gLTF / GLB
glTF (GL Transmission Format) is a lightweight, open-standard file format designed for 3D models and scenes. It was developed by the Khronos Group, a consortium of companies including Google, Amazon, and NVIDIA. glTF is optimized for efficient transmission and loading of 3D content, making it an ideal format for web and mobile applications.
- Lightweight: glTF files are designed to be compact and efficient, reducing file sizes and improving loading times.
- Open-standard: glTF is an open-standard format with growing support and adoption by the industry.
- Flexible: glTF supports a wide range of 3D data, including models, scenes, animations, and physics.
- Extensible: glTF allows for custom extensions and properties, enabling developers to add domain-specific data.
File Extensions
- glTF: The default file extension for glTF files, which are JSON-based text files.
- GLB: A binary file extension for glTF files, which packages the JSON data and binary assets into a single file.
Pro
- Small file sizes: glTF files are optimized for efficient transmission and storage.
- Fast loading: glTF files are processed fast, even on low-end hardware.
- Wide platform support: glTF is supported by most 3D authoring and engines, including Unity, Unreal Engine, and Three.js; Blender, ect.
What’s it good for?
- Web and mobile applications: glTF is ideal for web and mobile applications that require fast and efficient loading of 3D content.
- AR/VR: glTF is used in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications for its compact and efficient file format.
Technical Details
- JSON-based: glTF files are based on JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), making them easy to parse and generate.
- Binary assets: glTF files can contain binary assets, such as textures and meshes, which are stored separately from the JSON data.
- Scene graph: glTF files contain a scene graph, which describes the hierarchical structure of the 3D scene.