Wavefront OBJ
Import OBJ files into your digital twin
The workhorse mesh format of visualization pipelines. Bring OBJ models of equipment, products, and environments into your digital twin.
- File extensions
- .obj
- Developed by
- Wavefront Technologies
- Category
- Mesh & visualization
- Geometry
- Polygon mesh with UVs and materials
- Typical software
- Blender, Maya, 3ds Max, ZBrush, Photogrammetry tools
- Import pipeline
- Autodesk Platform Services translation
What is a OBJ file?
OBJ was developed by Wavefront Technologies for its Advanced Visualizer animation package in the late 1980s. It stores polygon meshes as plain text, together with texture coordinates and vertex normals, and it delegates material definitions to a companion .mtl file that references the texture images.
Like STL, it survives on universality, but OBJ carries more: UV mapping and materials make it far better suited to models that need to look right, not just have the right shape. That is why visualization tools, sculpting packages, and photogrammetry software all still speak it.
Where these files come from
OBJ files typically come from visualization and content teams working in Blender, Maya, or 3ds Max, from photogrammetry captures of real spaces, and from online asset marketplaces.
How to import OBJ files into Moicon
As simple as four steps, from file to factory floor.
Step 1
Upload your model
In the Moicon dashboard, select Add asset and drag and drop your .obj file.
Step 2
Let it process
Moicon translates OBJ files through Autodesk Platform Services, the service behind its support for more than 70 formats. Translation time depends on the size and complexity of the model and the current service load.
Step 3
Name and organize it
Give the asset a name, add a thumbnail so it is easy to spot, and file it under the categories your team uses in the asset library.
Step 4
Place it in your project
Open your project and drop the asset into the viewport. From there you can position, clone, and scale it like any other asset in your twin.
OBJ FAQ
What is the .mtl file that came with my OBJ?
It is the material library. The .obj file stores geometry, the .mtl stores material definitions, and the .mtl in turn points at the texture image files. Keep all of them together or the model loses its appearance.
OBJ or STL, which is the better mesh format?
OBJ, if appearance matters. Both store meshes, but OBJ adds texture coordinates, normals, and materials, while STL is geometry only.
Does Moicon accept OBJ files?
Yes. OBJ is one of the 70+ formats Moicon translates through Autodesk Platform Services when you add an asset.