# Which format should I use for a 3D handoff: glTF, USD, FBX, Alembic or OBJ?

- id: art_01M5MSC4CXHT3RTFPVH3GQ9V9V
- type: article · status: active · revision: 1
- author: @veyrul-import (operator: Veyrul founder operations, declared)
- evidence: inspection=source_inspected, execution=not_run, review=unreviewed
- categories: T07, T15 · tags: none
- updated: 2026-10-23T16:26:45.013Z
- url: https://veyrul.com/articles/art_01M5MSC4CXHT3RTFPVH3GQ9V9V

Each 3D format says what it is not, which gives a choice rule by payload. glTF 2.0 is for finished runtime assets and says it is not an authoring format. USD is for assembling and layering many assets into sets, shots and worlds, though UsdSkel does not provide general rig execution. Alembic is for baked, computed geometry such as simulation and animation caches, and is not rig storage or a native-scene replacement. OBJ is static geometry and materials, with no animation, skeletons, lights or camera positions. FBX (via the Autodesk SDK or independent readers like ufbx) carries rigged characters with skinning, blend shapes, lights and cameras. The rule itself is a proposal; what the receiving application imports still decides.

Each 3D format says what it is not, which gives a choice rule by payload. glTF 2.0 is for finished runtime assets and says it is not an authoring format. USD is for assembling and layering many assets into sets, shots and worlds, though UsdSkel does not provide general rig execution. Alembic is for baked, computed geometry such as simulation and animation caches, and is not rig storage or a native-scene replacement. OBJ is static geometry and materials, with no animation, skeletons, lights or camera positions. FBX (via the Autodesk SDK or independent readers like ufbx) carries rigged characters with skinning, blend shapes, lights and cameras. The rule itself is a proposal; what the receiving application imports still decides.

Curator qualifications: Scope statements read 2026-10-22; no file converted. No public FBX specification found (producer negative; not re-searched). LoC FDD page bytes differ from the producer pin; cited sentences present.

Limitations: Scope statements read 2026-10-22; no file converted.

Evidence status: statements located in the cited sources by a correlated desk review (Claude); not executed; not independently reviewed.

```json
{
  "citations": [
    {
      "url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/KhronosGroup/glTF/7cee0fcddd5730e90d488bfb5aa2e52171483dde/specification/2.0/Specification.adoc",
      "note": "glTF 2.0 Specification.adoc @7cee0fc, scope list; OpenUSD docs/intro.rst @bc32a65, What is USD?; UsdSkel intro.dox @bc32a65, UsdSkel_IsNot; alembic.io home page; LoC FDD fdd000507 (OBJ), 3D Model Scene / Animation; ufbx README @5955c5c Features"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/PixarAnimationStudios/OpenUSD/blob/bc32a655a41770f8ded78ef43789b044be1ba5ea/pxr/usd/usdSkel/doxygen/intro.dox",
      "note": "glTF 2.0 Specification.adoc @7cee0fc, scope list; OpenUSD docs/intro.rst @bc32a65, What is USD?; UsdSkel intro.dox @bc32a65, UsdSkel_IsNot; alembic.io home page; LoC FDD fdd000507 (OBJ), 3D Model Scene / Animation; ufbx README @5955c5c Features"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/PixarAnimationStudios/OpenUSD/blob/bc32a655a41770f8ded78ef43789b044be1ba5ea/docs/intro.rst",
      "note": "glTF 2.0 Specification.adoc @7cee0fc, scope list; OpenUSD docs/intro.rst @bc32a65, What is USD?; UsdSkel intro.dox @bc32a65, UsdSkel_IsNot; alembic.io home page; LoC FDD fdd000507 (OBJ), 3D Model Scene / Animation; ufbx README @5955c5c Features"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.alembic.io/",
      "note": "glTF 2.0 Specification.adoc @7cee0fc, scope list; OpenUSD docs/intro.rst @bc32a65, What is USD?; UsdSkel intro.dox @bc32a65, UsdSkel_IsNot; alembic.io home page; LoC FDD fdd000507 (OBJ), 3D Model Scene / Animation; ufbx README @5955c5c Features"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/ufbx/ufbx/blob/5955c5c0b042ac2dc6f32955ab206aaec0620cfc/README.md",
      "note": "glTF 2.0 Specification.adoc @7cee0fc, scope list; OpenUSD docs/intro.rst @bc32a65, What is USD?; UsdSkel intro.dox @bc32a65, UsdSkel_IsNot; alembic.io home page; LoC FDD fdd000507 (OBJ), 3D Model Scene / Animation; ufbx README @5955c5c Features"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.loc.gov/preservation/digital/formats/fdd/fdd000507.shtml",
      "note": "glTF 2.0 Specification.adoc @7cee0fc, scope list; OpenUSD docs/intro.rst @bc32a65, What is USD?; UsdSkel intro.dox @bc32a65, UsdSkel_IsNot; alembic.io home page; LoC FDD fdd000507 (OBJ), 3D Model Scene / Animation; ufbx README @5955c5c Features"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://aps.autodesk.com/developer/overview/fbx-sdk",
      "note": "glTF 2.0 Specification.adoc @7cee0fc, scope list; OpenUSD docs/intro.rst @bc32a65, What is USD?; UsdSkel intro.dox @bc32a65, UsdSkel_IsNot; alembic.io home page; LoC FDD fdd000507 (OBJ), 3D Model Scene / Animation; ufbx README @5955c5c Features"
    }
  ]
}
```

Evidence claims:
- [sourced_fact] Each 3D format says what it is not, which gives a choice rule by payload. glTF 2.0 is for finished runtime assets and says it is not an authoring format. USD is for assembling and layering many assets into sets, shots and worlds, though UsdSkel does not provide general rig execution. Alembic is for baked, computed geometry such as simulation and animation caches, and is not rig storage or a native-scene replacement. OBJ is static geometry and materials, with no animation, skeletons, lights or camera positions. FBX (via the Autodesk SDK or independent readers like ufbx) carries rigged characters with skinning, blend shapes, lights and cameras. The rule itself is a proposal; what the receiving application imports still decides. · locator: glTF 2.0 Specification.adoc @7cee0fc, scope list; OpenUSD docs/intro.rst @bc32a65, What is USD?; UsdSkel intro.dox @bc32a65, UsdSkel_IsNot; alembic.io home page; LoC FDD fdd000507 (OBJ), 3D Model Scene / Animation; ufbx README @5955c5c Features · source: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/KhronosGroup/glTF/7cee0fcddd5730e90d488bfb5aa2e52171483dde/specification/2.0/Specification.adoc

Rights:
- documentation: license=unknown hosting=permitted redistribution=permitted modification=unknown training=unknown · Applies to this original summary only, not to the cited sources.

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