Convert DAE to STEP
Free DAE to STEP converter that runs in your browser. See real dimensions before you download.
How to convert DAE to STEP
- Drop your DAE file (with its textures, if separate) onto the converter — it opens in your browser, nothing is uploaded.
- Check the preview and the dimensions in mm; fix units or the up axis in “Units & orientation” if the size or orientation looks wrong.
- Choose STEP as the output and click Convert. Several files download as one ZIP.
What carries over from DAE to STEP
| DAE | STEP | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colour / materials | Yes | Yes | Kept |
| Textures | Yes | No | Dropped |
| Units stored in file | Yes | Yes | Written as mm |
| Separate parts | Yes | Yes | Kept |
| Usual up axis | Y | Z | Rotated (switchable) |
About DAE files
COLLADA, short for COLLAborative Design Activity, was started by Sony Computer Entertainment and handed to the Khronos Group, which published it as an open XML standard; it became ISO/PAS 17506. Files use the .dae extension. The goal was a neutral format that let different content-creation tools exchange assets without losing information, so it is broader than a mesh format: it describes geometry, materials and effects, images, cameras, lights, skeletons, skin controllers, animations and even physics. It declares its own unit with a meter attribute and an up_axis setting, which is more than OBJ or STL offer. Because it is verbose XML, files are large, and glTF has since taken over the role of Khronos's recommended runtime format. DAE still turns up in SketchUp downloads, Google Earth content, robotics (ROS) and older game and simulation assets.
About STEP files
STEP, formally ISO 10303 and known as the Standard for the Exchange of Product model data, has been developed since the 1980s and is the main neutral format for moving CAD models between companies and systems. The usual application protocols are AP203 and AP214 for geometry and assemblies, and AP242 for modern product and manufacturing information. A .step or .stp file is plain text written in the EXPRESS-based Part 21 syntax. Unlike STL, it does not store triangles: it stores boundary representation (B-rep) geometry, meaning exact planes, cylinders, splines and NURBS surfaces joined by edges and faces into solids. That keeps holes perfectly round and dimensions precise, and allows the receiving CAD to keep editing faces. Files can contain assemblies, product structure, colours and units.
3D printing notes
Slicers do not open DAE, so models are converted to STL or 3MF. SketchUp users run into this often, because SketchUp exports DAE and its models are drawn in inches. Since the file records its unit scale, a correct importer gets the size right, though SketchUp-style models are also built from many separate faces and groups, with duplicated or internal geometry that can confuse slicers. Check the reported dimensions and the watertight status after conversion. MeshShift reads DAE in the browser, applies the unit and up axis from the file, and can save the result as STL, 3MF, OBJ or GLB. It does not write DAE.
Frequently asked questions
Is this DAE to STEP converter free and private?
Yes. The conversion runs in your browser with JavaScript and WebAssembly, so your DAE file is never uploaded to a server. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no daily limit; very large files are limited only by your device's memory.
What is a DAE file?
A DAE file is a COLLADA 3D scene saved as XML. It can hold meshes, materials, textures references, cameras, lights, rigs and animations. SketchUp, Blender and many older game tools export it, and Google Earth models also used it.
What is the difference between STEP and STP?
Nothing in the content. Both extensions hold the same ISO 10303 Part 21 text; .stp exists because older systems limited extensions to three letters. Any program that reads one reads the other, and renaming the file is enough.