Integration · Blender
Bring Vi3W models into Blender, textured and ready to edit
Export the model from Vi3W as GLB, then use File → Import → glTF 2.0 in Blender.
Export-compatibleNo plugin: export a file from Vi3W and import it here.
- .glb
- .fbx
- .obj
Quick answer
How do you use Vi3W models in Blender?
Export the model from Vi3W as GLB, then use File → Import → glTF 2.0 in Blender. The mesh arrives retopologised, with its PBR textures already wired into a Principled BSDF material. There is no Vi3W add-on today; the file is the bridge, and FBX and OBJ work too when a pipeline needs them.
Setup
From Vi3W to Blender, step by step.
Steps checked against the Blender 5.2 LTS manual, October 2026.
- Export from Vi3W as GLB. One file carries the mesh, UVs and every texture, so nothing can go missing on the way.
- Import into Blender: File → Import → glTF 2.0 (.glb/.gltf). The glTF importer ships with Blender and is enabled by default.
- Switch the viewport to Material Preview. Solid mode does not show the image textures unless its colour option is set to Texture, which makes a correctly imported model look untextured.
- Check scale and orientation. glTF stores metres and +Y up; the importer converts both to Blender's metres and +Z up, so the model should arrive at real-world size. Apply transforms (Ctrl+A → All Transforms) before you start editing.
- Edit as usual. The mesh has already been through retopology, so loop tools, UV editing and modifiers behave as they would on a hand-built asset.
If you are sending the asset on to a game engine afterwards, export again from Blender as GLB or FBX. See glTF vs FBX for which to pick.
Example: Load in Blender (Python)
You can also import from a script.
# Import a GLB file in Blender
import bpy
bpy.ops.import_scene.gltf(filepath="/path/to/your-model.glb")
# The model is added to the current sceneFormats that work with Blender
File formats
Formats that work with Blender, in order of preference.
- GLBGLB / glTF 2.0recommended
- FBXFBX
- OBJOBJ
What doesn’t carry across
- No Vi3W add-on for Blender today. You export a file from Vi3W and import it. There is no panel inside Blender and no live link.
- Static meshes only. Models arrive without armatures or animation. Rigging happens in Blender, with Rigify or by hand.
- OBJ loses the PBR material. Its .mtl format predates metallic and roughness maps, so use GLB unless a tool demands OBJ.
- Hero characters still need your edge loops. Automatic retopology suits props and environment pieces. A character that deforms up close needs loops planned around its joints by a person.
Common issues
Questions Blender users actually ask.
How to import GLB files?
Use File → Import → glTF 2.0 (.glb/.gltf). The importer is built into current versions of Blender, so there is nothing to install. If the menu entry is missing, open Edit → Preferences → Add-ons, search for "glTF" and make sure the importer is enabled. GLB and .gltf files use the same importer.
Polygon Reduction + keeping UVs? Possible?
Yes, with care. Blender's Decimate modifier in Collapse mode keeps UV coordinates while it removes faces, so the texture still fits, but it can stretch where many faces merge. Keep the ratio moderate and check with a checker texture. For heavy reductions, decimate a copy and bake the original's textures onto it, which always gives a clean result.
How to clean up model created from photogrammetry (holes)?
Start with Edit Mode's Mesh → Clean Up menu: Merge by Distance welds duplicate vertices, Delete Loose removes floating fragments, and Fill Holes closes small gaps. For large holes, a Voxel Remesh gives a closed surface, but it discards the UVs, so plan to bake the texture back onto the remeshed model afterwards.
Need more help?
Join the community or read the guides.
More integration guides
The same workflow, for your other tools.
Related reading
From text to 3D
Generate a model for Blender.
Turn ideas into game-ready 3D models from text, a sketch or an image. No complex software — it all runs in your browser.
Last reviewed