The Complete VRM to FBX Conversion Guide
General Information
This guide is part of the RapidPipeline 3D Formats Knowledge Database.It shows how to convert VRM to FBX, if you'd like to know more about the formats, please check out the following links:
Converting and Optimizing VRM Files to FBX
There are various ways to convert between VRM and FBX. With RapidPipeline, you can easily convert and and optimize VRM files, at scale. It supports FBX, as well as many other file formats (examples: glTF, OBJ, PLY, STL, USD, USDZ), at high quality.
Below you can see how to convert your files:
What are VRM and FBX files commonly used for?
The VRM file is a format mostly used for animated 3D avatar models.
The FBX file is a format mostly used for interactive 3D & rendering applications.
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Comparison of Features Supported by VRM and FBX
| Feature | Supported by VRM | Supported by FBX |
|---|---|---|
| Morph Targets | Yes | Yes |
| Rigid Animations | Yes | Yes |
| Skinned Animations | Yes | Yes |
| Animations | Yes | Yes |
| Free-Form Surfaces | No | Partial0 |
| Geometry Compression | Yes | Partial1 |
| Quad Meshes | No | Yes |
| Basic 3D Geometry | Yes | Yes |
| PBR Materials | Yes | Yes2 |
| Transparent Materials | Yes | Yes |
| Vertex Colors | Yes | Yes |
| Materials | Yes | Yes |
| Scene Composition | No | No |
| Hierarchical Scene Graph | Yes | Yes |
| Scene Nodes | Yes | Yes |
| Standardized Format | Yes3 | No4 |
| Embedded Textures | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple UV Channels | Yes | Yes |
| Normal Mapping | Yes | Yes |
| Procedural Textures | No | Partial |
| Texture Compression | Yes | Partial5 |
| Texture Transforms | Yes | Yes |
| Texturing | Yes | Yes |
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Limitations of VRM Files to FBX Conversion Workflow
The following limitations should be taken into account when converting VRM files to FBX format:
| VRM Feature (not supported by FBX) | Limitation Details |
|---|---|
| Geometry Compression | Geometry Compression Support: VRM: Full support | FBX: Partial support   FBX Notes: FBX binary format uses zlib/deflate compression for geometry array data internally. It does not support dedicated geometry compression schemes like Draco. Impact: Geometry compression describes the process of compressing the representations of a 3D model's geometry, usually a triangle mesh. 3D geometry compression does not change the topology of a 3D model, but just changes the way that a 3D model and its 3D positions and related vertex data is stored. Geometry compression can be lossy (just like JPEG compression in image processing can be lossy, for example), in which case one might notice slight artifacts like variations in 3D vertex positions (compared to the uncompressed 3D model). However, such differences are often not noticeable. There are only very few standards for geometry compression, like glTF's support of Draco compression and similar extensions. |
| Texture Compression | Texture Compression Support: VRM: Full support | FBX: Partial support   FBX Notes: FBX does not enforce a specific image format or GPU-level texture compression. Embedded textures can use compressed formats like JPEG, but formats such as BCn/DXT are not natively supported. Impact: Texture compression refers to a process of compressing 2D texture images for memory-efficient rendering (and sometimes for efficient transmission). The decompression of compressed texture data is therefore performed on-the-fly during rendering, so that it never has to be stored in unpacked form, but can be kept as-is in GPU memory. Formats supporting texture compression methods, such as the ones offered by glTF through KTX2 containers, therefore allow 3D models to use a smaller memory footprint on the client device during rendering. This can speed up rendering time, and also make it possible to store and use larger amounts of texture data than it would otherwise be possible. |
| Standardized Format | Standardized Format Support: VRM: Full support | FBX: No support   VRM Notes: VRM relies on the glTF format for storage of mesh and texture data. FBX Notes: Compatibility of all properties strongly depend on particular compatibility of the tools that export / import the DCC file, as there is no clear standard for this format. Impact: Standardization plays a huge role in 3D model formats. With a format being standardized, every application will have a clear way of how to load or store data using this format. This makes it easier to re-use the 3D model across different applications, but also to make sure it will still be accessible and usable after a couple of years. |
What's the best way to get VRM files into my 3D applications, and are there alternatives to using FBX?
Doing 3D conversion right, especially at scale, can be tricky, as 3D data is in general a rather complex (yet very powerful!) medium. This also applies to VRM and FBX files - the conversion guide above provides a rough first idea about that. Once you know what you would like to do, tools like RapidPipeline can help you perform the necessary steps, and to even automate the process for thousands or even millions of files.
Especially when introducing pipelines and workflows at scale in an enterprise context, it is usually good to rely on dedicated tools and expertise, making sure you do not introduce any steps into your 3D workflow that are detrimental to the final output's quality, or that take your team too much time (and money).
If you're interested to hire dedicated expertise from the best in the field to help your company reach your goals fast and reliably, please do not hestitate to contact DGG. Being the creators of RapidPipeline, and ambassadors for open 3D standards for more than a decade, we have been building some of the world's most advanced 3D pipelines, having processed many millions of 3D assets.
Therefore, our expertise will help you to reach your goals faster, at scale, and with the least possible friction, since we are focused on maximum interoperability.
To get started with 3D data conversion and optimization today, sign up for a free account!
If you have any questions, feel free to chat with our human team.
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