Sketchfab Adds Augmented Reality Capabilities to Its App

Andrew Wheeler posted 2017-10-02

Startup company Sketchfab is a platform for sharing and viewing 3D models online. It has continually made improvements that indicated foresight into a nebulous realm of converging 3D technologies, and it rightly predicted that the best place for 3D models would be on the cloud. It uses a WebGL JavaScript API to display 3D models for any web browser.

Since 2012, the company has received $9.5 million of funding from 15 investors, including a Series A funding round in 2015 of $7 million from FirstMark, a New York–based, early-stage venture capital firm. They passed 1 million members in July 2017.

Users are treated to regular and significant updates, including: 

  1. Integration of Sketchfab 3D model embeds with Facebook, Twitter and WordPress
  2. Ability to upload models to Sketchfab natively from Adobe Photoshop and Blender
  3. Addition of multiple plug-ins to upload 3D models from AutoCAD and SOLIDWORKS onto Sketchfab
  4. WebVR JavaScript API to create a virtual reality experience that is compatible with HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Google Cardboard and Daydream
Sketchfab just announced that its augmented reality iOS 11 app, which was written from Apple’s ARKit API, has given Sketchfab the opportunity to enable users to view any 3D model in augmented reality.

In a recent blog post, CEO Alban Denoyal wrote:

“The AR feature is available on iOS for any Sketchfab model. Download our iOS app to get started, then open any model, and click on the AR icon in the top right corner. Aim at a horizontal flat surface until you see the Sketchfab floor appear, then simply tap on it to place the model. You can then zoom in and out by pinching, or tilt to rotate. And most importantly, you can walk freely around the model which will be locked in space. If you want to reposition the model, just re-tap the screen to bring the floor back, then re-tap on the floor to reposition the model.”

With iOS 11, users can now make screen recordings, so expect the level of AR content you see to go way up.

For engineers and designers, Sketchfab is a quick and reliable way to post any work you want to share with others in your network or the public, and with the augmented reality feature enabled, you now have a reliable visualization tool to present your work and share with others in augmented reality.