File formats
glTF
GL Transmission Format
Definition
glTF is a Khronos Group format for delivering 3D scenes and models efficiently to web and real-time applications. It stores meshes with materials, textures, and animation, which makes it good for viewers and previews but not for engineering edits.
Also known as: GLB, .gltf, .glb, GL Transmission Format
Updated
Where it fits#
The glTF 2.0 specification calls glTF an API-neutral runtime asset delivery format that bridges 3D content creation tools and graphics applications. It comes as a JSON .gltf file with separate binary data, or as a single binary .glb file.
CAD and AI tools often offer glTF for browser previews. Treat it as a display format: it holds tessellated geometry, so dimensions and faces cannot be recovered exactly.
Sources
Related terms
Mesh
A mesh represents a shape as a surface of small flat polygons, almost always triangles, joined at shared edges and vertices. Meshes work well for rendering, games, and 3D printing, but they have no true faces, edges, or exact curves, so they are hard to dimension or edit as engineering geometry.
OBJ
OBJ is a widely supported 3D geometry format that originated with Wavefront's Advanced Visualizer. In practice it is used to exchange polygon meshes with texture coordinates and materials, not engineering geometry.
Text-to-3D
Text-to-3D is AI that generates a 3D shape from a text prompt for visuals, games, or 3D printing, usually as a mesh or neural representation. It targets appearance rather than exact dimensions or editable CAD features.