View a Digital Asset Exchange (.dae) file in Preview on Mac
A Digital Asset Exchange (.dae) file displays a three-dimensional view of an object or scene. When you view a scene, it’s as if you’re standing in the scene and can look around up to 360 degrees. When you view an object, you can rotate it in any direction.
Some .dae files use animations that display the document’s contents as if you were walking through the scene or rotating the object. And some contain views that show you the document’s contents from different vantage points.
Note: A .dae file comes in a folder with several other files that are needed to display the scene or object. Don’t move the files out of the folder, or you may not be able to use the .dae file.
View a .dae file
In the Preview app
on your Mac, choose File > Open.Navigate to the folder that contains the .dae file.
If you see a file that ends in .dae, open it.
If you see a folder named “models”, open the folder, then open the file that ends in .dae.
The folder may contain more than one .dae file that shows the same scene or object from different vantage points.
Do any of the following:
To move around a scene or rotate an object, drag through the scene.
If the .dae file contains more than one view, they appear in the sidebar. To display a view, click it in the sidebar.
If the .dae file contains an animation, onscreen controls appear in the window. Click the Play button to view the animation.
Export a .dae file
In the Preview app
on your Mac, choose File > Open, open the .dae file you want to export.If you see a folder named “models”, open the folder, then open the file that ends in .dae.
The folder may contain more than one .dae file that shows the same scene or object from different vantage points.
To save a .dae file as a two-dimensional graphics file, choose File > Export.
If you’re viewing an animation, you can also save it as a QuickTime movie.
You can also select and copy part of a .dae file and paste it into another document, such as an email message, as a two-dimensional graphic.