Preparing 3D Files

How to export a 3D model that loads fast and maps cleanly to your options. This guide uses Blender, which is free, but the same rules apply to any 3D tool that exports glTF.

Quick Checklist#

• Binary glTF (.glb), one file
• Y-up, real-world scale, centred at the origin
• Every part that toggles is its own named object
• Every area that changes colour has its own named material
• Names use only letters, numbers, _ and -
• Recolourable materials have a white or light base colour
• No Draco, meshopt or KTX2 compression
• Under 50 MB before upload; ideally under 100,000 triangles

File Format#

Uplift accepts binary glTF (.glb) only. A .glb packs the geometry, materials and textures into one file.

Blender export settings#

File → Export → glTF 2.0, then:

Scale, Orientation and Pivot#

• Real-world units: model in metres. A 20 oz tumbler is about 0.2 m tall.
• Apply transforms: in Blender, select everything and press Ctrl+A → All Transforms before exporting. Unapplied scale and rotation are the most common cause of a model appearing sideways or tiny.
• Centred: place the model at the origin, standing on the ground plane, facing the front view (−Y in Blender).

The camera frames the whole model automatically, so exact size only matters for consistency between products.

Naming Parts (Nodes)#

Uplift shows and hides nodes (objects) by name. Anything a customer can add or remove must be a separate object:

Tumbler
├── Body            always visible
├── Lid_Slide       Lid → Slide lid
├── Lid_Straw       Lid → Straw lid
├── Handle          Add-ons → Carry handle
└── Boot            Add-ons → Protective boot

Naming rules:

• Use letters, numbers, underscores and hyphens: Lid_Straw, strap-long. 3D viewers rewrite spaces and the characters . : / [ ] in object names, and the rewritten name won't match your mapping.
• Keep names unique. Blender adds .001 to duplicates; rename them before export.
• Names are case-sensitive: Handle and handle are different nodes.
• Name objects by what they are, not what they look like: Lid_Straw, not Black_Cylinder.

Hiding a parent hides its children, so you can group several meshes under one empty (for example Kit_Accessories) and map the group.

Recolourable Materials#

Uplift recolours materials by name. Give each area that changes colour its own material, and share a material between objects that should always match:

Base colour and textures#

A swatch colour multiplies with the material's base colour texture:

• No texture, white base colour: the result matches the swatch exactly. Best for painted or plastic parts.
• Light grey texture with detail (fabric weave, grain, wear): the swatch colour shows with that detail. Keep the texture's average close to white (around 85–100% brightness) or every colour comes out dark.
• Coloured texture: the swatch colour tints the existing colours, and the results are hard to predict. Avoid it on recolourable materials.

Normal, roughness and metalness maps all keep working when a material is recoloured.

Use PBR materials#

Export with Blender's Principled BSDF (metallic-roughness). Set realistic starting values, which finish presets can change per option:

Built-in Colourways#

If one colourway changes several materials or textures at once, as with a printed fabric or a multi-part sneaker, you can store every colourway in a single file using the glTF material variants extension (KHR_materials_variants). In Blender, set them up in the glTF Material Variants panel before export.

Name each variant clearly (midnight, beach, street): these names appear in the Uplift editor. Then map options to them in the Colourways section; see Map Colourways.

Keeping Files Small#

Smaller files load faster on phones. On upload, Uplift:

1. Removes duplicated and unused data
2. Resizes textures (2048, then 1024, then 512 px on the longest side) and re-encodes them as WebP until the file is about 2 MB
3. Rejects the file if it is still over 6 MB

Texture compression can't shrink geometry. If a file is rejected, or the editor reports it is still above the 2 MB target, reduce the geometry:

Check your triangle count in Blender with Overlays → Statistics.

Check Your File Before Uploading#

1. Open the .glb in a free web viewer such as glTF Viewer or the Khronos glTF Sample Viewer
2. Confirm it loads the right way up, with correct materials
3. Check the scene tree for your node and material names
4. After uploading, the Uplift layer editor lists the nodes and materials it found. Compare them with your list.

Using Models You Didn't Make#

Many product models come from manufacturers, marketplaces or libraries such as Sketchfab. Before using one:

• Check that the licence allows commercial use on a store. CC0 and CC BY are common; CC BY requires credit, for example in the product description.
• Expect to rename nodes and materials, and to split parts that need to toggle.
• CAD exports are usually far too detailed; decimate them as described above.

Next Steps#

• 3D Product Models: upload your file and map options to it
• Canvas & Visual Preview: 2D image layers for products without a 3D model