Wavefront OBJ
Open BetaOBJ is a classic 3D mesh format supported by all 3D software. Buildings are extruded to 3D, export includes MTL file with materials. Text-based format, easy to read and edit.
Key Features
About OBJ Format
OBJ is a text format for describing three-dimensional geometry, invented by Wavefront and since then turned into the common language of 3D software: a list of vertices and faces plus a separate .mtl file with materials. It is read by Blender, 3ds Max, Maya, Cinema 4D, SketchUp, MeshLab and game engines — usually with no import settings at all.
An OSM map is exported to OBJ when you need not a picture but a volumetric model of a city block: a base for architectural visualization, an environment for a scene in a game engine, the foundation for a video or a physical model. Instead of modelling houses by hand you get ready-made development and then work with your own object on top of it.
Only buildings make it into the model: outlines are extruded upward to the height from the height or building:levels tags (at three meters per floor), and if there are no tags — to a neutral value so that a house does not stay flat. The colour of each building is set by the type of development and written into the .mtl. Coordinates are meters from the centre of the selected area and the base is flat: there is no relief in the model, and no georeferencing either. You download a ZIP archive with a pair of .obj and .mtl files that need to be kept together.
What Program Opens OBJ Files
The following programs and applications can open, edit, and work with Wavefront OBJ (.obj) files exported from OSM2CDR:
Format specifications
- Open standard
- 3D coordinates supported
- Lossless (no quality loss)
- No attributes
- Output: 2 files in archive
- Wavefront OBJ + MTL material file (ZIP). Universal 3D mesh format; opens in Blender, Maya, 3ds Max, Cinema 4D.
Who Uses OBJ Maps
How to Export OBJ
How to Open After Export
- Blender (free) — File -> Import -> Wavefront (.obj); the model arrives with materials if the .mtl is in the same folder. From there, render, edit the geometry or export into another format.
- 3ds Max, Maya, Cinema 4D — standard OBJ import; the scale is already in meters, so it is enough to set the scene units to meters.
- MeshLab (free) — quickly look at the model, measure its overall dimensions, simplify the mesh if there are many buildings.
- Unreal Engine or Unity — drag the .obj into the project as a static environment mesh; materials are usually reassigned with the engine's own tools.
- For 3D printing — first check the model in a slicer or in MeshLab: it is more convenient to print from the STL format, which we deliver separately.
Popular maps in OBJ
Get Wavefront OBJ map exports
Download professional OBJ maps from OpenStreetMap. Instant generation, any area.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Related Formats
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