Do the glTF samples need a separate .bin file?

No. The vertex and index data are embedded in the JSON as a base64 data URI, so each sample is a single self-contained file.

What does the sample model look like?

A gently rolling surface, like a patch of terrain, built from indexed triangles. It carries vertex positions only: no normals, materials, textures or animation.

What is the MIME type of a glTF file?

The MIME type is model/gltf+json. The file extension is .gltf.

Is a sample glTF file the same as a dummy or example glTF file?

Yes. Sample, test, dummy and example glTF files are different names for the same thing: a glTF file with known contents that stands in for a real one. Any file on this page will do wherever a tutorial or a test plan asks for a dummy glTF file.

Free glTF sample files

The Khronos standard for delivering 3D models to web and mobile applications, sometimes called the JPEG of 3D. Download valid glTF test files in 4 exact sizes, from 1 KB to 1 MB, each with a checksum.

Extension: .gltf
MIME type: model/gltf+json
Kind: Text
Category: 3D Models

glTF files by size

Every file below is a valid GL Transmission Format file of exactly the stated size. Open a file's page for its checksum and contents, and to preview it in your browser before downloading.

glTF sample files by size
File	Size	Contents	Download
1 KB glTF samplesample-gltf-1kb.gltf	1 KB1,024 bytes	Vertices: 9	Download glTF
10 KB glTF samplesample-gltf-10kb.gltf	10 KB10,240 bytes	Vertices: 289	Download glTF
100 KB glTF samplesample-gltf-100kb.gltf	100 KB102,400 bytes	Vertices: 3,136	Download glTF
1 MB glTF samplesample-gltf-1mb.gltf	1 MB1,048,576 bytes	Vertices: 32,761	Download glTF

What is a glTF file?

glTF is designed for loading 3D content quickly. A JSON document describes the scene, with its nodes, meshes, materials and animations, and points at binary buffers that hold vertex data in the layout a graphics card expects, so little processing is needed between download and display.

The data can be packaged in three ways: as a .gltf file beside separate .bin and image files, as a .gltf file with everything embedded as base64 data URIs, or as a single binary .glb file. Version 2.0 is also published as ISO/IEC 12113.

How to recognise a glTF file

glTF files have no file signature, the magic bytes that most binary formats begin with.

No signature bytes. glTF files are identified by parsing their content.

Extension	.gltf
MIME type	model/gltf+json
Standard	Khronos glTF 2.0; ISO/IEC 12113:2022
Structure	Scenes, nodes, meshes, accessors, buffer views and buffers
Conventions	Right-handed, +Y up, distances in metres
Binary form	.glb, with the media type model/gltf-binary

What to test for

These are the behaviours that most often go wrong when software handles glTF files.

A .gltf file often refers to separate .bin and texture files. Uploading the JSON alone gives a model with no geometry. The samples here embed their data, so one file is enough.
glTF is Y-up and in metres, while STL and many CAD exports are Z-up and in millimetres. A converter that skips the adjustment yields a model lying on its side and a thousand times too large.
A file can declare extensions it requires, such as Draco mesh compression. A loader without that extension has to refuse the file.

Strengths of glTF

Loads quickly: buffers are already in the layout a graphics card uses.
Carries materials, textures, animation and scene structure in an open standard.

Limitations of glTF

A model may be spread over several files that must travel together.
Not intended for editing; authoring tools keep their own formats.

Typical uses of glTF test files

Testing 3D upload and web preview
Checking loaders with embedded and external buffers
Verifying axis and unit conversion from other formats
Load-testing rendering with large meshes

Software that opens glTF

three.js, Babylon.js and the <model-viewer> element
Blender, with import and export built in
Unity, Unreal Engine and Godot
Windows 3D Viewer
The Khronos glTF Validator

Specifications

glTF 2.0 specification (Khronos Group)

glTF sample files: questions

Do the glTF samples need a separate .bin file?: No. The vertex and index data are embedded in the JSON as a base64 data URI, so each sample is a single self-contained file.
What does the sample model look like?: A gently rolling surface, like a patch of terrain, built from indexed triangles. It carries vertex positions only: no normals, materials, textures or animation.
What is the MIME type of a glTF file?: The MIME type is model/gltf+json. The file extension is .gltf.
Is a sample glTF file the same as a dummy or example glTF file?: Yes. Sample, test, dummy and example glTF files are different names for the same thing: a glTF file with known contents that stands in for a real one. Any file on this page will do wherever a tutorial or a test plan asks for a dummy glTF file.