OBJ to TAR Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
OBJ is the veteran plain-text 3D format from Wavefront: vertices, faces and texture coordinates in a human-readable file that almost every 3D package imports. TAR preserves the exact file tree and permissions that Linux tooling expects.
Because the whole conversion happens on your device, it is instant, unlimited and genuinely private — no accounts, no watermarks, no files on anyone's server. Multiple files are converted in one go.
How to convert OBJ to TAR
- 1
Select your files
Select your OBJ file — it never leaves your device.
- 2
Convert instantly
The engine packs the file, byte for byte, into a TAR container — no re-encoding, no quality change.
- 3
Download results
Download the finished TAR archive.
About the OBJ format
OBJ (Wavefront, 1990s) is the veteran of 3D model exchange: a text file of vertices, UV coordinates and faces, optionally paired with an MTL material file and texture images. It predates every modern pipeline yet still opens everywhere, which keeps it as the default export of modeling tutorials, asset stores and scan software.
It is static by design — no animation, no rigging, no scene hierarchy beyond groups — and MTL's habit of referencing textures by relative path means a lonely .obj file often shows up untextured. For static meshes with appearance, it remains a dependable common ground.
+Strengths
- ✓Opens in every 3D application, old and new
- ✓Text-readable and easy to generate programmatically
- ✓Carries UVs and materials via MTL
!Limitations
- −No animation, rigging or hierarchy
- −Texture references break when files travel alone
- −Text format is bulky for dense meshes
About the TAR format
TAR (tape archive) is Unix's fifty-year-old answer to bundling: it concatenates files with headers into a single stream, preserving POSIX permissions, ownership and symlinks — but compressing nothing. It is the container half of the classic .tar.gz pairing and the native format of Linux source trees and backups.
Being pure bundling, TAR pairs with a compressor: gzip (the classic), bzip2, zstd. Alone, a TAR is the same size as its contents. Windows 10+ ships bsdtar, so even Windows can unpack it now — permissions aside, where NTFS has no room to be faithful.
+Strengths
- ✓Preserves Unix permissions and symlinks
- ✓Streamable: works over pipes and tapes
- ✓The standard of Linux distribution and backup
!Limitations
- −No compression by itself
- −No built-in encryption
- −Permissions meaningless on Windows filesystems
Why convert OBJ to TAR?
Converting makes sense where the strengths of TAR meet what OBJ cannot give you. Preserves Unix permissions and symlinks Meanwhile No animation, rigging or hierarchy One pass through the converter above puts your file on the right side of that trade-off.
Frequently asked questions
Is this OBJ to TAR 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.
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.
How large can the OBJ 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.