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3DAI
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3DS to GLB Converter

Old .3ds models still look fine, but the web, AR and modern engines load glTF. This page reads a .3ds together with its texture images and writes one GLB with the meshes, the materials and the textures inside it, so there is a single file to share. The old 3DS shading is turned into glTF PBR materials, and the model is turned Y-up as glTF expects. Nothing is uploaded. 3D Studio and 3ds Max are named only to describe the format; we are not affiliated with their maker.

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How to use it

  1. 1

    Add the .3ds and its images

    Select the .3ds and the JPG, PNG or BMP textures it uses. A .3ds only names its textures (often in short form like BRICK1.JPG), so they must be added together.

  2. 2

    Check the preview

    The model shows with its materials. Textures that the file names but you did not add are listed, so you can add them and try again.

  3. 3

    Set the size

    A .3ds has no unit and glTF reads numbers as metres. Keep x1, or pick centimetres, inches or millimetres to metres for real size in AR.

  4. 4

    Download the GLB

    One file with textures embedded. It opens in glTF viewers, Blender, three.js, Godot and Unity with a glTF importer.

What to know before you convert

  • Animation keyframes, cameras and lights are not exported; meshes are written where they sit.
  • Materials become glTF PBR with base colour, colour texture and transparency. Bump, specular and reflection maps are not carried over.
  • TGA textures cannot be read by a browser and are left out with a note. Convert them to PNG to keep them.
  • Texture names are matched without regard to case, but the files must be added with the .3ds.

Don't have a model?

Create one with AI from a photo, a sentence or a sketch. The generators use credits; this converter is free and stays in your browser.

Image to 3D →Turn one photo into a textured 3D model.Text to 3D →Describe an object and get a GLB.Sketch to STL →Draw it, get a printable model.

Frequently Asked Questions

Add the .3ds and its texture images on the box above, keep the defaults and click Download. You get one GLB with the textures inside.
A .3ds file only stores texture file names. Add the image files from the model folder together with the .3ds. The note under the preview lists any file that was named but not found.
3D Studio uses Z as up and glTF uses Y. The converter turns the model upright by default. Untick the rotate option if your model was already Y-up.
If you do not know how the model was built, keep x1 and check it in a viewer. Pick centimetres or inches to metres when the model was built in those units, so it appears at real size in AR.
Close. Colours and colour textures are kept, and shine is turned into a glTF roughness value. Special 3DS effects such as reflection maps have no glTF match and are dropped.
No. The page reads the file and converts it inside your browser with the open-source three.js library. Nothing is sent to our servers, there is no account, and no credits are used. Closing the tab discards everything.