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What is a .dae file? COLLADA, missing textures, and opening it on a Mac

A .dae file is a COLLADA document: XML describing a 3D scene with meshes, materials, cameras, lights and animation. It started at Sony in 2004 and has been maintained by the Khronos Group since 2005. Game tools, SketchUp and Google Earth used it for years, but glTF is replacing it now, and Blender 5.0 removed its built-in support.

At a glance

Extension
.dae
Type
3D scene
Created by
Sony, Khronos Group
Since
2004
Standard
ISO/PAS 17506:2012
Specification
Khronos COLLADA
macOS without an app
Partly – see the text below

Facts checked November 4, 2026

XML you can read

COLLADA is readable text. This is how an octahedron starts when I had Apple's SceneKit save it:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<COLLADA xmlns="http://www.collada.org/2005/11/COLLADASchema" version="1.4.1">
 <asset>
  <contributor>
   <authoring_tool>SceneKit Collada Exporter v1.0</authoring_tool>
  </contributor>
  <created>2026-11-04T15:57:14Z</created>
  <modified>2026-11-04T15:57:14Z</modified>
  <unit meter="1.000000"/>
  <up_axis>Y_UP</up_axis>
 </asset>

The <asset> part holds the program that made the file, the creation and modification dates, and above all the unit and the axis that points up. Libraries of materials, geometry and images follow, and a scene that puts them together. The geometry is written as long rows of numbers, such as <float_array count="18">0 0 10 10 0 0 …</float_array>.

Units and the up axis

Every file says how many metres one unit is (<unit meter="…"/>), and if it says nothing, a metre applies. The specification even illustrates it with a made-up "nautical_league" of 5556 metres. The up axis (<up_axis>) is Y, Z or X, with Y as the default.

In the file above, SceneKit wrote meter="1.000000" – metres – even though the OBJ the octahedron came from had no unit at all. A program that reads units will show it 20 metres tall. So check the dimensions after opening.

Why it arrives without textures

Textures aren't in the .dae file but next to it as images. The file points to them by path in <library_images>, in an <init_from> element. The three causes of missing textures that come up again and again on the SketchUp, Maya, Google Earth and game forums:

  • The .dae came without its image folder. Apple's Preview guide says plainly not to take a .dae out of its folder.
  • The path is absolute, such as file:///C:/Users/…, and leads nowhere on another computer.
  • The image name doesn't match what's in <init_from>.

Open the .dae in a text editor and search for <init_from>: you'll see exactly which images the file expects, and where.

SketchUp and Google Earth: a .dae inside a .kmz

SketchUp exports COLLADA 1.4 via File → Export → 3D Model. Google Earth uses COLLADA models inside .kmz packages. A .kmz is a ZIP, so rename it to .zip, unpack it, and you'll find the .dae and its textures inside. A model from Google Earth may open turned the wrong way, because earth browsers each read COLLADA a little differently.

COLLADA is fading

Khronos itself describes COLLADA as a format for exchange between programs, not for delivery. Delivery goes to glTF, which the COLLADA working group itself announced in 2013. Blender moved COLLADA to legacy status in 2024 and removed it in version 5.0 in November 2025; Blender 4.5 LTS is the last version that opens .dae without add-ons. And SceneKit, which the Mac reads DAE through, has been in maintenance mode at Apple since WWDC 2025. On macOS 27.0.1 it still reads it – I checked.

If you have old .dae files, convert them to glTF/GLB while you still have something to open them with.

Where COLLADA came from

COLLADA started at Sony Computer Entertainment so studios could move PlayStation 3 content between different tools. The first version came out in 2004, and in July 2005 Khronos accepted it as an open standard. The most widespread version is 1.4.1 from 2008. Version 1.5, the same year, added exact B-rep geometry, kinematics and packaged .zae files, and in 2012 it was published as ISO/PAS 17506. In November 2025 Khronos released a corrected version, 1.5.1. The rubber duck you know from the samples of many 3D viewers is a 2006 COLLADA model from Sony.

How to open DAE on a Mac

  • Preview opens a .dae, though according to Apple's guide with fewer features on macOS 27 than USD gets. It won't save it to a printing format such as STL or OBJ.
  • Quick Look should show it through the system's SceneKit extension. I haven't tried it with a specific file.
  • [Blender 4.5 LTS](https://www.blender.org/download/lts/4-5/) opens .dae and saves it as glTF. Newer Blender only with add-ons.
  • Preview3D, my app, opens .dae on a Mac through SceneKit, with the materials and lights the file has. Model info shows the dimensions and triangle count, there's a mesh check, and it converts the model to STL, OBJ or PLY – which Preview can't.

Converting DAE to STL

On a Mac, Preview3D converts from File → Export model as… (⌥⌘E), without uploading anything. Textures, materials, animation and rigs are dropped; STL carries only the shape. Models from games are often built from separate pieces and need repairs before printing; the mesh check shows holes and edges that don't hold together. And mind the units: check the size in the slicer after converting.

Common questions

What is a .dae file?

A COLLADA document: a 3D scene in XML with meshes, materials, cameras, lights and animation. DAE stands for Digital Asset Exchange.

Why did my .dae open without textures?

The textures are separate images next to the file. They're missing, have an absolute path from another computer, or have the wrong name. In a text editor, <init_from> shows which images the file expects.

Does a Mac open .dae without another app?

Yes, Preview opens it, but it won't save it to a printing format.

Blender 5 won't open .dae. What now?

Use Blender 4.5 LTS, the last version with built-in COLLADA support, or an add-on. Then save the file as glTF/GLB.

How do I convert DAE to STL?

On a Mac, in Preview3D with File → Export model as…. Then check the mesh, and the size in the slicer.

Is DAE or glTF better?

For new models, glTF. Khronos itself recommends it over COLLADA, and Blender 5 no longer reads COLLADA.

Related pages

Sources

Have an old .dae from SketchUp or Google Earth that wouldn't open completely on your Mac? Write to me at apps@xfanta.com with where it came from.

Open it in Preview3D

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