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Convert Your 3D Mesh/Model OBJ Files to CTM

Our free and fast tool will convert most 3D mesh or OBJ (Wavefront) model files to a standard CTM (OpenCTM) 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 OBJ files; up to 25 files at a time can be converted.

100 MB
Uploads

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

How to Convert your OBJ to CTM Online?

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

Upload a OBJ

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

Download your CTM

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

File Format Information for OBJ to CTM

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

If your OBJ file is uploaded with accompanying MTL and texture files, these will be applied to the conversion process.

Supported Features

  • Mesh geometry
  • Materials (Via an MTL file)
  • Textures (PNG, JPG, TGA formats)
ExtensionCTM
Full NameOpenCTM
Type3D Model
Mime Typeapplication/x-ctm
FormatBinary
ToolsCTM Converters, 3D Model Voxelizer, Create CTM Animation, Text to CTM, CTM Viewer

Description

The CTM file format is a 3D triangle mesh format that contains 3D geometry such as vertices, faces, and face normals. The format was devised and released in 2010 with the intention of creating 3D models that could be compressed and easily distributed.

The compression methods employed by the CTM format can be lossy or lossless. The lossy compression will attempt to simplify the mesh vertices to reduce the space needed to store them, while the lossless method employs the LZMA compression library. The format has its own dedicated CTM viewer application, though the format is not well supported by other 3D modeling applications.

CTM Notes

CTM files support per-vertex color information. If your uploaded model contains color information, our tool will attempt to save this in the CTM file at the end of the conversion process.

Supported Features

  • Mesh geometry
  • Vertex colors
  • All compression versions supported when converting from CTM

Comparing OBJ and CTM Features

 

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

CTM 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 OBJ file format to CTM 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 OBJ file to a valid CTM 3D model. Let's start with the conversion process, which involves the following steps:

Step 1: Read the Source OBJ File

Step 1: Read the Source OBJ File

In its simplest form, an OBJ file is a plain text file containing human-readable 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, and normals, as this is the only data that can be accurately converted into the final CTM file.

The OBJ file can contain other data, such as material definitions and textures, that describe how a particular set of 3D geometry should be rendered. As we are creating an CTM file, which does not support materials and textures, we will be ignoring this data if it is present in the OBJ file.

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

Step 2: Process File Data

With the OBJ 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 CTM format.

Step 3: Saving to the CTM Format

With the conversion process entering its final stages, our tool now needs to take the in-memory 3D model we have created in step 2 and convert it to the CTM format.

Frequently Asked Questions

My OBJ file contains materials and textures; how do I upload these?

If your OBJ file has separate material (MTL) and texture (PNG, JPG, etc.) files, you can drag and drop these onto the upload tool along with the main OBJ file. Our tool will intelligently detect which of these additional files belongs to the OBJ file. Alternatively, you can place these additional files, along with the OBJ file, within a ZIP or other compressed archive file and upload that.

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

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

How accurate is the OBJ to CTM conversion?

We aim to create the most accurate conversions with our tools. Our tools are under constant development with new features and improvements being added every week.

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

Yes, of course! We do not store the OBJ file you submit to us. The resulting CTM 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 OBJ to CTM converter?

No. All our conversion tools process your OBJ 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 CTM file quickly.

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

Yes! Our OBJ to CTM 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 OBJ 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 OBJ to CTM?

Yes. When you have converted your OBJ to CTM, 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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