| Full Name | Portable Network Graphics |
| Extension | PNG |
| Type | Image |
| Mime Type | image/png |
| Format | Binary |
A PNG file is a two-dimensional image file format often used to store high-quality logos, icons, and other imagery. PNG files first emerged in the early 1990s as an alternative to the GIF format, which was in widespread use at the time. PNG files have garnered support over the years to at least equal or surpass that of the GIF format. You will find all modern image editing or viewing applications will support PNG files.
Part of the success of the PNG format is its use of special compression techniques that allow a high-resolution image to be compressed into a very small file size. The compression used in the PNG format is lossless compression, ensuring no image detail is lost when an image is saved to the PNG format.
Uses
The PNG format is ideally suited for storing images that require no loss of detail or have transparent areas, such as company logos and computer graphics icons. It is not suited for storing general photos as, due to the nature of the compression, it will result in very large file sizes. Other formats, such as JPEG, use a lossy compression method, and this format is better suited to full-color photographic images.
| Full Name | Graphics Language Transmission Format |
| Extension | GLB |
| Type | 3D Model |
| Mime Type | model/gltf-binary |
| Format | Binary |
The Khronos Group developed GLB files as a format for storing complex 3D models. The format was first introduced in 2015 and aimed to create a format that could be easily adopted by third-party developers. Subsequent versions have followed this initial release, adding more complex features.
Support for GLB files is growing and has found support in many modern 3D model editors, such as Blender, which currently supports importing from and exporting to the GLB format.
Mesh Geometry
At the heart of the GLB format is its ability to store 3D geometric mesh data, which comprises vertices, faces, normals (both face and vertex normals), and texture coordinates. The data is saved in a compact binary format, ensuring GLB files are compact and easy to distribute.
