What is an FBX file?

An FBX file is a 3D scene in Filmbox, the proprietary format owned by Autodesk and used to move models and animation between Maya, 3ds Max, Blender, Unity and Unreal. One file can hold meshes, materials, textures, skeletons, skin weights, blend shapes, cameras and animation.

Drop your FBX file here

Extension	.fbx
Name	Filmbox
Created by	Kaydara. Owned by Autodesk since 2006
Stores	Meshes, materials, textures, skeletons, animation, cameras
Variants	Binary and ASCII, many versions
Units	Stored in the file, centimetres by default
Opens in	Maya, 3ds Max, Blender, Unity, Unreal, FBX Review, this page

Why FBX is everywhere in games and film

FBX started as the file format of Filmbox, a motion capture tool by Kaydara. Alias bought Kaydara in 2004, and Autodesk bought Alias, with Maya and FBX, in 2006. It became the way to get an animated character from a modelling tool into a game engine, and asset stores still sell most characters and props as FBX.

The format is closed. Autodesk publishes an SDK, not a specification, so other programs read it by reverse engineering or by using that SDK. That is why an FBX from one version of one tool sometimes imports with missing textures or wrong scale in another.

Textures in an FBX

An FBX can embed its texture images or only point to them by a path on the author's disk. When the textures are linked and you only received the .fbx, the model opens grey. Ask for the texture files too, or for an export with Embed Media turned on.

How to open an FBX file

Use the viewer at the top of this page. It reads FBX from version 7.0 and plays the first animation. For more:

Blender, free, imports and exports FBX.
Autodesk FBX Review, free, is a viewer for Windows and Mac.
Unity and Unreal import FBX directly into a project.

Converting FBX

Convert to GLB to put a model on the web, in AR or in a Shopify store. GLB keeps the textures and animation. Convert to OBJ for a tool that does not read FBX. Convert to STL to 3D print it, then repair the STL, because game models are rarely closed.

Free tools for FBX files

FBX viewer Open a .fbx file without Autodesk software. FBX to GLB Convert an FBX to GLB for the web, AR and game engines. FBX to OBJ Convert an FBX to OBJ for any 3D editor. FBX to STL Convert an FBX to STL for 3D printing.

Frequently asked

Is FBX free to use?

Yes, you can create, share and sell FBX files without a fee. The format itself is owned by Autodesk, and the official SDK comes with Autodesk's licence terms, but that only matters if you write software that reads FBX.

FBX or glTF?

Use glTF (GLB) for the web, AR and online stores, and when you want an open format. Use FBX when your pipeline needs it, for example a Maya to Unreal animation workflow. Many studios now use both.

Why is my FBX model huge or tiny?

Unit mismatch. FBX stores a unit, but tools disagree on how to apply it. Blender works in metres and FBX defaults to centimetres, so a scale of 100 or 0.01 is the usual symptom. Check the unit and scale options in the export and import dialogs.