Migrate from KeyShot
Understand what carries over from KeyShot scenes and rebuild the rest as reusable Glossi setups.
This guide explains how to move your product visualization work from KeyShot to Glossi: what transfers automatically, what you rebuild (once, as reusable setups), and the fastest path for each.
Why KeyShot files can't be uploaded directly
KeyShot saves scenes in two proprietary formats:
- .bip - the native scene file. It stores geometry, materials, cameras, and environment settings in a closed format only KeyShot can read.
- .ksp - a KeyShot package. A .bip bundled with its textures for sharing between KeyShot users. Equally closed.
No third-party converter reads these formats, so Glossi can't either. Glossi accepts GLB and 50+ other supported file types, and KeyShot exports GLB natively - that's the bridge.
There's a second reason the export step matters: KeyShot materials are procedural. They're recipes evaluated by KeyShot's renderer, not texture images, so they can't be copied to another engine as-is. When KeyShot exports GLB it bakes those recipes into standard PBR texture maps (base color, roughness, metalness, normal), which any modern engine, including Glossi's Unreal-based Studio, understands.
What transfers, and what you rebuild
| In KeyShot | Transfers in the GLB? | In Glossi |
|---|---|---|
| Geometry and UVs | Yes | Uploads as-is |
| Materials | Yes, baked to PBR textures | Fine-tune in material calibration |
| Labels and textures | Yes, baked into the maps | Part of the material |
| Environment (HDRI) | No | Pick a backdrop or HDRI in the Studio |
| Physical lights | No | Build a light rig (save it as a workspace preset) |
| Cameras | No | Save camera bookmarks per project |
| Studios / Model Sets | No | Model variants and material swaps |
| Animations | No | Photo and video modes in the Studio |
| Render settings | No | Choose per render or bake into a template |
The right column is a one-time cost per look, not per model: lighting, backdrop, and camera setups are saved as templates you apply to every future upload.
Moving a model
With the KeyShot plugin (recommended). Install the Glossi plugin for KeyShot, open the scene, and run the script from the Scripting Console. It exports the GLB with baked materials and uploads it to your workspace in one step.
Manually. Follow the Import from KeyShot guide to optimize the scene and export via File > Export > glb/gltf, then upload the .glb in the web app under Library > Models. Use this path if you want full control over KeyShot's export options.
Either way, optimize first for dense scenes: KeyShot models often carry heavy NURBS tessellation and duplicate materials that inflate the file. The import guide covers retessellation and material linking.
Rebuilding your scene setup
After the model uploads:
- Check materials - open the model in the Studio and review the baked materials in calibration. Metals and simple plastics usually arrive spot-on; adjust roughness or color where the bake drifted.
- Set the environment - choose a backdrop and HDRI. This replaces your KeyShot environment.
- Light it - build a light rig, then save it as a workspace preset so the next model starts lit.
- Frame it - save camera bookmarks for the angles you rendered in KeyShot.
- Save it all as a template - the whole setup becomes a template you apply to every future model, in the Studio, in quick renders, or in automations.
Migrating a whole library
KeyShot work lives one scene per .bip, so migration is per-scene: open, export or run the plugin, repeat. To keep the per-model cost near zero after the first few:
- Build one template per look, then batch-render new uploads against it with Quick Render or an automation.
- Recreate KeyShot Model Sets and multi-materials as model variants and material swaps.