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.

A ferramenta e as legendas estão em português. As notas de referência continuam em inglês.

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.

Precisa de um especialista certificado em CAD/BIM para alterar este ficheiro?

TaskBider drafters, detailers and BIM coordinators work remotely and every listing shows the pay. Typical published range for this work: $18–$45/hr.

Passo a passo

  1. 1Blender: File → Import → Collada (.dae), then File → Export → Wavefront (.obj).
  2. 2In the export panel, tick 'Triangulate Faces' if the target application dislikes n-gons, and choose whether to write the .mtl material file.
  3. 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.
  4. 4Check the up axis: COLLADA declares its own, and OBJ does not. Set Y-up or Z-up on export to match your target.
  5. 5Keep the .mtl and textures with the .obj when handing it over.

Pontos de atenção

  • 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.
DAECOLLADA

The XML interchange format SketchUp Free and many older pipelines export. Verbose, widely supported, weak on solids.

OBJWavefront OBJ

A plain-text mesh format listing vertices and faces — openly documented, which is why it can be read and rewritten in the browser.

Perguntas de projetistas

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.

Paid to draft, model or coordinate?

TaskBider lists remote CAD and BIM roles with the pay shown on every listing.