COB File Format (.cob)
A COB file holds a single object exported from Caligari trueSpace, its mesh, materials and scene-graph data stored as a sequence of tagged chunks such as PolH for geometry and Mat1 for materials, in either an ASCII or a binary encoding.
COB at a glance#
| Full name | TrueSpace object |
|---|---|
| File extension | .cob |
| Category | 3D Models |
| Developer | Caligari Corporation |
| Compression | Uncompressed |
| FileFlip support | FileFlip reads this format but does not write it |
What a .cob file can hold#
These are the things a COB file either supports or does not, and they are what decides whether a conversion keeps everything or quietly drops something.
| Embedded metadata | Yes |
|---|---|
| Textures and materials | Yes |
Strengths and limitations of COB#
What COB does well
- Tagged chunks like PolH, Mat1 and Bone make the structure identifiable even without the original documentation
- Supports both an ASCII and a binary encoding of the same chunk layout
- Carries a scene graph, materials and bones together rather than geometry alone
Where COB falls short
- Caligari trueSpace was discontinued in 2009, so the format has had no updates since
- Caligari never published a full specification; support in other tools comes from reverse-engineered importers
- Matters mainly for opening old trueSpace content, since nothing currently produces new COB files
There's little reason to author new COB files; it matters for opening objects saved by a copy of trueSpace.
Convert COB to OBJ or FBX to bring a trueSpace-era object into a modeller that's still maintained.
How to open a .cob file#
A .cob file opens in the programs below, grouped by the platform you are on. If you would rather not install anything, FileFlip converts COB into a format your machine already opens, and it does it in the browser tab rather than on a server.
| Platform | Programs that open it |
|---|---|
| Windows | Caligari trueSpace (discontinued) |
| Web | FileFlip |
COB questions people ask#
What is a COB file?
A COB file is a Caligari trueSpace object: a mesh with its materials and scene-graph data stored as tagged chunks. It's distinct from Truevision's COB video codec and from unrelated database or COBOL files that share the same extension.
Can I still open a COB file in trueSpace?
Only if you have a working copy. Caligari trueSpace was discontinued in 2009 after Microsoft's brief ownership of the company, and it hasn't been sold or supported since, so opening a COB file today usually means a converter or a library like Assimp rather than the original application.
What's the difference between COB and SCN files from trueSpace?
COB holds a single object; SCN is the same chunk format holding an assembled scene of multiple objects, lights and cameras. They're read by the same parser and differ only in what they contain.
Converting COB files#
Convert COB to another format
FileFlip does not write .cob files, so nothing on the site converts into this format. It works as a source only.
Every conversion runs inside your browser. The file is read from your disk, the work happens on your own machine, and nothing is uploaded. How FileFlip works names the engine behind each family and how to verify that for yourself.