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Convert Your 3D Mesh/Model LWO Files to OBJ

Our free and fast tool will convert most 3D mesh or LWO (LightWave Object File) model files to a standard OBJ (Wavefront) file that can then be edited further in most popular 3D editing packages such as Blender or 3D printed without any further processing. Our conversion tool can also batch convert multiple LWO files; up to 25 files at a time can be converted.

To convert your LWO file, click the Upload button above and select the file to convert. Once selected, the file will be converted to a OBJ file and will be ready for download shortly afterwards. For more information about the LWO to OBJ conversion process, see the conversion information section below.

How to Convert your LWO to OBJ Online?

Here are two simple steps to convert your LWO to OBJ.

Upload a LWO

Click the "Upload a LWO File" button and select a LWO to upload. The maximum file size is 100MB.

Download your OBJ

Click the download link once completed to receive your OBJ file.

File Format Information for LWO to OBJ

ExtensionLWO
Full NameLightWave Object File
Type3D Model
Mime Typeapplication/octet-stream
FormatBinary
ToolsLWO Converters, 3D Model Voxelizer, Create LWO Animation, LWO Asset Extractor, LWO Viewer

Description

The LWO, or LightWave 3D Object file, is a 3D graphics file format originally released in 1990 and available for the Amiga, Mac OS, and Windows. The LightWave software was developed by NewTek and is used in the television and film production of 3D digital effects.

The LightWave software is still a popular choice for 3D modeling and digital effects, with the most recent version being released in 2021. The format can contain 3D model or mesh information along with material and animations.

LWO Notes

If your LWO file is uploaded with accompanying texture files, these will be included in the conversion process.

Supported Features

  • Mesh geometry
  • Material colors
  • Textures (PNG, JPG formats)

Description

The OBJ file format, originally created by Wavefront Technologies and later adopted by many other 3D software vendors, is a simple text-based file format for describing 3D models/geometry. This data can include vertices, faces, normals, texture coordinates, and references to external texture files.

As the format is text-based, it is relatively straightforward to parse in 3D modeling applications. A downside of the text-based format is that the files can be rather large compared to similar binary formats such as STL and compressed files such as 3MF.

OBJ Notes

Our tool will save any material and texture files separately; these additional files will be included with your final OBJ file at the time of download.

Supported Features

  • Mesh geometry
  • Materials (Via an MTL file)
  • Textures (PNG, JPG, TGA formats)

Comparing LWO and OBJ Features

 

LWO Features

  • Mesh Geometry (Vertices and Faces)
  • Vertex Normals
  • Face Normals
  • Vertex Colors
  • Face Materials (Excluding textures)
  • Textures
  • Point Cloud
  • Multiple Objects Per File
  • Object Transforms (Translation, Rotation, and Scale)
  • Bones/Joints
  • Animations
  • Suitable for 3D Printing

OBJ Features

  • Mesh Geometry (Vertices and Faces)
  • Vertex Normals
  • Face Normals
  • Vertex Colors
  • Face Materials (Excluding textures)
  • Textures
  • Point Cloud
  • Multiple Objects Per File
  • Object Transforms (Translation, Rotation, and Scale)
  • Bones/Joints
  • Animations
  • Suitable for 3D Printing

How does it work?

Converting from the LWO file format to OBJ can be a complex process, and any tool used for this conversion process needs to be able to handle a variety of data conversion tasks as well as identify any defects within the 3D model and fix them. Here we will explain the conversion process used by our tool to accurately convert your LWO file to a valid OBJ 3D model. Let's start with the conversion process, which involves the following steps:

Step 1: Read the Source LWO File

In its simplest form, an LWO file is a binary data file containing 3D data such as vertices, faces, normals, and more. When combined, these make up the 3D model you see on your screen.

When our tool reads this 3D data, all we are interested in are the vertices, faces, normals, materials, and textures, as this is the only data that can be accurately converted into the final OBJ file.

The LWO file can contain data such as material definitions and textures that describe how a particular set of 3D geometry should be rendered. As we are creating an OBJ file, which supports both materials and textures, our tool will attempt to load any materials and textures present in the LWO file.

For more information regarding the LWO file format, please see this great article that goes into a lot of detail explaining the LWO format.

Step 2: Process File Data

With the LWO file data read, our tool generates an internal representation of the full 3D model and will attempt to fix any geometry issues encountered. Along with repairing any issues with the 3D model, the tool will remove any duplicated vertices and prepare the model for exporting to the OBJ format.

Step 3: Saving to the OBJ Format

The OBJ format has been around for many years and has become a standard format for 3D modeling. Most 3D modeling software can open OBJ files, which means our tool now needs to take the in-memory 3D model we created in step 2 and convert it to the OBJ format, ensuring it can be opened in all 3D modeling software with no compatibility issues.

Along with the completed OBJ file, a separate MTL file will also be created, along with any textures that were present in the original LWO file. Depending on the original texture format, these textures will be saved in either PNG or JPG format. If the original format was neither of these, for example, if your model contained a texture in the TIF format, it will be converted to a PNG.

Frequently Asked Questions

My LWO file contains textures, how do I upload these?

If your LWO file has separate texture (PNG, JPG etc.) files, you can place these additional files, along with the LWO file within a ZIP or other compressed archive file and upload this.

How long does it take to convert my LWO to OBJ?

We aim to process all LWO to OBJ conversions as quickly as possible, this usually takes around 5 seconds but can be more for larger more complex files so please be patient.

Will the OBJ file retain the textures from my LWO file?

Yes! If your LWO file contains textured geometry, the texture image files along with the texture coordinates (UV data) will be exported with the final OBJ file.

Is it safe to convert my LWO to OBJ on ImageToStl.com?

Yes, of course! We do not store the LWO file you submit to us. The resulting OBJ file, once created is deleted 15 minutes after upload and the download link will expire after this time.

Do I need a high-spec. computer to use the LWO to OBJ converter?

No. All our conversion tools process your LWO file on our dedicated conversion servers, meaning you can use our tools on low-spec computers, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices and receive your converted OBJ file quickly.

Can I convert my LWO to OBJ on Windows, Linux, Android, iOS or Mac OS?

Yes! Our LWO to OBJ tool will run on any system with a modern web browser. No specialist software is needed to run any of our conversion tools.

What if I am using an Ad Blocker, will that affect things?

Yes. Although you can use an Ad Blocker, if you like our LWO conversion tool please consider white-listing our site. When an Ad Blocker is enabled there are some conversion limits on some of our tools and processing/conversion times will be longer.

Can I get support with converting my LWO to OBJ?

Yes. When you have converted your LWO to OBJ, there is a "Feedback" option that you can use to let us know of any issues you encountered when converting your file.

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