Convert 3DS to OBJ Online
Convert Autodesk 3D Studio (3DS) files to Wavefront OBJ, entirely in your browser. No upload, no sign-up. Your files never leave your device.
Drop your 3DS file here
or click to browse from your computer (up to 100 MB)
Brilliant-cut sapphire in a gold prong setting — multi-material 3DS model with faceted geometry.
OBJ is one of the most broadly supported 3D formats, readable by virtually every modeling tool, game engine, and visualization platform.
OBJ supports named object groups and face groups, providing logical organization that the flat mesh list in 3DS does not offer.
OBJ pairs with companion .mtl files for Phong material properties and texture mapping, providing a well-documented material system.
Also convert from 3DS
Other ways to get OBJ
How to Convert 3DS to OBJ
Turn your binary 3DS file into a universally compatible OBJ.
Upload 3DS
Drag and drop or select your .3ds file. 3DS is a compact binary format with no external dependencies for the primary model data.
Processing
Conversion runs entirely in your browser. Meshes and materials are extracted from the 3DS binary and written as OBJ geometry with a companion .mtl material file. Your data never leaves your device.
Download OBJ
Get your OBJ file set as a ZIP archive containing the .obj geometry file and the .mtl material definition file.
Why convert 3DS to OBJ?
The 3DS format was designed for Autodesk 3D Studio in the early 1990s. It stores meshes, materials, and animation data in a proprietary binary structure with a 65,536 vertex limit per mesh and an 8.3 filename convention for textures. While 3DS files remain common in legacy archives, many modern tools offer limited or read-only support for this aging format.
Wavefront OBJ, developed by Wavefront Technologies, is a plain ASCII format that stores vertex positions, normals, texture coordinates, and face definitions in a readable text structure. Its companion .mtl file defines Phong materials and texture references. OBJ has near-universal support across 3D applications, scripting tools, and scientific visualization software. Converting 3DS to OBJ makes legacy models accessible to a wider range of workflows while preserving geometry and basic material information.
Key advantages of OBJ over 3DS
Virtually every 3D tool and engine can import OBJ files without plugins.
OBJ's ASCII syntax is easy to parse, edit, and generate with scripts.
OBJ organizes faces into named groups for logical structure.
Companion .mtl files define materials in a well-documented format.
OBJ has no per-mesh polygon cap unlike the 3DS format.