LWO to TAR.XZ Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
Produce a TAR.XZ for the smallest possible release artifact, or to match the format a build system expects. If your files are still in LWO format, this page is the shortcut: LWO is LightWave 3D's object format — an IFF-style container with layers, surfaces and VMAPs that broadcast and film VFX shops have used since the 1990s.
iLoveConverter processes everything locally on your computer, which makes it private and fast: no upload wait, no server storage, no limits. Add as many files as you like — batch conversion is built in.
How to convert LWO to TAR.XZ
- 1
Select your files
Select your LWO file — it never leaves your device.
- 2
Convert instantly
The engine packs the file, byte for byte, into a TAR.XZ container — no re-encoding, no quality change.
- 3
Download results
Download the finished TAR.XZ archive.
About the LWO format
LWO is LightWave's object format — an IFF-style container of layers, point/ polygon lists, surface definitions and VMAP weight/UV maps. NewTek's LightWave rendered Babylon 5 and dozens of TV shows, and broadcast VFX houses still hold decades of LWO assets.
three.js includes an LWOLoader, so objects convert to glTF/OBJ in the browser — layers merge into a scene graph with surfaces translated to PBR-ish materials.
+Strengths
- ✓Layered, surface-rich container
- ✓Broadcast/VFX heritage
- ✓Native three.js loader
!Limitations
- −Version spread (LWO2 vs LWOB)
- −Envelope/animation data not portable
- −Niche outside LightWave studios
About the TAR.XZ format
TAR.XZ pairs the tar container with XZ (LZMA2) compression — the highest-ratio member of the tar family and the de-facto release format of modern Linux distributions. The same source tree that lands 5% smaller than TAR.BZ2 and 20% smaller than TAR.GZ is why kernel.org and GNU mirrors standardised on it.
The trade is CPU time: XZ compresses slow (dictionary sizes up to 64 MB) but decompresses fast, which makes it ideal for one-time releases that get downloaded millions of times. When you need speed instead, TAR.GZ or TAR.ZSTD are the neighbouring picks.
+Strengths
- ✓Best compression ratio of the tar family
- ✓Standard release artifact of Linux distros
- ✓Fast decompression despite slow compression
!Limitations
- −Compression is CPU-heavy and single-threaded by default
- −Larger toolchain footprint than gzip on tiny systems
Why convert LWO to TAR.XZ?
There is a concrete reason this conversion exists: Version spread (LWO2 vs LWOB) TAR.XZ sidesteps that — Best compression ratio of the tar family If that is your situation, the tool above settles it in seconds, entirely on your device.
Frequently asked questions
Is this LWO to TAR.XZ converter really free?
Yes — completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no daily conversion limits. The site is supported by advertising.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly, so your files never leave your device — that is what makes it instant and private.
Does it work on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android?
Yes. Anything with a modern browser works: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. No software installation is required.
Will my model look the same as a GLB?
Geometry, hierarchy and standard materials convert faithfully. Note that Draco-compressed GLB files and exotic extensions are not supported — export those as plain GLB from your original tool first.
How large can the LWO file be?
Everything runs on your device, so memory is the only ceiling. Dense meshes with millions of triangles convert fine on a desktop computer, just over a slightly longer coffee break.
Does the scale or orientation of the model change?
Vertex data is converted as-is. Formats without a unit system (like STL) are interpreted as millimeters by most 3D-printing tools — scale before converting if your model uses different units.