How to export Collada (.dae) from Blender for Second Life

Second Life takes mesh as Collada (.dae). Older Blender versions export it out of the box; Blender 5 removed the built-in Collada exporter, so there you need an addon that writes the file.

What you need

• Blender
• A finished garment, rigged if it is clothing
• On Blender 5 or newer: an addon that exports Collada for Second Life

Steps

1. Apply transforms. Select the garment and apply rotation and scale (Ctrl+A). Unapplied scale is the most common cause of meshes arriving tiny, huge or twisted.
2. Select what goes out. Select the garment and, for rigged clothing, its armature. Export only the selection.
3. Blender 4.x and older. File > Export > Collada (.dae). Choose the preset for Second Life rigged or static mesh, with Selection Only and, for rigged mesh, Include Armatures.
4. Blender 5 and newer. Use an export addon. GALA, our Blender addon, includes a Second Life Collada export; Avastar is another well-known option. Or keep a Blender 4 LTS installation for the export step.
5. Name the file clearly. One file per level of detail (dress_high.dae, dress_mid.dae...) saves confusion in the uploader.
6. Test on the beta grid. Upload on the Second Life beta grid before paying on the main grid.

Tips

• Triangulate before export if you want the same triangles in the world as on your screen.
• Remove unused vertex groups and materials first.
• Bone names must match the Second Life skeleton exactly, including capitals.

Next

• How to upload mesh clothing to Second Life
• How to make LODs for Second Life mesh

Words you do not know? See the glossary. All guides: how-to guides.

This page is a written overview. In the SL Designers video courses you watch clothing being made from start to finish, and our Blender addons take over much of the technical work.