Giraffe has three mesh 3D exports available, depending on your needs.
STL is for 3D printing (geometry only)
OBJ is a simple, editable format for geometry and textures
glTF is a modern, web-optimized format for real-time 3D graphics, handling complex scenes, animation, and efficient loading.
Access the export menu via the main menu → Export
Select STL, OBJ, or GLTF/GLB
STL
The STL (STereoLithography) file format is an openly documented format for describing the surface of an object as a triangular mesh, that is, as a representation of a 3-dimensional surface in triangular facets.
Click main menu→ `Export` → `STL`
A .stl file will download to your computer.
OBJ
OBJ format is a standardized, plain-text file format for storing 3D model data, including geometry (vertices, faces), texture coordinates, and material properties
Click main menu→ `Export` → `OBJ`
A .obj file will download to your computer.
GLTF/GLB
glTF (GL Transmission Format) is a 3D file format that stores 3D model information in JSON format. The use of JSON minimizes both the size of 3D assets and the runtime processing needed to unpack and use those assets. It was adopted for the efficient transmission and loading of 3D scenes and models by applications.
Click main menu→ Export → GLTF/GLB
A .zip file will be downloaded to your computer. The .zip contains .glb and .geojson files.
To create a glb from a selection, go to More tools > Edit > Convert to GLTF.
To download, open the File browser and navigate to the URL.
3D export messages
Giraffe shows these toasts at the bottom of the screen when you export a 3D model.
Message | What triggers it | What to do |
"Failed to export GLTF: [error message or 'unknown error']" | Making the 3D model file failed. | Try again. |
"GLTF uploaded successfully, url: [url]" | You turned geometries into a 3D model file and it uploaded. | None |
"Selected features do not have any 3D geometry to export" | You tried to export a 3D model from geometries with no 3D shape. | Select geometries that have 3D shapes. |