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3DAI
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Convert 3DS to OBJ

.3ds is the old 3D Studio format, still common in legacy asset packs and early game models. Newer Blender versions no longer open it out of the box, but every 3D program reads OBJ. Add the .3ds together with its texture images and download an OBJ with an MTL material file and the textures, ready to import. The file is read in your browser; nothing is uploaded.

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How to use it

  1. 1

    Add the files

    Select the .3ds together with its texture images (JPG, PNG, BMP), or just the .3ds if it has none.

  2. 2

    Check the preview

    The model is shown with its materials and textures. Texture files the .3ds names but you did not add are listed by name.

  3. 3

    Set the axis and scale

    3DS is Z-up, so the default turns the model Y-up as OBJ importers expect. .3ds files have no unit; keep x1 or pick a conversion.

  4. 4

    Download

    Get a ZIP with the OBJ, the MTL and the texture images, or the OBJ alone.

What to know before you convert

  • Animation (keyframes), cameras and lights in the .3ds are dropped. Meshes are written as they are placed in the file.
  • Materials become OBJ materials with diffuse colour and the colour texture. Bump, specular and opacity maps are not written to the MTL.
  • TGA textures cannot be shown by a browser and are left out, with a note. Convert them to PNG first to keep them.
  • Textures must be added with the .3ds: the file only names them (often in short 8.3 form like WOOD01.JPG).

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 "ZIP: OBJ + MTL + textures" and click Download. Unzip the download and import the OBJ.
A .3ds file only stores the names of its texture images. Add the image files together with the .3ds. If the note says a file was not found, look for it in the folder the model came from; names are matched without regard to upper or lower case.
3D Studio uses Z as up, most OBJ importers use Y. The converter turns the model upright by default. If it comes out on its side in your program, untick the rotate option and download again.
No. OBJ only stores still meshes, so keyframes, cameras and lights from the .3ds 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.