Short answer: Compare glTF, GLB and 3D Tiles for BIM conversion, including hierarchy, property queries, streaming, coordinates and suitable project scale.
glTF and GLB package real-time assets
glTF describes geometry, materials, textures, nodes and animation, while GLB packages related resources in one binary file. They fit equipment, products and controlled building scenes.
3D Tiles streams spatial hierarchies
3D Tiles organizes large content by space and geometric error, requesting suitable nodes for the current view. It fits campuses, cities, reality meshes and very large BIM scenes.
Properties require intentional mapping
BIM attributes should be selected before conversion. Stable object IDs and required fields must survive for search, filtering, styling and operational data links.
Coordinate workflows differ
A GLB commonly uses local coordinates. 3D Tiles often uses geospatial positioning or scene transforms. BIM base points and the target coordinate system must be resolved before publishing.
Choose by scale and access pattern
Use GLB for controlled assets and consider 3D Tiles when content must stream by space. A large system can also use GLB content inside a 3D Tiles hierarchy.