Convert CityJSON to DAE (Free)
Also converts STL, OBJ, GLB, PLY, USDZ, 3MF from the same file.
Runs in your browser. No upload, no signup, nothing to install.
Also from Innerscene: Circadian Lab, a free lighting calculator for room illuminance, melanopic EML, and glare.
How to convert CityJSON to DAE
- 1
Open your .json file
Drag it onto the viewer above, or click "Open a CityJSON File". Files up to 200 MB open directly; the parse runs in a worker so the page stays responsive.
- 2
Pick COLLADA in the Export menu
Click Export in the toolbar, then DAE (.dae).
- 3
Download
The .dae is written in the browser and saved straight to your downloads folder. No queue, no email, no watermark.
What survives the conversion
A file conversion is a translation, and formats do not carry the same things. Here is exactly what moves from CityJSON into DAE, and what does not.
| Geometry | Kept | Both formats store triangle meshes, so the shape transfers directly. |
|---|---|---|
| Colors and materials | Kept | DAE carries material colors, which is at least what CityJSON stores, so the colors come across. |
| Textures | Dropped | DAE does not carry texture images, so a textured model arrives in flat material colors. |
| Layers and structure | Dropped | DAE is a single flat body with no layers or named parts. Everything merges into one object. If you need the structure, export to GLB, OBJ, DXF instead. |
| Units and scale | Kept | DAE stores an explicit unit, so the model opens at true size without rescaling. |
| Map coordinates | Reduced | DAE is written in local meters, centered on the data. OBJ, PLY, XYZ, DXF and DWG exports keep the map coordinates. |
| Lines and points | Reduced | COLLADA has no point-cloud primitive, so point clouds are skipped. Line work is kept, written as a <lines> primitive. |
What the DAE writer emits: COLLADA 1.4.1 with one <geometry> per mesh and one flat <node> per instance, its world transform baked into a <matrix> rather than nested into a parent/child tree, Phong materials with a diffuse color, vertex colors when the mesh has them, and the scene’s meters-per-unit declared in <asset>.
The source: CityJSON city model (JSON / JSONL) (.json, .jsonl)
A CityJSON 1.0, 1.1 or 2.0 city model, or a CityJSONSeq stream: every object at its highest level of detail, with its semantic surfaces in colour, materials, textures and geometry templates, grouped by object type and recentred from its coordinates, in metres.
The target: COLLADA (.dae)
The XML interchange format nearly every 3-D application reads, with materials and per-vertex color carried over.
Opens in: Blender, SketchUp, Unity, Xcode, Apple Preview.
Your file never leaves your computer
Both the CityJSON parser and the DAE writer are JavaScript and WebAssembly running in your own browser tab. There is no upload step, no server-side conversion queue, and no copy of your file anywhere but your machine. That matters for drawings under NDA, for client work, and for anything you would not email to a stranger.
Free to Use, No Signup
There are no accounts and no watermarks on this converter. If it saved you time, the one thing we ask is a mention: a post, a link from your blog or course page, or a reply to someone asking how to open a file.
Share it
Made something reusable? Add it to the Free Parts Library. Writing about it? Copy a link, badge or citation. Send us your post and we’ll feature it with a link to your site.
Hear about new formats
Occasional emails when the viewer learns a new format or gets a new tool.
Frequently asked questions
▶Is this CityJSON to DAE converter free?
Yes. No signup, no watermark, no per-file limit and no paid tier. Innerscene.
▶Is my CityJSON file uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is read with the browser file API and converted in the same tab. Nothing is sent to a server unless you explicitly click Share, which is a separate, opt-in feature.
▶Will my colors and materials survive the DAE export?
DAE carries material colors, which is at least what CityJSON stores, so the colors come across.
▶Do layers and named parts carry into the DAE file?
DAE is a single flat body with no layers or named parts. Everything merges into one object. If you need the structure, export to GLB, OBJ, DXF instead.
▶Will the DAE open at the right size?
DAE stores an explicit unit, so the model opens at true size without rescaling.
▶How large a CityJSON file can I convert?
Up to 200 MB, and the ceiling adapts to how much memory your device reports. The conversion runs on your own hardware, so a desktop with plenty of RAM will handle more than a phone.
▶Can I convert DAE back to CityJSON?
Not here. We read CityJSON and write DAE, but not the reverse. the universal 3D viewer
▶Which browsers does it work in?
Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari, on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. No plugin and no extension.
Convert CityJSON to something else
Convert something else to DAE
Or start from the universal 3D viewer.