Plan your Illustrator AI to GLB project
Build a GLB directly from the vector content of a PDF-compatible AI file. Choose an artboard, edit the depth of its regions, and export a self-contained model that can travel into a web or 3D scene.
A practical starting project is a stepped brand mark displayed in a browser-based 3D viewer. First establish the intended overall size, then decide which regions need their own height. Inspect a first export in the receiving application before adding more detail. This catches unit interpretation and disconnected geometry early, when correcting the source is easier.
Prepare an Illustrator artboard for extrusion
TinyJig reads the PDF-compatible vector content inside an Adobe Illustrator file. Save the artwork with Create PDF Compatible File enabled; a native AI file without that content must be resaved before import. Keep your working Illustrator document, then prepare a conversion copy with text outlined and appearances expanded as necessary. This workflow transfers visible vector geometry, not Illustrator’s live effects, layer editing model, or font dependencies.
If the document contains multiple artboards, choose the one that contains the intended part. Check that hidden helper shapes, masks, and background artwork have not become unwanted regions. Artboard dimensions and artwork bounds are different measurements: a small emblem in the middle of a large artboard should be checked against its own physical size. Inspect fine counters in letters, overlapping paths, and holes after import. If the result differs from Illustrator’s appearance, simplify the source paths and try again before committing to a fabrication or print workflow.
Use GLB for portable browser and scene assets
GLB is the binary form of glTF and packages the exported model with its simple materials. TinyJig converts its millimeter geometry into meter units and uses Y-up orientation for this output. A raw coordinate value can therefore differ from the millimeter value shown in the editor while describing the same physical length. Compare the receiving viewer’s unit conventions before treating a different numeric value as a scaling error.
Turn Combine solids off if you want separately named region meshes with the preview palette. Combining touching regions produces united geometry with one material. The GLB does not contain textures or animation, and it is not a replacement for a manufacturing drawing. Use it for a web viewer, interactive assembly illustration, or a larger glTF-compatible scene. Balance curve detail against file size when the asset will be downloaded on mobile devices, and check how its simple materials appear under the destination viewer’s lighting.
Set the physical size before adding depth
A vector can look the same on screen at many different sizes. Before extruding it, choose a display unit and check the overall width against a known measurement from your source drawing. TinyJig keeps width and height proportional, so changing one dimension scales the outline rather than stretching it. The measurements describe the imported artwork, which can occupy less space than its original artboard. Use the top view to inspect the outline and its width and height dimension lines without perspective distortion.
Dimension fields accept ordinary numbers, fractions, and arithmetic with units. For example, 1 3/4 in and 1 + 3/4in both describe one and three-quarter inches; 3mm + 1 in combines metric and imperial lengths. A number without a unit uses the field’s selected display unit. Check the evaluated value before continuing. Switching the display unit changes how the measurement is shown, rather than intentionally resizing the part. Physical scale should also be checked after importing the downloaded model into another application.
Build height with regions and a backing plate
The default extrusion gives every region a starting height. Open a region’s controls to override that value for raised lettering, recessed-looking backgrounds, or stepped details. Select several regions together when they need the same height. A height override remains independent of later default-height changes until you choose the option to use the default again. This makes a two-level badge easier to adjust: change the background once, then change its raised details as a group.
Separate letters and islands remain separate pieces unless geometry connects them. A backing plate can join those islands into a single object. With a plate enabled, region extrusion heights are measured above the plate, so its thickness contributes to the total model height. Combining solids unites overlapping geometry; it cannot bridge an empty gap by itself. Hide a region to exclude it temporarily, or delete an unwanted region from the document. Undo lets you recover an accidental edit while the workspace remains open.
Inspect holes, curves, and orientation
A hole must be represented by the source geometry, usually an inner contour or a compound path. Painting a white shape over another shape is a visual design technique, not a reliable way to define a through-hole. Inspect the imported regions before giving them depth, then orbit the solid to check both faces. If a letter’s counter or a mounting hole is filled, correct the contour relationship in the source drawing and import it again.
Curve detail controls how curved outlines are approximated. More detail can produce a smoother silhouette, but also increases geometry size and conversion work. Start with a moderate setting and inspect small circles and tight corners at their intended physical size. Rotation around Z turns the artwork in its flat XY plane; extrusion extends in the perpendicular direction. Camera dragging changes your view of the model, rather than the physical orientation of its exported geometry.
Review the downloaded model in its destination
Export is one step in a larger design workflow. Open the result in your slicer, CAD application, or 3D viewer and compare its bounding dimensions with TinyJig’s measurements. Check that holes remain open, separate pieces are intentional, and the total height includes any backing plate. A successful download confirms that a file was generated; it does not establish print strength, machining tolerances, or approval by a fabrication service. Those choices depend on your material, process, and destination application.