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COLLADA/DAE (3D Exchange)

Open Beta

.dae · model/vnd.collada+xml

Export 3D buildings to COLLADA (.dae) format for 3D interchange. XML format supported by Blender, SketchUp, Google Earth. Includes materials with colors by building type.

Export COLLADA now ✨ Open Beta — free, no limits

Key Features

✓COLLADA 1.5 XML

✓Colored materials

✓Ground plane

✓Block building models

Example COLLADA export (central Moscow, 1x0.5 km) — Example: central Moscow, ~1×0.5 km, medium detail

About COLLADA Format

COLLADA (.dae) is an open XML format for exchanging 3D scenes, standardized by the Khronos Group and adopted as ISO/PAS 17506. It is older and heavier than glTF, but it remains the most reliable common language between SketchUp, Blender, Maya, 3ds Max and Google Earth — it is read practically everywhere, including old versions of programs.

A map is exported to DAE when city development is needed as an object in someone else's scene: to drop the context around a project into SketchUp, to assemble a 3D model for Google Earth, to move geometry between packages where FBX or glTF for some reason do not fit.

The output is a single .dae file: buildings extruded from OSM outlines by height or floor count, with materials colored by development type, and a flat base under them. The geometry is built in meters and centered on the selected area; there are no textures and no UV unwraps in the file — only colored materials.

What Program Opens COLLADA Files

The following programs and applications can open, edit, and work with COLLADA/DAE (3D Exchange) (.dae) files exported from OSM2CDR:

🎲Blender 🎨SketchUp 🌐Google Earth 🎲Maya 🎲3ds Max 🎮Unity

Format specifications

Open standard
3D coordinates supported
Lossless (no quality loss)
Stores feature attributes
Output: 1 file
COLLADA .dae (Khronos / ISO/PAS 17506). XML 3D interchange. Opens in Blender, SketchUp, Maya, Unity.

Who Uses COLLADA Maps

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3D interchange

Universal transfer of geometry between 3D packages, when you need a format that everyone reads.

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Visualization

A city scene for rendering and video, ready for your own materials to be assigned.

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Google Earth

3D models for Google Earth — COLLADA is used inside KMZ archives.

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SketchUp projects

The built context around a project in SketchUp: the import takes a couple of minutes.

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Presentations

A volumetric illustration of a district for presentations and project defenses.

How to Export COLLADA

Select area

Draw a rectangle or polygon on the interactive map at osm2cdr

Choose COLLADA

Select COLLADA/DAE (3D Exchange) from the list of 127 available export formats

Export

Click Export and receive your .dae file in 1-5 minutes

Download

Download the ready COLLADA file and open it in Blender

How to Open After Export

SketchUp — File → Import → choose the COLLADA (.dae) type; in the import settings enable merging coplanar faces so the model comes out lighter.
Blender — File → Import → Collada (.dae); materials carry over as simple colors and can be replaced with your own right away.
Google Earth Pro — the model is shown through KMZ: put the .dae into an archive together with a KML file that ties the model to coordinates.
Maya, 3ds Max and Unity — import DAE out of the box; in Unity it is enough to put the file into the project folder, it will be picked up as an asset.
Scale check — the scene is in meters; if the model arrives the wrong size, set the units in the import dialog instead of scaling the objects by hand.