What is the DAE file format?
The .dae file extension is used for Digital Asset Exchange files. A .dae file can store various types of objects, including images, textures, animations, and 3D models. .dae files are used by various graphics software tools for exchanging digital data between applications.
The .dae format is based on the open XML format COLLADA (which stands for COLLAborative Design Activity). The COLLADA standard was originally developed by Sony Computer Entertainment and is now managed by technology consortium Khronos Group. Because .dae is plain-text XML, files start with a <?xml declaration followed by a root <COLLADA> element identifying the schema version. The COLLADA format can encode visual scenes including geometry, shaders, effects, physics, animations, cinematics, and multiple representations of a single asset.
Many pipelines now favor .gltf or .glb for real-time use, but .dae remains a preferred interchange format when full scene fidelity - including physics and kinematics - must be preserved between tools such as Blender, Maya, or alongside .skp exports.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWA DAE file is plain-text XML data - it has no executable code and is safe to open in a viewer. The practical (non-malware) cautions: a .dae references external texture image files, so a model can arrive looking grey/untextured if those images weren't included; and exporting to mesh formats (OBJ/STL) or simple formats can drop animation, rigging or materials. Only the usual advice applies - get models from sources you trust.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open DAE files
Windows3 apps
Blender
Open-source File > Import > Collada (.dae) to view and fully edit the model. The best free option. 
SketchUp
Freemium Import the .dae (File > Import); COLLADA is SketchUp's standard interchange format. 
Autodesk FBX Review / 3D viewers
Free Open the .dae to quickly view/rotate the model without a full 3D suite. 
macOS2 apps
Preview / Quick Look
Built-in Double-click or press Space on the .dae; macOS renders COLLADA models natively for quick viewing. 
Linux2 apps
GLC_Player
Open-source Open the .dae to view/inspect the 3D model (older but free; source on GitHub).
Online 3D Viewer (3dviewer.net)
Free Drag the .dae into the browser to view, rotate and inspect - no install. Open source. Technical details
deep spec| MIME type | model/vnd.collada+xml |
| File encoding | Plain-text UTF-8 XML - no binary sections; can be opened and inspected in any text editor |
| XML namespace | The <COLLADA> root element carries an xmlns attribute with a collada.org schema URI, which identifies the file as COLLADA rather than generic XML |
| Scene data types | Geometry, materials, shaders, effects, textures, lights, cameras, animations, physics, and kinematics - all storable in one file |
| Geometry types | Triangle and polygon meshes, splines, NURBS surfaces, morph targets (blend shapes), and skinned meshes |
| Animation support | Keyframe and skeletal (skin/joint) animation with full rig hierarchy and skin-weight data |
| Physics support | Rigid-body dynamics, joints, and constraints stored in a dedicated physics library inside the file |
| Texture references | External image files via relative URI by default; images can also be embedded as base64 inside <image> elements |
| Coordinate system | Right-handed coordinate space; each file declares its up-axis and measurement units in the <asset> element |
| Shader/FX support | Inline GLSL, CG, and HLSL shader code embedded via <profile_GLSL>, <profile_CG>, and <profile_HLSL> inside <effect> elements |
| Level-of-detail (LOD) | Multiple LOD representations of a single asset can be grouped under a parent <node> within the scene graph |
| File verbosity | Considerably larger than binary 3D formats; vertex coordinates and matrices are stored as decimal text, making .dae files frequently compressed externally into .zae (COLLADA + ZIP) |
| Scene graph structure | Hierarchical node tree inside <visual_scene>; each <node> can reference geometry, lights, cameras, or child nodes |
| Released | 2004 (COLLADA 1.0); maintained by Khronos since 2006; COLLADA 1.5 in 2008 |
| Open standard | Yes · royalty-free |
| Specification | www.khronos.org |
DAE conversions
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