How to Export a Surface as an OBJ File

Last updated 15 June 2026

How to Export a Surface as an OBJ File

Export the geometry of an imported 3D model surface as a Wavefront OBJ file. The export includes vertex positions, normals, and texture coordinates from the surface's default UV mapping — including any mesh edits you have made.

Before you start

  • Your scene contains at least one surface created from an imported 3D model (not a built-in shape such as Plane, Sphere, or Cylinder)
  • The surface has a default UV mapping assigned

Steps

1. Select the surface

Select your imported 3D model surface in Scene Objects or click it directly in the Scene View. The surface's properties appear in the Inspector.

2. Open the export dialog

In the Inspector, scroll to the Surface Properties section. Find the row containing the Reload on Change checkbox, the Replace button, and the Export button. Click Export.

[USER-ACTION-REQUIRED: Attach a screenshot of the Surface Properties section in the Inspector showing the Reload on Change / Replace / Export row for an imported 3D model surface]

3. Choose a save location

A file dialog titled Export 3d model (OBJ) opens. It defaults to the models folder in your Backstage installation directory. Choose a file name and location, then confirm. The file is saved with the .obj extension.

What gets exported

The exported OBJ file contains:

  • Vertex positions — in the surface's local coordinate space (object scale, no world transform)

  • Texture coordinates (UVs) — taken from the surface's default UV mapping

  • Vertex normals — if present in the surface's mesh data

  • Triangle faces — the full tessellated mesh, including any mesh edits

Positions are exported in local (object) space. If you have moved, rotated, or scaled the surface in the scene, those transforms are not baked into the exported geometry. Re-apply the same transform in your target application if needed.

Common Mistakes

  • "Export button is not visible." — The Export button only appears for surfaces created from an imported 3D model. Built-in shapes (Plane, Sphere, Cylinder, Dome, Cube, Disc, Torus) do not show this button. If you need to export a built-in shape, convert it to an imported model first by replacing it with an exported OBJ.

  • "Unable to export surface mesh as OBJ file." — The surface has no default UV mapping, the mesh data is empty, or the file path is not writable. Verify a default mapping exists and that you have write permission to the target folder.

  • "Exported OBJ appears at the wrong position in my other application." — The export uses local coordinates. Scene-level transforms (position, rotation, scale set via the gizmo) are not included. Apply the same transform in the destination software.

Tips

  • If you have edited the mesh (e.g. moved vertices in Mesh Edit mode), the export includes those edits. Use this to round-trip a refined mesh: export, edit externally, then re-import.

  • The UVs in the exported file come from the default UV mapping only. If you need UVs from a different mapping, set that mapping as the default before exporting.

  • The file dialog remembers the last used folder. After your first export, subsequent exports open in the same directory.

  • Hover over the Export button to see a tooltip confirming what the export includes.

Set Up a Projection Surface — How to set up a projection surface from scratch.

Map Content to an Irregular Shape — Map content to irregular and custom surface shapes.

Surface — Surface reference (all surface types and properties).

Imported 3D model — Imported 3D model surface reference.