3D
Export formats
GLB is the right answer most of the time, and the exceptions are worth knowing before you send an asset to somebody.
GLB is the right answer most of the time. It packs geometry, materials and textures into one file, it carries quad topology, and every modern package reads it. Reach for something else only when the destination makes you. ## Picking one | Format | Carries | Reach for it when | |---|---|---| | **GLB** | Geometry, materials, textures and quads, all in one file | The default, and the only one that needs no explanation to the recipient | | **GLTF** | The same, as a JSON file plus its textures, zipped | A pipeline that specifically wants the unpacked form | | **OBJ** | Geometry and quads, with materials as an MTL file plus textures, zipped | A tool that prefers OBJ, or a recipient who wants the quads in a plain-text format | | **STL** | Geometry only, no materials, no UVs | 3D printing, where none of the rest matters | A fifth option appears for anything you uploaded yourself, named after the format you brought in. That hands the original file back untouched, which is the route for formats Plnty reads but does not write, FBX among them. ## The thing to check before exporting **Remesh first.** A generated mesh exported straight from the generator arrives dense and irregular, and reliably carries non-manifold shells, so whoever opens it will have to fix that before they can work. Running the local remesher costs nothing, and it is the difference between handing somebody an asset and handing them a job. See [remeshing and retopology](/docs/using-plnty/3d/remeshing-and-retopology/). :::note[Quads survive in GLB and OBJ] Both carry quad topology through the export, and choosing OBJ says so on the dialog. STL is geometry only, so a remeshed model sent that way arrives triangulated, throwing away the work the remesher just did. ::: ## Textures GLB embeds them, which is why it is the one to send. GLTF and OBJ keep them as separate files and come out as a ZIP, so the folder stays together on its own. If a mesh's textures need to be higher resolution before it goes out, regenerate them at 4K or 8K first rather than upscaling afterwards. ## Going back to Cinema 4D The plugin is the better route. Plnty Connect imports directly into an open scene with materials and quads intact, skipping the export-import step where things go missing. See [Cinema 4D with Plnty Connect](/docs/using-plnty/bringing-your-work-in/cinema-4d/). ## Everything else on a board Images, video and vectors download in their own formats from the same place. A vector comes out as SVG with its paths editable, which is the point of having made it a vector rather than a picture. [Getting the work out](/docs/using-plnty/get-the-work-out/downloading/) covers the board-level export.GLB is the right answer most of the time. It packs geometry, materials and textures into one file, it carries quad topology, and every modern package reads it.
Reach for something else only when the destination makes you.
Picking one
Section titled “Picking one”| Format | Carries | Reach for it when |
|---|---|---|
| GLB | Geometry, materials, textures and quads, all in one file | The default, and the only one that needs no explanation to the recipient |
| GLTF | The same, as a JSON file plus its textures, zipped | A pipeline that specifically wants the unpacked form |
| OBJ | Geometry and quads, with materials as an MTL file plus textures, zipped | A tool that prefers OBJ, or a recipient who wants the quads in a plain-text format |
| STL | Geometry only, no materials, no UVs | 3D printing, where none of the rest matters |
A fifth option appears for anything you uploaded yourself, named after the format you brought in. That hands the original file back untouched, which is the route for formats Plnty reads but does not write, FBX among them.
The thing to check before exporting
Section titled “The thing to check before exporting”Remesh first. A generated mesh exported straight from the generator arrives dense and irregular, and reliably carries non-manifold shells, so whoever opens it will have to fix that before they can work.
Running the local remesher costs nothing, and it is the difference between handing somebody an asset and handing them a job. See remeshing and retopology.
Textures
Section titled “Textures”GLB embeds them, which is why it is the one to send. GLTF and OBJ keep them as separate files and come out as a ZIP, so the folder stays together on its own.
If a mesh’s textures need to be higher resolution before it goes out, regenerate them at 4K or 8K first rather than upscaling afterwards.
Going back to Cinema 4D
Section titled “Going back to Cinema 4D”The plugin is the better route. Plnty Connect imports directly into an open scene with materials and quads intact, skipping the export-import step where things go missing. See Cinema 4D with Plnty Connect.
Everything else on a board
Section titled “Everything else on a board”Images, video and vectors download in their own formats from the same place. A vector comes out as SVG with its paths editable, which is the point of having made it a vector rather than a picture.
Getting the work out covers the board-level export.