Supported Formats and Requirements

ZapWorks Studio supports 3D models in the following formats:

  • GLTF/GLB
  • FBX
  • OBJ
  • POD

Regardless of format, models created for ZapWorks Studio must adhere to the limitations outlined below.


Mesh Geometry

  • NURBS surfaces are not supported. All geometry must be constructed with polygonal surfaces.

  • As a recommended limit, the combined poly count for all 3D models in a single ZapWorks Studio experience should not exceed 100K.

  • For rigged characters a 20K polygon limit is recommended.

While the poly counts are not hard limits, we recommend following them closely to ensure compatibility with both ZapWorks Studio and the devices you'll be targeting.


Textures and UV Maps

  • Only one material per mesh is supported.

  • Blinn-Phong and Lambert materials are supported, and must be linked to the model's UV. Materials created with Arnold, MentalRay, StingRay and VRay materials are not supported, nor are custom shaders.

  • Supported texture maps can be found in our 'Lighting Materials' documentation.

  • A model's texture maps should use a single UV channel.

  • Texture maps need to be a power of 2 in both dimensions (e.g. 512 x 512) however they do not need to be square (e.g. 256 x 512).

  • Texture maps with a resolution exceeding 2048 pixels in either axis are not supported.

When using textures with alpha, the objects closest to the camera in 3D space should also be above other objects in the Hierarchy. This ensures Zappar will draw these first and avoid any unwanted alpha overlay artifacts.


Rigs and Animations

The .obj file format does not support animations.

  • Muscle rigs are not supported. Animations should be linked to a bone rig, with a maximum of 256 bones per mesh.

  • Bone weights should be normalized before export.

  • Each vertex in the rig should have no more than 3 influences.

  • Blend Shapes animations are not supported.

  • UV animations, vertex animations and visibility / color animations are not supported.

  • Animations should be exported at 30FPS. Exporting at a different frame-rate may cause keyframe stretching on the timeline.

  • If exporting to a POD file, the first frame of an animation should contain the model in its bind pose, to ensure rig calculations are performed correctly.

  • Animations with multiple layers can be exported to an FBX file, but are not supported by the POD format.

The PVRGeoPOD exporter, used to export POD files, can be downloaded from the Imagination website.

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