# Online 3D Viewer Manual

This is the user manual for the 3dviewer.net website. The website can open several 3D file formats and visualize the model in your browser. Supported file formats: obj, 3ds, stl, ply, gltf, glb, 3dm, fbx, and off.

1. Supported file formats
2. Loading models

1. Loading models from your computer
2. Loading models hosted on a web server
3. Loading models models hosted on GitHub
4. Loading models models hosted on DropBox
5. Missing files

3. Sharing and embedding models
4. Model and visualization settings
5. Exporting models
6. Self-hosted viewer
7. Cookies policy

## Supported file formats

The website supports several file formats for import and export. If a file format has text and binary version, usually it's recommended to use the binary version.

Format | Import | Export | Comment
--- | --- | --- | ---
obj | text | ✓ | ✓ | with mtl and texture support
3ds | binary | ✓ | ✗ | with texture support
stl | text | ✓ | ✓ | binary version is preferred
binary | ✓ | ✓ | -
ply | text | ✓ | ✓ | binary version is preferred
binary | ✓ | ✓ | with vertex and face color support
gltf | text (.gltf) | ✓ | ✓ | version 2.0
binary (.glb) | ✓ | ✓ | version 2.0
3dm | binary | ✓ | ✓ | experimental
fbx | text | ✓ | ✗ | experimental with three.js loader
binary | ✓ | ✗ | experimental with three.js loader
off | text | ✓ | ✓ | -
binary | ✗ | ✗ | -

## Loading models

There are several ways to load models. You can use files from your computer or load files hosted on an external web server.

Please note, that some 3D models are built up from multiple files (for example an obj file usually comes with an mtl file, and some texture files). For the correct visualization you have to import all of the required files. See the Missing files section for more details.

### Loading models from your computer

You can load models from your computer. In this case the model won't be uploaded to any web server, the whole visualization happens in your browser.

There are two ways to load models from your computer:

1. Use the open button on the toolbar. Here you can select all the relevant files.
2. Drag and drop all the relevant files into the browser window.

### Loading models hosted on a web server

You can load models by url with the open url button on the toolbar. Here you can list all of the model files. You should place every file in a separate line.

To make this work, CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) must be enabled on the server.

### Loading models hosted on GitHub

To load a model hosted on GitHub follow the steps below:

1. Commit models to GitHub with all the required files.
2. Go to 3dviewer.net, and click on the open url button in the toolbar.
3. Open the files on GitHub, copy the link of the file from the address bar, and paste it in the dialog. See the example below.
   https://github.com/kovacsv/Online3DViewer/blob/master/test/testfiles/3ds/cube_four_instances.3ds
   https://github.com/kovacsv/Online3DViewer/blob/master/test/testfiles/3ds/texture.png
4. Click on OK.

### Loading models hosted on DropBox

To load a model hosted on DropBox follow the steps below:

1. Upload models to DropBox with all the required files.
2. Go to 3dviewer.net, and click on the open url button in the toolbar.
3. Get the sharing link from DropBox for all of the files, and paste it in the dialog. See the example below.
   https://www.dropbox.com/s/wd6lt7h4xa8fuv0/cube_four_instances.3ds?dl=0
   https://www.dropbox.com/s/6dfk1jveevbofxm/texture.png?dl=0
4. Click on OK.

### Missing files

Sometimes you see missing files in the tree. It means that your model refers to another files, but they are not selected to import. To solve the issue you have to import the model again together with the referenced files, or just import the missing files on their own.

## Sharing and embedding models

If your models are hosted on a web server, you can share the link with others, or you can generate embedding code to integrate the viewer in your website. To get the sharing link or the embedding code, click on the share model button in the toolbar.

## Model and visualization settings

You can access model and visualization settings by clicking on the settings icon on the toolbar.

- Background Color: This will change the background color of the canvas. It has no effect on model export, but the background color will be visible when you export a png image.
- Default Color: This color is used when there is no material information in the model (for example in case of stl files). Changing this value regenerates the model in the background, so the model will be exported with the chosen color.

## Exporting models

You can export your model in several file formats. To achieve this, click on the export button in the toolbar. After that select the format you would like to export to, and download the resulting files one by one.

## Self-hosted viewer

You can use the code without involving the official website. In this case you should self-host the viewer code and the models as well. See the developer documentation for details.

## Cookies policy

You can check the policy at the Cookies Policy page.