glTF / glb Is the Webar 3D File Format Best Friend, and This Is Why

glTF / glb is the standard format for 3d on the web: to make it even easier, glTF is considered the jpg for 3D.

Why? Because it is light and designed to minimize the size of a 3D asset, making the runtime processing flow fast and smooth.

But what are they exactly? Surprisingly, glTF and glb are the same things. What changes and differentiates them is the approach:

• The glTF is a non-autonomous file because it can contain links to other textures and binary files.

• The glb is an autonomous file because it has everything you need enclosed in it.

Moreover, these formats are royalty-free, which is pretty convenient.

How to use glTF and glb on Aryel platform

On Aryel, you can choose between using one of the ready-to-use 3D models available in our libraries or upload your custom glb/glTF files.

You have a 3D model in a different format? No problem: you can easily convert it into glTF / glb with a program like Blender or the many converters you find online — however, the great news is the Aryel platform will soon support different formats too! Yay!

You can even convert a glTF file into a glb one to make everything even smoother.

Why should you do so? As we already said, glb is a single file, or — speaking geekish — a single network request, and therefore it is much smaller than glTF.

Okay, till here was pretty easy, right? To be safe, here’s a recap

• glTF / glb is the standard formats for 3D on the web

• it’s good for you since it makes your AR experiences run fast and smoothly

• glb is more convenient than glTF since it is a single file that has everything you need enclosed in it

• you can convert different 3D files into this format

How to convert to glTF / glb

1 — Export your 3D model
Blender 2.8b and Substance Painter both support glTF export. Before exporting, be sure that:

1. The pivot point is at the base of the model

2. The forward vector of the object is along Z-axis

2 — Convert to GLB
You have different solutions:

• Use an online converter such as https://www.creators3d.com/online-viewer.

• Use CLI tool here MOST RELIABLE

• If you use Maya, install Maya GLTF export tool (supports GLB, macOS/Windows)

• Try many other solutions available here

👉 Already have GLTF + bin? Convert to GLB here

3 — Check your model

• Navigate to https://gltf-viewer.donmccurdy.com

• Drop-in your newly created GLB

• Inspect your model and confirm there are no issues with geometry or textures

• If you have some animations, unfurl the “Animation” tab and make sure every animation clip is listed beginning with “idle,” “motion,” clip 3, clip 4, etc.