How to export a 3D model from a vector drawing

Exporting a 3D model from flat artwork works in two stages in Vectornation by Zaweba. First give the artwork depth with one of the 3D effects, such as Extrude & bevel or Revolve. Then choose File > Export > 3D model, which writes OBJ, glTF or USDA files that 3D programs, game engines and many web viewers can open.

That bridges a gap many designers hit. A logo or icon exists as a vector drawing, and someone wants it in 3D for a video, a product render or an interactive page. Rebuilding it in a modelling program means tracing your own artwork again. Exporting it from where it was drawn keeps the shapes exactly as you made them.

Giving the artwork depth

Select the artwork and open Effect > 3D. Extrude & bevel pushes a flat shape back into a solid, like letters cut from thick card. Bevel profiles shape the front edges, and twist and taper bend or narrow the solid along its depth. Revolve spins a profile around an axis, which is how you make bottles, vases, chess pieces and other turned objects from a half outline; it has end caps and smooth shading. Inflate puffs flat artwork up into a soft, rounded form, and Rotate tilts flat artwork in 3D space.

These are live effects, so the 3D follows your artwork. Change a letter in the logo and the extruded version changes too.

Lighting presets or two lights of your own, a matte, plastic or metal finish, and cast shadows control how it looks in Vectornation. Symbol artwork can be mapped onto faces, which is how a label goes onto a revolved bottle.

Exporting the model

When the shape is right, choose File > Export > 3D model and pick a format.

OBJ is the old, widely supported choice. Almost every 3D program opens it, which makes it a safe default when you don't know what the receiving software is.

glTF is designed for the web and real time use. It is what many web 3D viewers, game engines and augmented reality tools prefer.

USDA is the text form of USD, the scene format used across film and animation pipelines and by some augmented reality tools.

If you are sending the model to someone, ask which they want. If not, OBJ for general use and glTF for the web is a sensible split.

What to expect in the 3D program

The model holds the geometry, the actual 3D shape. How lighting and finish appear will depend on the program that opens it, since every 3D package has its own lights and materials. Expect to set up the scene again on the other side, and treat the export as the shape rather than the final picture.

Check the size and orientation when you open the file. Different 3D programs use different units and different ideas of which way is up, so a model can arrive very small, very large or lying on its side. That is normal and quick to fix.

Preparing artwork for a clean model

Simple, closed shapes give the cleanest models. Before applying 3D, merge overlapping pieces with Pathfinder or the Shape builder, and convert text to outlines so the letter shapes are fixed. Remove stray points with the path clean up commands under Object > Path. Fewer, smoother points make a lighter model with fewer odd facets.

Strokes deserve a look. A stroke is a line with a width, and 3D tools work with filled shapes. Convert important strokes to filled outlines first.

When you only need a picture

If the 3D is just for an image, you may not need a model at all. Vectornation can render the 3D effect as an image with self shadows, and the artwork can be exported as PNG, TIFF or other picture formats straight from the page.

Getting a logo into 3D used to mean redrawing it. In Vectornation by Zaweba it is an effect and an export, and the shapes stay faithful to your original drawing.