Free online · No signup · 100% local

3DS to GLB converter

Drop your .3ds file — we convert it to .glb right in your browser. Files never leave your computer.

⇪
Drop your 3DS file here
Accepts .3ds · converts to .glb

3DS vs GLB— what's the difference?

3DS.3ds

Legacy 3D Studio format — still common in architectural visualisation libraries and older asset packs.

Strengths
  • Compact binary format
  • Good support in architectural / viz tools
Limitations
  • 65,536 vertex / face limit per mesh (a relic of 16-bit indices)
  • No PBR materials, limited to diffuse textures
Typical use: Architectural visualisation, legacy asset libraries
GLB.glb

Binary glTF — the JPEG of 3D. Self-contained, small, and loads natively on the web, in AR, and in every modern 3D engine.

Strengths
  • Everything (geometry, textures, materials, animations) packed into one file
  • Tiny and fast — designed for streaming and web delivery
  • Native support in Blender, Unity, Unreal, three.js, <model-viewer>, Android ARCore…
  • PBR materials (metallic-roughness) render consistently everywhere
Limitations
  • Binary — not hand-editable
  • Less common in traditional CAD pipelines
Typical use: Web 3D, AR/VR, real-time engines, e-commerce product views

How to convert 3DS to GLB

  1. 1
    Drop a .3ds file onto the page. Works for both the classic 16-bit and extended variants.
  2. 2
    Preview the mesh in 3D. The 65k vertex ceiling of 3DS means parts may arrive as multiple sub-meshes — they all show together.
  3. 3
    Click Download .GLB. Use in three.js, <model-viewer>, Unity, Unreal, or any ARCore-compatible viewer.

FAQ

Why bother converting 3DS to GLB?

3DS is a dead format — no modern tool loads it natively, and its 65,536-vertex per-mesh cap is a relic of 16-bit indices. GLB is the modern web-native replacement: one self-contained binary, PBR materials, native browser support.

Do my materials come across?

Only the diffuse colour. 3DS predates PBR, so texture references and specular highlights are downconverted to a simple metallic-roughness baseline. If your 3DS has missing texture files, the GLB still loads with a default material.

What about the 65k vertex limit?

The Three.js 3DS loader splits meshes at the limit. The GLB output preserves that split (each becomes a child node), so the total geometry is identical — just fragmented into sub-meshes.

Is this better than exporting 3DS from a DCC?

Same mesh quality, but without installing 3ds Max or paying for a plugin. Useful when all you have is the .3ds file from an old asset pack.

Is anything uploaded?

No. The 3DS is parsed in your browser via three.js and exported as GLB locally. The file never leaves your machine.

Related converters

FBX → GLBOBJ → GLBDAE → STLglTF → GLB