<p>As far as can be found it should be possible to convert glTF into STL (or OBJ).</p>

<p>You could try to use an online converter to do this, e.g. <a href="http://www.greentoken.de/onlineconv/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this one (greentoken)</a>; and <a href="http://assimp.sourceforge.net/main_features_formats.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this (assimp)</a> may be useful too. </p>

<p>According to <a href="https://b2b.partcommunity.com/community/faq/view/211/95/105/0/how-to-convert-3d-models-between-file-formats-i-e-fbx-to-obj-o" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this</a> greentoken supports glTF as input and STL as output, but it is reported by @Trish that that does not work. Assimp could output STL files which then could be used by slicer programs to generate the specific G-code file to print the model on your printer.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-12T13:42:10.300Z
Greentoken does not accept GLTF, Assimp though does.
Trish
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-12T06:48:20.700Z
2018-09-12T13:47:06.297Z
2018-09-12T13:47:06.297Z
0scar
<p>No, <code>gltf</code> is not a format that slicers accept commonly, and indeed, it is not even intended to be reverseable in the 1.0 format version. This has changed a little for the 2.0 standard. Some programs that allow exporting into the sliceable <code>stl</code> and  <code>obj</code> formats can also import <code>gltf</code>:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.blender.org/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">blender</a> has an <a href="https://github.com/KhronosGroup/glTF-Blender-IO" rel="nofollow noreferrer">importer plugin</a> - more  info <a href="https://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/93415/how-to-open-a-glb-or-gltf-file-in-blender">here</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.sketchup.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SketchUpp</a> has an <a href="https://www.simlab-soft.com/3d-plugins/GLTF_Importer_For_Sketchup-main.aspx" rel="nofollow noreferrer">importer plugin</a></li>
</ul>

<p>You have to be careful though: formats like <code>dae</code> or <code>stl</code> are meant to transfer 3d objects usually without the loss of information or with just a minimal loss (stl, for example, does technically not contain a <em>scale</em> natively), while <code>gltf</code> is end users and <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/40549453/is-there-a-way-to-convert-gltf-to-dae">does not contain all the information</a>. This can lead to models getting distorted and destroyed on importing them into a rendering or modeling software.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-12T13:46:32.263Z
2018-09-12T13:46:32.263Z
Trish
<p>Can the glTF format be used for 3D printing?</p>

<p>If not, is there any tool can convert it to another format such as STL, OBJ, STEP, and IGES? </p>

<3d-design>
Can the glTF format be used for 3D printing?
Roy
# Can the glTF format be used for 3D printing?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-09-12)

Can the glTF format be used for 3D printing?

If not, is there any tool can convert it to another format such as STL, OBJ, STEP, and IGES?

**Tags:** 3d-design


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-09-12. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

As far as can be found it should be possible to convert glTF into STL (or OBJ).

You could try to use an online converter to do this, e.g. [this one (greentoken)](http://www.greentoken.de/onlineconv/); and [this (assimp)](http://assimp.sourceforge.net/main_features_formats.html) may be useful too.

According to [this](https://b2b.partcommunity.com/community/faq/view/211/95/105/0/how-to-convert-3d-models-between-file-formats-i-e-fbx-to-obj-o) greentoken supports glTF as input and STL as output, but it is reported by @username_2 that that does not work. Assimp could output STL files which then could be used by slicer programs to generate the specific G-code file to print the model on your printer.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Greentoken does not accept GLTF, Assimp though does.  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-09-12. Score: 4

No, `gltf` is not a format that slicers accept commonly, and indeed, it is not even intended to be reverseable in the 1.0 format version. This has changed a little for the 2.0 standard. Some programs that allow exporting into the sliceable `stl` and `obj` formats can also import `gltf`:

* [blender](https://www.blender.org/) has an [importer plugin](https://github.com/KhronosGroup/glTF-Blender-IO) - more info [here](https://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/93415/how-to-open-a-glb-or-gltf-file-in-blender)
* [SketchUpp](https://www.sketchup.com/) has an [importer plugin](https://www.simlab-soft.com/3d-plugins/GLTF_Importer_For_Sketchup-main.aspx)

You have to be careful though: formats like `dae` or `stl` are meant to transfer 3d objects usually without the loss of information or with just a minimal loss (stl, for example, does technically not contain a *scale* natively), while `gltf` is end users and [does not contain all the information](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/40549453/is-there-a-way-to-convert-gltf-to-dae). This can lead to models getting distorted and destroyed on importing them into a rendering or modeling software.


---

