced PBR channels may be simplified. |
| Textures | Adapted | In glTF, textures are stored as external image files or data URIs. In DAE, textures are referenced as external image files, so texture handling is reduced to what the target supports. |
| Vertex colours | Adapted | Per-vertex colours from glTF are kept where DAE allows them, but support in DAE is limited and some viewers will ignore them. |
| Animation | Preserved | glTF provides skeletal, node and morph-target animation; DAE supports it as well, so clips can travel with the model. |
| Units & scale | Adapted | glTF uses meters (fixed by the glTF specification); DAE uses a unit scale declared in the asset header (often meters or inches). Check the scale in your target application, and use the Scale tool if the model looks too big or too small. |
| Orientation | Adapted | glTF is Y-up, right-handed and DAE is either Y-up or Z-up, as declared in the file. The converter writes a consistent orientation, but verify the up axis in your target software. |
Expect the DAE file to be roughly 2.9x larger than the glTF source, because DAE is large because of XML overhead.
Why convert glTF to DAE?
Why leave glTF
People most often convert from glTF when they are repackaging a multi-file glTF into a portable single file. Other common cases include inspecting or editing a scene by hand before shipping and moving a web asset into desktop tools. In glTF → DAE specifically, preserved: geometry and animation; adapted: materials, textures, vertex colours, units & scale, and orientation. Expect the DAE file to be roughly 2.9x larger than the glTF source, because DAE is large because of XML overhead.
Why choose DAE
DAE is the right target when you are supplying assets to engines that still expect Collada. It also fits scenarios such as importing into SketchUp, Google Earth or ROS simulations and archiving a scene with its hierarchy in an open XML standard. Taking a web-ready asset into a desktop modelling format is the classic hand-off from publishing back to production.
Where the result opens
After conversion you can open the .dae file in SketchUp, Blender, Google Earth, Gazebo or Rviz.
Step-by-Step Guide: glTF → DAE
- 1
Upload your .gltf file
Drag your glTF model onto the converter or click to browse. Textures are stored as external image files or data URIs; zip the model with its textures and companion files if you want them included.
- 2
Check your free quota
Free accounts can run a few conversions per day; signing in unlocks tracking of your remaining uses. No watermark is ever added.
- 3
Convert to DAE
Press the Convert to DAE button. The pipeline follows glTF → GLB → DAE (parsed into a GLB scene, then exported as DAE), which usually takes a few seconds for models under 100 MB.
- 4
Download the .dae file
Your DAE file downloads automatically. Open it in SketchUp and Blender to confirm scale and orientation.
Tips for glTF → DAE
- Relative paths to .bin and texture files break when the files are separated (glTF source).
- Z_UP files appear lying on their side in Y-up tools (DAE target).
- Always verify real-world size: glTF is meters (fixed by the glTF specification), while DAE is a unit scale declared in the asset header (often meters or inches).
- DAE files grow quickly; compress or decimate the source with the Compress tool if size is a concern.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert glTF to DAE without losing quality?
Upload the .gltf file and press convert; the route is glTF → GLB → DAE (parsed into a GLB scene, then exported as DAE). Geometry is carried over exactly; materials are mapped to the closest DAE equivalent, and textures stay linked through UV coordinates.
Does glTF to DAE conversion keep textures?
In glTF, textures are stored as external image files or data URIs. In DAE, textures are referenced as external image files, so texture handling is reduced to what the target supports.
Why does my DAE model look the wrong size or rotation?
glTF uses meters (fixed by the glTF specification); DAE uses a unit scale declared in the asset header (often meters or inches). Check the scale in your target application, and use the Scale tool if the model looks too big or too small. glTF is Y-up, right-handed and DAE is either Y-up or Z-up, as declared in the file. The converter writes a consistent orientation, but verify the up axis in your target software.
Will the DAE file be bigger or smaller than my glTF file?
Expect the DAE file to be roughly 2.9x larger than the glTF source, because DAE is large because of XML overhead.
What software can open the converted DAE file?
DAE files open in SketchUp, Blender, Google Earth, Gazebo or Rviz. If you need to go back, use the DAE to glTF converter.
Is it safe to upload my glTF model?
Yes. Files are processed in your browser or on isolated instances and purged right after conversion. They are never used to train AI models, and no watermark is added.