Sell DAE Files Online —
Keep 100% of Every Sale
Proofly is a 3D model marketplace that charges 0% commission on every sale. Upload your Collada (.dae) files — exported from SketchUp, Maya, Blender, or X-Plane — set your price, and keep every dollar. Buyers pay a flat $1 platform fee. Every download is automatically watermarked so you can trace piracy.
How much do you keep per DAE sale?
On a $10 DAE file sale, here is what you actually receive on different platforms:
| Platform | Commission | You keep on $10 |
|---|---|---|
| Proofly | 0% | $10.00 |
| CGTrader | 30–35% | $6.50–$7.00 |
| TurboSquid | 40–60% | $4.00–$6.00 |
| Sketchfab Shop | 30% | $7.00 |
| Fab (Epic/Adobe) | 12% | $8.80 |
| Gumroad | 10% | $9.00 |
* Stripe processing fee (~2.9% + $0.30) applies on all platforms. Proofly charges no platform commission on top of this. Rates correct as of 2026; check each platform for current terms.
What is the DAE / Collada format?
Collada (COLLAborative Design Activity) is an open XML-based 3D interchange format developed by Sony and maintained by the Khronos Group — the same body behind OpenGL and Vulkan. The file extension is.dae. Key characteristics:
- →Open standard — no proprietary lock-in; readable in any text editor; widely supported across game engines, DCC tools, and AR frameworks.
- →Full scene data — stores geometry, UV maps, materials, textures, skeletal rigs, animations, cameras, and lights in one file or alongside a textures folder.
- →Cross-application — SketchUp's primary export for geometry handoff; Maya's go-to for game pipeline; X-Plane's native scenery format; Apple ARKit source for USDZ conversion.
- →Large but human-readable — XML text encoding means larger file sizes than binary formats (FBX, GLB). For large scenes, zip the DAE with textures to reduce transfer size.
Tools that export DAE files
SketchUp
SketchUp's File → Export → 3D Model dialog exports Collada with full scene geometry and materials. Architectural models, product visualisation, and concept models from SketchUp are commonly distributed as DAE.
Blender
File → Export → Collada (.dae) in Blender exports geometry, materials, armatures, and shape keys. Blender's Collada exporter is stable for static and rigged meshes.
Maya / 3ds Max
Autodesk tools export Collada via built-in exporters. Maya's OpenCollada plugin provides better Collada compliance than the default FBX→DAE roundtrip.
Cinema 4D
File → Export → Collada 1.4 or 1.5. Useful for game pipeline handoff and for motion design assets delivered to Unity or Godot.
X-Plane
X-Plane scenery objects (.obj) convert from DAE via Plane Maker and WED (WorldEditor). Many X-Plane developers sell airport scenery packages and aircraft assets in Collada source format.
Apple Reality Composer
DAE is a source format for Apple's USDZ pipeline. Reality Composer and Reality Converter accept Collada input and output USDZ for iOS AR Quick Look.
Why DAE creators sell on Proofly
0% commission — your price, your revenue
CGTrader takes 30–35%, TurboSquid 40–60% for non-exclusive listings. Proofly takes 0%. Buyers pay a flat $1 platform fee per order. Price your DAE model at $12 and receive $12 (minus Stripe processing).
HiddenMark watermarking — trace every downloaded file
Every download is invisibly watermarked with a buyer-specific HiddenMark code. If your DAE file appears on a piracy forum, upload it to proofly.store/hiddenmark to identify the source purchase instantly. One-click DMCA certificate included. This applies to every format in your ZIP bundle.
Format bundle support — sell DAE with companion files
Upload a ZIP containing DAE + OBJ + GLB + textures in one listing. Buyers who need Collada get it; buyers who need OBJ or GLB are also satisfied. A single listing serves the full audience. Proofly's 3D viewer renders the GLB companion automatically so buyers can inspect your model interactively before purchasing.
No exclusivity required
Sell the same DAE file on CGTrader, TurboSquid, Sketchfab Shop, and Proofly simultaneously. There is no exclusivity clause. Many creators use Proofly alongside existing storefronts, adding a zero-commission channel that increases total revenue per model.
Tips for selling DAE files
Include a GLB or STL in your ZIP. Proofly's 3D viewer displays GLB and STL files directly — buyers who see your model rotating in the browser are significantly more likely to purchase. A GLB companion takes seconds to export from Blender and doubles the visual impact of your listing.
Describe your export settings. DAE files can differ significantly in coordinate systems (Y-up vs Z-up), units (metres vs centimetres), and animation encoding between exporters. State in your listing description: exporting tool, coordinate system, units, whether textures are embedded or separate, and any known compatibility notes for Unity, Godot, or SketchUp import.
Bundle textures inside the ZIP. Standalone DAE files that reference external texture paths become unusable for buyers who unzip into a different folder structure. Either embed textures in the DAE (Blender's 'Embed Textures' option) or include a textures/ subfolder and note the relative path convention in a readme.txt.
Test your DAE in multiple importers. A DAE that opens cleanly in Blender may import incorrectly in Unity due to axis differences or material name conflicts. Test in the importer your target buyers are likely to use and document any known workarounds in the listing description.
Sell DAE files FAQ
What is a DAE file and who uses it?
DAE stands for Digital Asset Exchange, the file extension for the Collada (COLLAborative Design Activity) open 3D interchange format developed by Sony and now managed by Khronos Group. DAE files store geometry, materials, animations, rigging, and scene hierarchy. Major applications that export DAE include SketchUp, Maya, Blender, Cinema 4D, 3ds Max, and X-Plane. Collada is commonly used for real-time applications (games, AR/VR), architectural visualisation exports from SketchUp, and X-Plane airport and aircraft add-ons.
What percentage do I keep when I sell DAE files on Proofly?
You keep 100% of your listed price. Proofly charges 0% platform commission. Buyers pay a flat $1 USD platform fee on top of your listed price, which covers payment processing and platform costs. For example, if you list a DAE file at $8.00, you receive $8.00 minus Stripe's standard processing fee (~2.9% + $0.30). Compare this to CGTrader, which takes 30–35% of every sale, or TurboSquid which takes 40–60% for non-exclusive files.
Can I upload DAE files directly to Proofly?
Yes. Proofly accepts DAE files as part of a listing. For best buyer experience, bundle your DAE file with companion formats in a ZIP archive — for example: model.dae + model.obj + textures/ + readme.txt. The 3D viewer on Proofly renders GLB and STL files directly in the browser, so including a GLB alongside your DAE lets buyers inspect the model before purchasing. If your DAE file is the only deliverable, describe the export settings (units, coordinate system, animation included) clearly in the listing description.
Who buys DAE files online?
DAE files attract several distinct buyer segments: game developers using Unity, Godot, or CryEngine (which import Collada directly); architectural visualisation studios who receive SketchUp-origin models as Collada exports; X-Plane add-on developers buying airport scenery, aircraft liveries, and custom objects; AR/VR developers working with Apple's Reality Composer (which accepts DAE/USDZ) or Android ARCore pipelines; and educators and students who use Collada for cross-application 3D curriculum. Pricing typically runs $3–$30 for individual objects, $15–$100+ for scene packages with multiple elements.
Should I sell DAE files as standalone or in a format bundle?
A format bundle (ZIP containing DAE + OBJ + FBX or GLB) consistently outsells standalone DAE listings because buyers prefer flexibility. Most 3D buyers work across multiple applications: they might import the DAE in one tool and the OBJ in another. Including multiple formats doubles the addressable audience for a single listing at no extra upload cost. Label your ZIP clearly: 'Includes: model.dae (Collada), model.obj (OBJ+MTL), model.glb (web/game), textures/ (PNG 2K)'. The DAE buyer gets what they need; the OBJ buyer does too.
How are my DAE files protected from piracy?
Every download on Proofly is automatically stamped with HiddenMark — an invisible watermark unique to each buyer's purchase, embedded in the file data. If your DAE or any companion file from your ZIP appears on a piracy site, forum, or social media group, you can upload it to proofly.store/hiddenmark to identify which specific purchase it originated from. You then have grounds for a DMCA takedown with a verifiable authorship certificate generated by Proofly. This applies equally to free and paid listings.
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