Annotations are small, clickable notes you can stick on your model. They are useful for adding information to a specific section. Each annotation has a position, a camera position, a title (required), and a description (optional). Annotations are ordered in a numerical list.
You can access annotation tools under your model's 3D Settings:
- From your model page, click Edit 3D Settings or add "/edit" to the end of any model URL.
- Select the Annotations panel in the top left.
Creating annotations
To create an annotation:
- Navigate to the Annotations tab in 3D Settings and double-click somewhere on your model.
- A circled number will appear below the cursor with a text bubble next to it and the annotation appears in the list on the left-hand side of the screen.
- Enter a title (required) and a description (optional).
- You can add links, images, and other formatting, if you'd like, using Markdown.
- Click anywhere outside the annotation to close it.
Repeat these steps for each annotation and click Save Settings in the top-right corner to save them.
Limitations:
- Annotations are not compatible with Camera Limits (except via the Viewer API).
- Annotations can only live on the surface of the model - they cannot float in space. As a result, point clouds cannot be annotated.
Also, the number of annotations you can add depends on your membership:
- Users with a free Basic account can create up to 5 annotations per model.
- Users with a Plus account can create up to 10 annotations per model.
- Users with a Pro account can create up to 20 annotations per model.
- Users with a Premium account can create up to 50 annotations per model.
- Users with a Business account can create up to 75 annotations per model.
- Users with a Enterprise account can create up to 100 annotations per model.
When you create annotations, each one has a unique camera position AND target. You can use this to ensure navigation at each annotation is focused on the right spot.
Updating the camera position
The camera position is saved when an annotation is created. To update the camera of an annotation:
- Set a new camera position.
- Click on the camera icon for the annotation in the list on the left hand side.
- The thumbnail updates to show the new camera position.
Camera movement
Adjusting multiple annotation positions allows you to manage the camera path between them. Notice how the camera pivots around each individual object and the movement between saved views feels more natural:
You can set the current camera target by double-clicking on the model, and reset it by double-clicking the background. The camera target is preserved when setting an annotation's camera position.
However, because double-clicking also creates an annotation, you need to switch between the Annotation tab and the Scene tab to use the target feature effectively:
Editing annotations
Updating the title or description
- Click the annotation in the model view and type your changes in the text bubble.
- Click anywhere outside the annotation to close it.
Or
- Double-click the annotation or click Edit in the list on the left hand side.
- Type your changes in the fields.
- Click Done or click outside the annotation to confirm your changes.
Moving annotations
To move an annotation, drag and drop it to a new position. If the annotation is dragged to a place where it cannot be dropped, it turns red.
Changing annotation order
To reorder annotations, drag and drop annotations by their header, up or down in the list.
Viewing annotations
When a model has annotations, new buttons are available in the viewer.
With these buttons, you can go to the next annotation, previous annotation, or open the annotation menu. In the annotation menu, you can:
- Turn annotations on or off
- Go to a specific annotation
- Start "Autopilot"
When annotations are off, "next" and "previous" buttons still work and move the camera. Plus, when annotations are off, hovering over the annotation menu button will reveal the annotations.
Autopilot mode will move through annotations at a default speed.
Here are some great annotated models:
Show/Hide Annotations by Default
There is always the option for Sketchfab users to hide or show all annotations in the bottom section of your model viewer.
However, as the model owner, you can choose the default option (show or hide) in 3D Settings by choosing either Show annotations or Hide annotations in the bottom section of the viewer and clicking Save View in the top-left corner of the viewer.
Link directly to an annotation
If you'd like to share a link directly to an annotation in your model, you can add the parameter ?annotation=x to the model URL, where x should be replace by the number of the annotation.
For example, the model below was embedded with the autostart and annotation parameters embedded into the model URL:
https://sketchfab.com/models/19257ce8ab3b4f9fa9670fc6ebad6b9c/embed?annotation=4&autostart=1
Saving annotations
Once you've made your adjustments, including position and orientation, be sure to update your model's thumbnail image and default position with Save View and/or save your changes with Save Settings. You can return to your model by clicking either the model's name or Exit.
Deleting annotations
To delete an annotation, click the trash can icon of an annotation in the Annotations tab on the left hand side of the 3D Settings screen.
Comments
57 comments
Not at the moment, sorry!
Hi James
When I create an annotation dynamically by clicking on the model, the annotation sometimes gets created the other side of the model. Please advice on this.
Hi,
Do you have a live example where this is happening? Are you talking about creating annotations with the Viewer API or just in 3D Settings?
Hi James,
I meant the Viewer API. I am trying to create an annotation by clicking with the mouse. It gets created but sometimes the other side of the model. When its in this way it throws an error like "Uncaught (in promise) TypeError: Cannot read property 'toJSON' of undefined" .
Hmm that's strange. I haven't been able to reproduce the problem yet. Do you have a demo somewhere that I can check?
Hi James,
Thanks for the responses.
Will let you know on the live demo as its kind of a client's model. In any case when I went through the changes of co-ordinates I can see the X value in the position3D gets negative value when we try to create annotation with the same camera angle. You can notice the Position X in the log value changes.
Co-ordinates when the annotation gets created at the back side of the model.
Position X::::-48.05607962017166
Position Y::::-18735.861638569182
Position Z::::4287.737931017628
Normal X::::0
Normal Y::::-0.6851778398265175
Normal Z::::0.7283758149545241
**********************************
Camera Position 0::::-773.6343130208512
Camera Position 1::::-36720.181408451856
Camera Position 2::::6113.034278172223
Target X::::-2.2020903155
Target Y::::-17439.9461159383
Target Z::::4671.6332841808
Co-ordinates when the annotation gets created at the correct side of the model.
Position X::::2329.095047800958
Position Y::::-18948.877720282042
Position Z::::4060.166505022473
Normal X::::0
Normal Y::::-0.7621585333799301
Normal Z::::0.6473904308808973
**********************************
Camera Position 0::::-773.6343130208512
Camera Position 1::::-36720.181408451856
Camera Position 2::::6113.034278172223
Target X::::-2.2020903155
Target Y::::-17439.9461159383
Target Z::::4671.6332841808
Do let me know if you crack the problem from the co-ordinates.
Hi James,
To explain more in the above screen shot when I am clicking the point circled with red, the annotation created the other side of the model (Annotation 1). I guess this explains more about the issue I am facing. I am due with the a demo with client and so do let me know on this asap.
Thanks in advance.
Thanks for the details! I just followed up via a support ticket.
After I saved the annotations for my 3D model (dae file), is it possible I can download the 3D model (dae file) with the annotations included? So I can use the 3D model including its annotations in Unity?
@zhk2001 I'm afraid not. Annotations only exist in the Sketchfab viewer.
Thank you for your reply, James. So I'm just wondering if there is any tool that can add annotation to a 3D model like Sketchfab and save it as dae or fbx file (it will be used in an iOS app built with Unity)? I understand this is not a Sketchfab issue, and just want to see if someone here have such experience or knowledge that I can learn from, thank you.
I'm afraid that I'm not aware of any tool like that. Does Unity have a feature like annotations? I also don't know that formats like DAE and FBX support a feature like that. I guess it would be saved cameras or something.
Hi. When adding an annotation to an object like -for instance- a plane or a thin object, an annotation that is placed on one side is also visible in the opposite side of the same object. Is it possible to avoid this? I want an annotation to be only visible on the side where it was placed. This issue does not seem to be happening when putting the annotation on thicker objects. Any thoughts? Thanks!
Hi. I checked the test models on your account, and I see what you mean. I'm afraid I don't have a good solution though. The annotations are actual 3D spheres in the scene, so they will intersect your meshes. I'll talk to my team and see what they think about improving how they are greyed out on the opposite side of a mesh.
Is it possible to code an annotation to activate certain animations and/or reset to static pose?
Only with the Viewer API at the moment. You can have an animation activate based on an annotation event:
https://sketchfab.com/developers/viewer
Can we export these annotated model in unity?
@fatimazulfiqar03 No, I'm afraid it's not possible to export annotations to other formats or software. They only exist on Sketchfab.
In the future, could you please consider adding support for controlling the speed of auto-piloted annotations, per annotation? We aren't really able to use the auto-pilot feature because of the unrealistic reading speeds. Otherwise, we love annotations!
@vertiv - Thanks for the feedback! I'll pass this along. For now, you could have finer control using the Viewer API.
Hi,
Just wondering if anyone has seen an example of a sound playing when an annotation is clicked.
This would be great for study, such as memorising names of things such as anatomical body parts. So when you click the annotation related to a specific bone, the camera views the bone, and the name of the bone is spoken as an audio file.
If no examples exist, I would love to hear what tools would be used to potentially achieve this.
Hi,
There's no way to sync a sound and an annotation in the regular viewer / editor, but it could be done using the Viewer API if you implement it on your own website. There are events related to annotations, so you could start playback of a sound based on the viewer reaching and annotation. https://sketchfab.com/developers/viewer
im testing and uploading a fbx model with simple animation, in a .rar with textures. but when a replace the .rar all the anotations get broken from the animated pieces,
everything get replaced and the annotation still in the scene but the parenting gets lost i need to do a new one , its there any fix for this_?
Hi there,
When you re-upload a model, we attempt to preserve all your settings (materials, lighting, background, annotations, etc.). If the scale or orientation of the model changed, the annotations will still be in the same position as the previous version, so it won't work as expected. It's especially tricky for annotations attached to animated parts.
I don't really have a workaround other than redoing the annotations or waiting for your "final" version of the model before adding annotations.
Hi there,
Probably a stupid question. I have the Basic option, which should allow me to add 5 annotations to my models, but when I have exactly five and want to "SAVE SETTINGS" I receive the following error message:
"You cannot add a new annotation. You have reached the maximum number of 5 annotations allowed by your plan. To add a new annotation, you need to upgrade to plus plan."
I don't want to add more, I am happy with my 5, so it makes no sense. Does 5 actually = 4 here or what?
Many thanks for your help,
Pierre
Hi Pierre,
Sorry about that. It's a bug on our end, but we should have a fix coming soon. I'll follow up with news.
Hi, I understand there is currently no way to backup/export and mass import annotations.
This would be super useful for larger projects, ideally with markdown and xml support, to be able to include everything in there.
Remaking annotations with every new model version is very time consuming. (I know there's Re-upload option, but it doesn't always work for me)
Thanks!
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