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GLB, DAE, STL
The remaining 3D formats round out the export surface. None of them carry as much as STEP or GLB; each has a specific job.
GLB — web 3D and AR
GLB (binary glTF) is the modern 3D web standard. Single file, full PBR materials, textures embedded.
Use GLB when:
- You're putting the model in a website (Three.js, Babylon.js, model-viewer).
- You're publishing to AR (iOS Quick Look, Android Scene Viewer).
- You want the highest visual fidelity of any export — matches the viewport exactly.
- You're sending to a renderer that prefers glTF (Cycles in Blender 3+, V-Ray Vantage, KeyShot).
How to export
Export → GLB (.glb). One file downloads.
What's preserved
| Aspect | Preserved |
|---|---|
| Geometry | ✓ |
| Color | ✓ |
| Textures | ✓ (embedded in the file) |
| Roughness / metalness | ✓ (real PBR) |
| Anisotropy, clearcoat, transmission | ✓ (modern glTF extensions) |
| Sub-object hierarchy | ✓ |
| Animation | ✗ (Prompt2CAD does not emit animations) |
Units: meters, Y-up. Drop it into any glTF viewer and the orientation is right.
Web embedding
The fastest test:
html
<script type="module" src="https://unpkg.com/@google/model-viewer"></script>
<model-viewer src="./your-design.glb" camera-controls auto-rotate />That gives you an interactive orbit-and-zoom viewer in any browser. No build step, no library.
iOS AR
Apple's Quick Look wants USDZ, not GLB. There's no direct USDZ export from Prompt2CAD, but converters are abundant. The pipeline: GLB → convert to USDZ → drop on a webpage.
DAE — SketchUp Free
DAE (COLLADA 1.4.1) is the format SketchUp Free imports natively. SketchUp Pro can also import STEP, so use STEP there. DAE is specifically the workaround for the free tier.
Use DAE when:
- You're handing the model to someone on SketchUp Free.
- You want a format that carries colors but you don't care about textures.
How to export
Export → DAE (.dae). One file downloads. In SketchUp: File → Import → set type to COLLADA.
What's preserved
| Aspect | Preserved | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Geometry | ✓ | Mesh, faithful to viewport. |
| Color | ✓ (diffuse only) | One Lambert material per slot. |
| Textures | ✗ | DAE 1.4.1 + SketchUp's importer drop textures. PBR round-trip would require COLLADA 1.5 + extensions, which is not worth it for the SketchUp Free use case. |
| Sub-object hierarchy | ✓ | One named geometry per material. |
Units: meters, Y-up (no remap needed — DAE supports Y_UP).
If you have SketchUp Pro
Use STEP. You get higher fidelity and proper assembly structure. DAE is the SketchUp Free workaround.
STL — 3D printing
STL is the 3D printing standard. Every slicer (Cura, PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer, Lychee, Chitubox) reads it. It carries geometry only — no materials, no colors, no metadata.
Use STL when:
- You're 3D printing.
- You're feeding a tool that only reads STL.
How to export
Export → STL (.stl). One file downloads. Drop into your slicer.
What's preserved
| Aspect | Preserved |
|---|---|
| Geometry | ✓ |
| Color | ✗ |
| Textures | ✗ |
| Materials | ✗ |
| Sub-object hierarchy | ✗ (one continuous mesh) |
| Watertightness | Best-effort |
Units: meters, Y-up. Slicers usually expect millimeters — most will offer to auto-scale on import. If your print comes out 1/1000th the expected size, your slicer is reading the file as millimeters; set its import scale to ×1000.
Watertightness
For 3D printing to slice cleanly, the geometry has to be manifold (no holes, no inverted normals, no overlapping shells). Prompt2CAD aims for watertight meshes, but the agent's CSG operations can occasionally produce open edges. If your slicer reports holes:
- Try the slicer's auto-repair (PrusaSlicer's "fix model" is excellent).
- Run through Microsoft 3D Builder or Meshmixer — both will close gaps reliably.
- If a single part is the culprit, ask the agent to simplify it — simple boxes are always watertight; complex extrusions along curved paths can fail.
When STL is the wrong choice
- For colored 3D printing (PolyJet, multi-material FDM), STL has no color. Use 3MF — Prompt2CAD does not export 3MF directly, but most slicers will convert STL to 3MF and let you assign colors there.
- For visualisation. STL has no materials. Use GLB.
That's every export format. Next: Billing — Credits.