This is Part 6 in our series, "Ben Houston's Ultimate Guide to 3D File Formats".  FBX vs. glTF: What is the difference between these 3D model file formats and which should you choose? Both are widely used and can store 3D models. But it's their differences that guide their applications.

The Wavefront OBJ format is the most widely adopted 3D model storage format. The file format name, OBJ, is in reference to its purpose of storing 3D OBJects. The OBJ format was originally the native file format for the 1980s era Advanced Visualizer 3D modeling package. Advanced Visualizer 3D is now obsolete, but some of its code was incorporated into its successor, the Maya 3D editing suite. In addition to just the OBJ geometry format, it has a sister format called MAT, which is used for material definitions.

We know that in today's visual economy, consumers are hungry for AR technology. In fact, 71.5% say that AR is the “future technology they are most eager to use.”  But the truth is, augmented reality (AR) on the web may not be as far into the future as some think.  It's a complex story because the underlying technology for AR on the web is not yet mature.

  Threekit has joined the Khronos 3D Commerce Exploratory Group to help guide the future of 3D commerce. The purpose of the group is to establish standards and guidelines for the production and distribution of real-time 3D representations of products, so they can be experienced realistically and consistently across all platforms and devices. 

It’s a hotly debated topic when it comes to 3D rendering: Which file format is the “right” one?  There are pros and cons depending on the user and intended application, and updates and innovations are cropping up all the time. This is the first in a 10-Part series: "Ben Houston's Ultimate Guide to 3D File Formats". Over the next several weeks, we’ll be laying out the options, considerations and necessary context to help you make the right file format choice for your needs.       Ben Houston's Ultimate Guide to 3D File Formats Part 1:  glTF Part 2:  USD/USDZ Part 3:  FBX 3D Part 4:   OBJ 3D Part 5:   STEP Part 6:   glTF v. FBX 3D     Part 1: glTF There is a new rich 3D model format in town called glTF, and it has been rising in prominence. This article will tell you everything you need to know about glTF including what it is, why it was developed, and who is using it.