How to convert COLLADA (DAE) to OBJ
DAE is open XML, but a full COLLADA reader is a large piece of software — scene graph, transforms, skinning, libraries — so this is a job for Blender rather than a browser tab. It is free and takes about a minute.
Why there is no uploader on this page
DAE is a closed format that no browser can read, so an in-page converter would have to send your file to a server. The procedure below does the job properly in the application that owns the format — and where a browser-side route exists, it is linked underneath.
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Étape par étape
- 1Blender: File → Import → Collada (.dae), then File → Export → Wavefront (.obj).
- 2In the export panel, tick 'Triangulate Faces' if the target application dislikes n-gons, and choose whether to write the .mtl material file.
- 3If the model comes from SketchUp Free, apply object transforms after import (Object → Apply → All Transforms) so the OBJ is not offset from the origin.
- 4Check the up axis: COLLADA declares its own, and OBJ does not. Set Y-up or Z-up on export to match your target.
- 5Keep the .mtl and textures with the .obj when handing it over.
Points de vigilance
- Animation and skinning are lost — OBJ is a static geometry format.
- Double-sided SketchUp faces often import with inconsistent normals; recalculate them in Blender before exporting.
- MeshLab and Assimp's command-line tool are alternatives if you prefer not to open Blender.
The XML interchange format SketchUp Free and many older pipelines export. Verbose, widely supported, weak on solids.
A plain-text mesh format listing vertices and faces — openly documented, which is why it can be read and rewritten in the browser.
Questions fréquentes des dessinateurs
Can I do this without Blender?
Yes — MeshLab, Assimp (assimp export model.dae model.obj) and most 3D packages all read COLLADA.
Why is my model tiny or huge after conversion?
COLLADA stores a unit scale that OBJ cannot. Set the scale explicitly on export.
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