GLB and glTF: Taking the Model With You
GLB is the binary container for glTF, an open format for delivering 3D scenes. It is the file produced by the takeoff viewer's model export. The Khronos glTF specification defines the format.
What is inside?
A .gltf asset describes the scene in JSON and can reference separate geometry and image files. A .glb can package the scene description, geometry, and textures in one binary file. It can carry object names, hierarchy, transforms, materials, and custom metadata. That makes it convenient to pass a model between compatible applications.
What this viewer exports
The takeoff viewer uses Three.js GLTFExporter with its binary option enabled. Its export code rebuilds groups by zone and layer and includes all modeled elements, independently of the current view filters. A full export means the full modeled scope; it does not fill in missing construction scope.
The export attaches element records and project-level coverage notes to the scene. Keep the JSON data, quantity CSVs, and source references alongside the GLB: another application may display the geometry without presenting all of that metadata.
Feet in the viewer, meters in the file
glTF uses meters for linear distances. This viewer works in feet and applies a 0.3048 scale at the export root. Its metadata notes that dimensional records remain in feet. For an illustrative 10-foot object, the imported size should be 3.048 meters.
That check matters before anyone measures the imported mesh. A unit conversion applied twice, a missed transform, or a changed origin can make a plausible-looking model misleading. Keep the model's axis and datum information with the handoff.
Opening it in Blender
Blender supports glTF and GLB import. Use File > Import > glTF 2.0 (.glb/.gltf), select the exported file, and import it. Inspect the objects in the Outliner and check a known dimension. Save a .blend file if you want a Blender working copy. See the Blender glTF manual.
Blender can be a useful place to inspect meshes, adjust a presentation, and produce renders. Importing the scene does not re-create the browser's source-sheet dialogs, quantity interface, or calculation logic.
Can CAD software open it?
That depends on the specific application, version, and importer. Do not assume direct GLB support across CAD tools. Check the receiving application's supported formats and test a small sample with a known size.
Even a successful mesh import does not create a native parametric CAD model, editable civil alignments, or a BIM model with construction semantics. If the next person needs those, agree on the required geometry and data format first. Converting a file extension alone does not reconstruct that information.
For this workflow, GLB is the portable scene, JSON keeps the structured model records, and CSV carries the takeoff rows. Together they provide a more useful handoff than a screenshot.