About the Obj file format
- Name
- Wavefront Object
- Extension
- .obj
- Category
- 3D
- Developer
- Wavefront Technologies
- Description
- It is one of the most important files in 3D printing and graphics programs. OBJ is a neutral interchange format for storage of non-animated 3D models.
- MIME Type
- model/wavefront-obj
- Wikipedia
- .obj on Wikipedia
It is an open-source and neutral file format that stores information about 3D models. It can encode the surface geometry of a 3D model and can also store color and texture information. The only drawback is that it does not store any scene information (such as light position) or animations.
An OBJ file is developed by CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software as an end product of the 3D modeling process. It is mainly used for sharing 3D models in graphics software because it enjoys good import and export support from almost all CAD software. Over the recent years, its popularity has made it the de facto file format for multi-color 3D printing replacing STL. Well, since the otherwise standard 3D printing format STL does not support color and texture information. It was originally developed by Wavefront Technologies for its Advanced Visualizer program in the 1980s, to store geometric objects composed of lines, polygons, and free-form curves and surfaces. The main advantage of OBJ lies in the fidelity of 3D printing. It can give you micron-level resolution and multi-color models. And you get to approximate surface geometry precisely without blowing up the file size.
