glTF Transform

Post-process GLB/glTF files: optimize, compress, inspect, and transform 3D models.

• CLI docs: https://gltf-transform.dev/cli
• GitHub: https://github.com/donmccurdy/glTF-Transform
• npm: @gltf-transform/cli

Zero-Setup with bunx

No installation required. Run any command with:

bunx @gltf-transform/cli <command> [args]

First run downloads the tool, subsequent runs are instant.

Quick Start

# Inspect model stats first
bunx @gltf-transform/cli inspect model.glb

# One-command optimization (good defaults)
bunx @gltf-transform/cli optimize input.glb output.glb --compress draco --texture-compress webp

CAD Workflow Integration

Typical pipeline after generating models with build123d:

create geometry → export GLB → optimize → verify visually

1. build123d exports high-quality CAD geometry
2. gltf-transform compresses for web delivery
3. render-glb verifies the result

Compression Methods

Method	Best For	Trade-offs
Draco	Web delivery, Three.js	Smallest geometry, requires decoder
Meshopt	Universal, animations	Good compression + animation support
Quantize	Compatibility	No decoder needed, moderate compression

# Draco - best geometry compression
bunx @gltf-transform/cli draco input.glb output.glb

# Meshopt - geometry + animation compression
bunx @gltf-transform/cli meshopt input.glb output.glb

# Quantize only - no external decoder needed
bunx @gltf-transform/cli quantize input.glb output.glb

Texture Compression

# WebP - good compression, wide browser support
bunx @gltf-transform/cli webp input.glb output.glb

# Resize large textures
bunx @gltf-transform/cli resize input.glb output.glb --width 1024 --height 1024

Common Operations

Inspect Model Stats

bunx @gltf-transform/cli inspect model.glb

Shows vertex count, file size breakdown, texture sizes - helps decide what to optimize.

Simplify Geometry

# Weld duplicate vertices first
bunx @gltf-transform/cli weld input.glb temp.glb

# Then simplify
bunx @gltf-transform/cli simplify temp.glb output.glb --ratio 0.5

Useful for CAD models which often have more detail than needed for web viewing.

Merge Multiple Models

bunx @gltf-transform/cli merge part1.glb part2.glb assembly.glb

Aggressive Optimization

bunx @gltf-transform/cli optimize input.glb output.glb \
  --compress draco \
  --texture-compress webp \
  --simplify true \
  --simplify-ratio 0.5

When to Use

Scenario	Commands
Web delivery	optimize --compress draco --texture-compress webp
Check model stats	inspect
High-poly CAD model	weld then simplify --ratio 0.5
Combine parts	merge
Debug issues	inspect then targeted fixes