Convert FBX to DAE Online (Free & Secure)
To convert FBX to DAE, drop your .fbx file on this page and download a .dae file seconds later. The route is FBX → GLB → DAE (parsed into a GLB scene, then exported as DAE), and geometry and materials are carried across where DAE allows.
Select .FBX file
or drag & drop .fbx file here
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⚡ AI Summary & Quick Answer
To convert FBX to DAE, drop your .fbx file on this page and download a .dae file seconds later. The route is FBX → GLB → DAE (parsed into a GLB scene, then exported as DAE), and geometry and materials are carried across where DAE allows.
Both formats are designed for moving assets between modelling packages, so the differences come down to hierarchy, units and animation. FBX (.fbx) is a proprietary Autodesk container, usually binary. It holds polygon meshes with layered UVs, skins, blend shapes and scene hierarchy and is most often opened in Unity, Unreal Engine, and Maya. DAE (.dae) is verbose XML following the Khronos COLLADA schema, holding polygon meshes with scene graph, cameras and lights, and is typically used in SketchUp, Blender, and Google Earth.
Under the hood, the FBX file is decoded into an in-memory scene, then serialised as DAE. The axis convention moves from Y-up by default, but exporters can change it to either Y-up or Z-up, as declared in the file. Everything runs in your browser or an isolated, auto-purged instance, so models stay private.
.fbxAbout FBX (Autodesk Filmbox)
Industry-standard exchange format for games, animation, and visual effects supporting complex skeletal rigs and blend shapes.
- Structure: a proprietary Autodesk container, usually binary
- Materials: Lambert or Phong materials with optional PBR extensions
- Units: centimeters by default, with a settable unit scale
- Axis: Y-up by default, but exporters can change it
- Opens in: Unity, Unreal Engine, Maya, 3ds Max or Blender
.daeTarget format: DAE (Collada)
ISO-standard XML schema for exchanging digital assets between graphics software applications.
- Structure: verbose XML following the Khronos COLLADA schema
- Materials: COLLADA effects (Blinn, Phong, Lambert) with image references
- Units: a unit scale declared in the asset header (often meters or inches)
- Axis: either Y-up or Z-up, as declared in the file
- Opens in: SketchUp, Blender, Google Earth, Gazebo or Rviz
What happens to your data in FBX → DAE conversion
Conversion route: FBX → GLB → DAE (parsed into a GLB scene, then exported as DAE).
| Aspect | Result | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Geometry | Preserved | FBX stores polygon meshes with layered UVs, skins, blend shapes and scene hierarchy; DAE stores polygon meshes with scene graph, cameras and lights. Surfaces are retriangulated where needed and positions, normals and UV coordinates are carried across. |
| Materials | Preserved | FBX uses Lambert or Phong materials with optional PBR extensions and DAE can represent the same information, so base colour and surface settings are preserved. |
| Textures | Preserved | In FBX, textures may be embedded or referenced externally depending on the exporter. DAE can reference or embed textures too, so images and UV mapping stay linked. |
| Vertex colours | Adapted | Per-vertex colours from FBX are kept where DAE allows them, but support in DAE is limited and some viewers will ignore them. |
| Animation | Preserved | FBX provides skeletal rigs, blend shapes and baked animation clips; DAE supports it as well, so clips can travel with the model. |
| Units & scale | Adapted | FBX uses centimeters by default, with a settable unit scale; DAE uses a unit scale declared in the asset header (often meters or inches). Check the scale in your target application, and use the Scale tool if the model looks too big or too small. |
| Orientation | Adapted | FBX is Y-up by default, but exporters can change it and DAE is either Y-up or Z-up, as declared in the file. The converter writes a consistent orientation, but verify the up axis in your target software. |
Expect the DAE file to be roughly 1.7x larger than the FBX source, because DAE is large because of XML overhead.
Why convert FBX to DAE?
Why leave FBX
People most often convert from FBX when they are bringing a game-engine asset into a web or AR workflow. Other common cases include extracting geometry and materials from an animation package and lightening a heavy FBX before sharing it. In FBX → DAE specifically, preserved: geometry, materials, textures, and animation; adapted: vertex colours, units & scale, and orientation. Expect the DAE file to be roughly 1.7x larger than the FBX source, because DAE is large because of XML overhead.
Why choose DAE
DAE is the right target when you are supplying assets to engines that still expect Collada. It also fits scenarios such as importing into SketchUp, Google Earth or ROS simulations and archiving a scene with its hierarchy in an open XML standard. Both formats are designed for moving assets between modelling packages, so the differences come down to hierarchy, units and animation.
Where the result opens
After conversion you can open the .dae file in SketchUp, Blender, Google Earth, Gazebo or Rviz.
Step-by-Step Guide: FBX → DAE
- 1
Upload your .fbx file
Drag your FBX model onto the converter or click to browse. Textures may be embedded or referenced externally depending on the exporter; no extra files are required.
- 2
Check your free quota
Free accounts can run a few conversions per day; signing in unlocks tracking of your remaining uses. No watermark is ever added.
- 3
Convert to DAE
Press the Convert to DAE button. The pipeline follows FBX → GLB → DAE (parsed into a GLB scene, then exported as DAE), which usually takes a few seconds for models under 100 MB.
- 4
Download the .dae file
Your DAE file downloads automatically. Open it in SketchUp and Blender to confirm scale and orientation.
Tips for FBX → DAE
- Centimeter units make models 100x too large or small in meter-based tools (FBX source).
- External texture paths break when files are moved (DAE target).
- Always verify real-world size: FBX is centimeters by default, with a settable unit scale, while DAE is a unit scale declared in the asset header (often meters or inches).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert FBX to DAE without losing quality?
Upload the .fbx file and press convert; the route is FBX → GLB → DAE (parsed into a GLB scene, then exported as DAE). Geometry is carried over exactly; materials are preserved, and textures stay linked through UV coordinates.
Does FBX to DAE conversion keep textures?
In FBX, textures may be embedded or referenced externally depending on the exporter. DAE can reference or embed textures too, so images and UV mapping stay linked.
Why does my DAE model look the wrong size or rotation?
FBX uses centimeters by default, with a settable unit scale; DAE uses a unit scale declared in the asset header (often meters or inches). Check the scale in your target application, and use the Scale tool if the model looks too big or too small. FBX is Y-up by default, but exporters can change it and DAE is either Y-up or Z-up, as declared in the file. The converter writes a consistent orientation, but verify the up axis in your target software.
Will the DAE file be bigger or smaller than my FBX file?
Expect the DAE file to be roughly 1.7x larger than the FBX source, because DAE is large because of XML overhead.
What software can open the converted DAE file?
DAE files open in SketchUp, Blender, Google Earth, Gazebo or Rviz. If you need to go back, use the DAE to FBX converter.
Is it safe to upload my FBX model?
Yes. Files are processed in your browser or on isolated instances and purged right after conversion. They are never used to train AI models, and no watermark is added.