COLLADA (.dae)
COLLADA (COLLAborative Design Activity) is an XML-based 3D interchange format supported by many DCC tools.
Quick Facts
- File Extension
- .dae
- MIME Type
- model/vnd.collada+xml
- Category
- 3D Model
- Full Name
- COLLADA
What is COLLADA?
COLLADA (COLLAborative Design Activity) is an open, XML-based file format designed for the interchange of interactive 3D assets between digital content creation tools. Developed to solve the fragmentation in the 3D industry, it allows artists and developers to move complex scenes, animations, and physics data seamlessly across different software platforms without significant data loss. As a universal standard, it bridges the gap between modeling, animation, and game engine workflows.
The format supports a wide range of 3D data including geometry, materials, lighting, cameras, and kinematic hierarchies. Because it is text-based and human-readable, it is easier to debug and modify compared to binary formats, though this can result in larger file sizes. COLLADA has become a foundational interchange format in the industry, widely adopted by major software suites like Maya, Blender, and 3ds Max, ensuring that creative assets remain portable throughout the production pipeline.
Despite the rise of newer formats like glTF for real-time web applications, COLLADA remains a critical tool for offline rendering and complex asset exchange where high fidelity and extensive metadata are required. Its open nature means it is free to use and continuously maintained by the Khronos Group, ensuring long-term compatibility and support for evolving 3D technologies across various sectors including gaming, film, and simulation.
Technical Specifications
| Developer | Khronos Group (formerly Sony Computer Entertainment) |
| First Released | 2006 |
| Type | XML-based 3D Interchange Format |
| Compression | Optional (ZIP) or Uncompressed Text |
| Max Resolution | Limited only by system memory and XML parser constraints |
| Color Depth | Supports standard RGBA and HDR color spaces |
Pros & Cons
+Advantages
- •Universal compatibility across major DCC tools
- •Open standard with no licensing fees
- •Rich support for animations and physics data
- •Human-readable XML structure for easy debugging
−Disadvantages
- •Large file sizes compared to binary formats
- •Slower parsing and loading times in real-time engines
- •Complex schema can lead to inconsistent implementation
- •Less optimized for web delivery than glTF
Common Use Cases
Exchanging 3D assets between different modeling software
Archiving complex scenes with full animation data
Importing assets into game engines for offline rendering
Sharing interactive 3D content for simulation and training
Convert from COLLADA
Convert .dae files to other formats.
Convert COLLADA (.dae) files to OBJ (.obj) format. Transform your DAE files to OBJ quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert COLLADA (.dae) files to STL (.stl) format. Transform your DAE files to STL quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert COLLADA (.dae) files to FBX (.fbx) format. Transform your DAE files to FBX quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert COLLADA (.dae) files to glTF (.gltf) format. Transform your DAE files to GLTF quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert COLLADA (.dae) files to GLB (.glb) format. Transform your DAE files to GLB quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert COLLADA (.dae) files to JSON (.json) format. Transform your DAE files to JSON quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert COLLADA (.dae) files to 3DS (.3ds) format. Transform your DAE files to 3DS quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert COLLADA (.dae) files to 3MF (.3mf) format. Transform your DAE files to 3MF quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert COLLADA (.dae) files to PLY (.ply) format. Transform your DAE files to PLY quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert COLLADA (.dae) files to STEP (.stp) format. Transform your DAE files to STP quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert to COLLADA
Convert other files to .dae format.
Convert OBJ (.obj) files to COLLADA (.dae) format. Transform your OBJ files to DAE quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert STL (.stl) files to COLLADA (.dae) format. Transform your STL files to DAE quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert FBX (.fbx) files to COLLADA (.dae) format. Transform your FBX files to DAE quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert glTF (.gltf) files to COLLADA (.dae) format. Transform your GLTF files to DAE quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert GLB (.glb) files to COLLADA (.dae) format. Transform your GLB files to DAE quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert XML (.xml) files to COLLADA (.dae) format. Transform your XML files to DAE quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert 3DS (.3ds) files to COLLADA (.dae) format. Transform your 3DS files to DAE quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert 3MF (.3mf) files to COLLADA (.dae) format. Transform your 3MF files to DAE quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert AMF (.amf) files to COLLADA (.dae) format. Transform your AMF files to DAE quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert Blender (.blend) files to COLLADA (.dae) format. Transform your BLEND files to DAE quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert DXF (.dxf) files to COLLADA (.dae) format. Transform your DXF files to DAE quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert IFC (.ifc) files to COLLADA (.dae) format. Transform your IFC files to DAE quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert LWO (.lwo) files to COLLADA (.dae) format. Transform your LWO files to DAE quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert Model 3D (.m3d) files to COLLADA (.dae) format. Transform your M3D files to DAE quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert MD2 (.md2) files to COLLADA (.dae) format. Transform your MD2 files to DAE quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert OFF (.off) files to COLLADA (.dae) format. Transform your OFF files to DAE quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert PLY (.ply) files to COLLADA (.dae) format. Transform your PLY files to DAE quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert RAW (.raw) files to COLLADA (.dae) format. Transform your RAW files to DAE quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert STEP (.step) files to COLLADA (.dae) format. Transform your STEP files to DAE quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert STEP (.stp) files to COLLADA (.dae) format. Transform your STP files to DAE quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert USD (.usd) files to COLLADA (.dae) format. Transform your USD files to DAE quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert USDA (.usda) files to COLLADA (.dae) format. Transform your USDA files to DAE quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert USDC (.usdc) files to COLLADA (.dae) format. Transform your USDC files to DAE quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert USDZ (.usdz) files to COLLADA (.dae) format. Transform your USDZ files to DAE quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Convert X3D (.x3d) files to COLLADA (.dae) format. Transform your X3D files to DAE quickly and easily with File ConverterX — completely free.
Frequently Asked Questions
COLLADA stands for COLLAborative Design Activity.
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