Do my 3D models get uploaded to any remote server?
No. ToolBuddy 3D Model Viewer operates entirely inside your web browser using WebGL and WebGPU technologies. Your 3D models, textures, and CAD files stay on your device with complete privacy and zero server latency.
Which 3D and CAD formats are supported?
The viewer supports 42 file formats across 3D scanning, CAD engineering, game development, and digital content creation, including GLB, glTF, OBJ, STL, FBX, USDZ, PLY, 3DS, DAE, 3MF, DXF, and VOX.
Can I inspect animations frame by frame?
Yes. When viewing animated 3D models (such as GLB, FBX, or glTF), you can play, pause, scrub the timeline, step backward and forward frame by frame, select between 24, 30, and 60 FPS cadences, and use keyboard shortcuts (, and .) for granular skeletal inspection.
How do the different render modes help with quality validation?
You can switch between five render modes: Shaded (PBR material view), Wireframe (inspect triangle density and poly count), Shaded Wireframe (verify edge flow and quad structure), Surface Normals (detect inverted or broken faces), and UV Checker (identify texture stretching or seam distortions).
Can I measure distances and dimensions on my 3D model?
Yes. The interactive raycast measurement tool lets you click any two surface vertices or faces to calculate exact point-to-point Euclidean distance, accompanied by delta X, delta Y, and delta Z measurements in 3D coordinate space.
How can I record showcase videos or capture high-resolution screenshots?
The integrated 3D Video Studio lets you capture smooth 360° horizontal turntable spins, vertical orbits, crane spirals, or dolly zooms in MP4 (H.264), WebM (60 FPS), or animated GIF. You can also capture instant 4K transparent or shaded PNG snapshots.
Can I change lighting, HDRI skyboxes, and backgrounds?
Yes. Choose from 10 authentic CC0 equirectangular 360° environments (Studio, Apartment, City, Dawn, Forest, Lobby, Night, Park, Sunset, Warehouse) or upload your own custom HDRI panorama. You can also adjust exposure, background blur, or switch to solid light/dark theme backgrounds.
Is there a file size limit for loading 3D models?
Because all geometry decoding and rendering runs directly in your browser's Web Worker using client-side memory, file size is limited only by your computer's RAM and GPU capabilities. Models with millions of polygons and 4K textures load smoothly on modern hardware.
Can I add 3D annotations and create interactive tours?
Yes. You can place 3D hotspot pins directly onto surface coordinates, add descriptive titles and notes, fly the camera to focus on specific components, and play an automated guided camera tour across all pins.
