What is a glTF file?
glTF is an open format for 3D models designed for delivery rather than authoring. A .gltf is a JSON file that points at separate buffers and textures; a .glb is the same thing packed into one binary file.
- Runs in your browser
- Files never uploaded
- Free to start
How to do it
- Check what you actually have. A
.gltfusually arrives with a.binand a folder of images beside it. - Keep those files together. A glTF on its own loads as untextured geometry, or fails outright.
- To view it, drop the whole set into the MeshShot web app. It reads glTF and GLB directly in the browser.
- If you need one file to hand around, use GLB instead.
glTF was designed for the step after modelling, which is why people sometimes call it the JPEG of 3D. It stores geometry, materials, textures, animation and scene structure in a form a renderer can upload to the GPU with very little processing, rather than the editable history an authoring format keeps. That is also why it is a poor choice for continuing to model: it has thrown away the things a modelling tool wants.
Good to know: The split-file form catches people out constantly. If a glTF renders grey or untextured, the usual cause is that the .bin and images were not copied along with it.
Questions
Is glTF the same as GLB?
Same data, different packaging. GLB is the single-file binary version. See GLB vs glTF.
Can glTF hold animation?
Yes, including skeletal animation. See whether GLB files can be animated.
What opens a glTF?
Any modern browser-based viewer, most 3D tools, and the MeshShot web app.