Free DAE Viewer Online

Drop a DAE file below to turn it, zoom in, and check its triangle count and size. It all happens in your browser, so your file is never uploaded.

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Your files never leave your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

What is a DAE file?

DAE is the file extension of COLLADA, an open XML format from the Khronos Group for moving 3D models between programs. It was common before glTF and is still used by SketchUp, older game tools, and some simulation software.

SketchUp exports DAE, and so do other design and animation tools, often under the name COLLADA.

A DAE usually points to its picture files by name. This viewer opens the DAE alone, so a textured model shows without its pictures.

How to view a DAE file

Drop the DAE file on the viewer above, or choose it from your device. The model opens in a moment and fills the frame.

Drag to orbit around your DAE model, and scroll or pinch to zoom. The Corner, Front, Side, and Top buttons jump to a standard view.

Shaded shows the colors in the file. Clay draws a plain light surface, which helps when a model has only flat colors and you want to see its form.

Opening a SketchUp or other COLLADA export

Apps often save a COLLADA model's pictures in a folder beside the .dae. The viewer cannot see that folder, so textured faces appear plain. The DAE to GLB converter lets you choose the pictures along with the file and packs everything into one GLB.

The unit set inside the DAE is applied when the file opens, so the size shown is in meters. A house that reads 10 × 4 × 8 is 10 meters wide.

Architecture and product models often have many small parts, so the triangle count can be high even when the shape looks simple. Use the count to decide whether the model is light enough to share.

A DAE can also hold animation. The viewer shows the first pose.

What the numbers mean

The triangle count shows how detailed the surface is. More triangles mean more work for the device that draws the model, so a model that turns slowly may need a lighter export.

The size is the width, height, and depth of the box around the model. The unit set inside the DAE is applied, so the size is in meters.

Fixing common problems

A COLLADA file saved as a .zae is a zip. Unzip it first, then choose the .dae and its pictures.

If your DAE model looks plain, its colors or pictures may be stored in separate files. This viewer opens one file at a time and draws only what the file holds.

Files over 150 MB are not opened. Export just the part you need.

If you see a message about 3D, your browser may have WebGL turned off. Try another browser, or turn on hardware acceleration in the browser settings.

Your file stays on your device

The viewer reads your DAE file in the browser. Nothing is uploaded, and the page does not load anything the file points to. The page counts a visit like any other page, but it never sees the file's name or contents.

From a viewer to a finished render

A viewer shows you the model. A render shows you how it could look built. The Inkfinish studio opens DAE files too, lets you pick the angle, and turns that view into a finished image from a short description of materials and light.

Questions

Is this DAE viewer free, and is my file uploaded?

It is free, and you do not need an account. The file is read in your browser and never uploaded, so it stays on your device.

Why are my DAE textures missing?

A DAE points to its pictures by file name, and this viewer opens one file at a time. Use the DAE to GLB converter and choose the pictures together with the DAE to get a single file with the textures inside.

Is a DAE the same as a COLLADA file?

Yes. COLLADA is the format, and .dae is its file extension. A .zae file is a COLLADA model packed in a zip, so unzip it first.

What unit is the size in?

Meters. The viewer applies the unit that is set inside the DAE, so a model made in feet or inches is shown in meters.

How large a file can I open?

Files up to 150 MB. A very large model may open slowly on a phone or an older computer, so export only the part you need if it struggles.

What does the triangle count tell me?

It is the number of triangles that make up the model's surfaces. A higher count means more detail and more work for the device that draws it.

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Make it a finished render

Open the studio and add your DAE file. The studio opens GLB, glTF, OBJ, FBX, STL, 3MF, or DAE files. You pick the angle and describe the finish, and Inkfinish renders that view as a finished image.

Render this model photoreal

Try 3 renders free, no sign-up needed: watermarked, at standard size.

Updated October 2026. Open-source licenses