Import a rigged, animated GLB into Blender

Import a Bake3D character into Blender with its armature, textures and animation, then verify the result before editing or exporting it.

By Bake3D · Updated

Testing scope: Native Blender 4.4 imports were checked for textured characters, multi-material scenes and independent mechanical-part animation. Later Blender versions may present different controls.

GLB can carry a mesh, its materials and textures, a skeleton, skin weights and animation in one file. For a Bake3D workflow, it is the simplest way to bring a generated asset into Blender without rebuilding its rig.

Choose the right export

Export the rigged rest pose if you want to author motion in Blender. Export an animated GLB if you want the keyframes from a Bake3D motion. Choose in-place export for a stationary preview, or retain root travel if the character should move through the scene.

An OBJ or STL file does not carry the same rig and animation data. Use those formats for geometry-specific workflows rather than as substitutes for a rigged GLB.

You can practice the import with the homepage fox rigged GLB. This sample contains the mesh and rig in its rest pose; export an animation from your project when you need a playable clip.

Import the file

  1. Save your current Blender scene.
  2. Use File → Import → glTF 2.0 and choose the GLB.
  3. Inspect the Outliner for the imported mesh and armature.
  4. Frame the imported objects in the viewport, then use Material Preview or Rendered view to inspect textures.
  5. If the file contains animation, select the armature and inspect the available action in the animation editors.

If several actions or NLA tracks are present, make sure you are previewing the intended action. Scrub through the timeline and confirm that the mesh follows the armature. Import adds content to the scene, so check placement and scale before combining it with existing assets.

Check more than the first frame

Count the expected parts and materials. Inspect the back of the character and any small appendages. Then check a few frames around the largest movements. A file can import successfully while still containing an unsuitable rig or an awkward motion.

For a vehicle or mechanism, rotate one part and confirm that the main body stays stable. For a creature, look for unwanted movement in nearby limbs or collapse at the joints. The rig quality checklist gives a repeatable review sequence.

Use the Bake3D add-on

The Blender add-on can create a generation job, check its progress, describe motion and import a character through Bake3D MCP. Install the Python file through Blender’s add-on preferences, enable it, then open the Bake3D panel in the 3D Viewport sidebar.

Enter your Bake3D API key for the session or provide it through the supported environment variable. Keep the key out of shared scene files and prompts. The integration reference lists the setup and operator details.

When something is missing

If there is no action, confirm that you exported an animation rather than only the rest pose. If textures are absent, inspect the material nodes and image references. If deformation is poor, compare the same motion in Bake3D before making changes in Blender.

The glTF 2.0 specification describes what the format carries. A custom viewport shader is not automatically part of the exported file, so always check the destination result.