Before uploading to your Sketchfab profile, you'll need to create a 3D model or scan. There are plenty of software options out there - we've highlighted a few popular ones in the Creating 3D Models section.
Exercise: To walk you through the uploading process here, though, we’ve prepared a sample 3D model for you to download. Head to this model page and click Download under the viewer to download the FBX file available.
1. Prepare your 3D Files
Sketchfab supports lots of 3D formats, and your choice will depend on your 3D software and project needs. If you’re unsure which to use, we recommend either OBJ or FBX files - both are reliable, support most 3D features, and most 3D software can export them.
It’s best to prepare your models by combining all your files into a ZIP file. Not only does this allow you to upload your textures/materials all at once, it also reduces upload size and time.
2. Upload
Now that you have a 3D model ready, it’s time to upload. First, you’ll want to login to your Sketchfab account.
Once you’re logged in, you can upload in two different ways:
- Click Upload in the top-right corner on any page
- Drag and drop your 3D files anywhere on the page
Once you start the uploading process, a window will appear for you to fill out more information about your model - title, description, categories, tags, etc.
3. Check the appearance
Once your model is done uploading and processing, you should be able to see it on the Models section of your profile. Now we can take advantage of a number of Sketchfab tools to make it look even better.
You’ll notice you can move, rotate, and zoom your model by clicking, dragging, and scrolling in the Sketchfab viewer. There are many navigation options, including shifting your model’s lighting and sorting through annotations.
Once your model is in a position you like, click the Save View button in the top-left corner of the model page viewer. Clicking the Save View button will save the default position/orientation and set the thumbnail preview for your model that people will see on Sketchfab or when used as an embed. (You can always edit this again later, if you’d like.)
3D Settings
To edit the presentation of your model, you can explore the 3D Settings. Within this section, you’ll find a number of options and post-processing tools:
Changing your model's rotation axis
In the Scene tab, you can change your model's orientation by 90° increments around the x-, y-, or z-axis, or you can fine-tune it by selecting “Show advanced rotation”.
Adding lights
Before setting the lighting for your model, you'll want to choose between Lit (default) and Shadeless. Shadeless will remove the effects of any lights from your materials. This is often a good option for 3D scans, or models with baked lighting.
Sketchfab offers a few ways to light your models. Real-time dynamic lights simulate different kinds of lights sources like direction, spot and point lights. You can choose from one of the six presets in 3D Settings, or you can manually add a light.
Let’s try manually adding one.
Click the Point light under the Lighting tab. Point lights simulate small sources of lights, such as light bulbs. Because the model's position affects the lighting, try clicking the light you just made in 3D Settings and dragging it around your model. You’ll notice the difference, especially when moving the light further away from the model (showing it becomes less intense).
Adding annotations
Add an annotation to your model by clicking on the Annotations tab and then double-clicking anywhere on your model. A window will appear and you can enter a title and a description. (Plus, you can add links, images, and other formatting if you’re familiar with Markdown.) Click anywhere outside the annotation to close it.
Adding post-processing filters
Sketchfab offers a number of visual effects that are great for fine-tuning your renders, making them more photorealistic, or changing the mood of your scene.
Let’s explore a few examples:
Sharpness
The Sharpness effect lets you enhance the definition of the model and reveal more details. Adjust the value from 0 (no sharpening) to 100 (maximum sharpening).
Vignette
The Vignette effect darkens the borders of the image. It is a good way to focus the attention on the center of the scene.
- Adjusting the Amount value will change how much of the image is darkened.
- Adjusting the Hardness will change how the smooth the transition between is the darkened part and the original part.
4. Publish
Once your model looks how you want it, it’s time to publish so people can see it.
Click the Publish button in the top-right of the 3D Settings view or in the right column of the model page view (under Manage Your Model) to make your 3D model visible online.
Make it private: If you have a PRO or higher subscription you can choose to publish privately by clicking Manage Your Model, and toggling the ‘Private’ switch.
Make it downloadable: To offer your model as a free Download for others, you can click the Free option under Manage Your Model. Choose a license and you’re good to go.
5. Share!
From the model page, click Share to show off your model on social media, or Embed to share it almost anywhere else on the web!
Comments
33 comments
am I to understand that one begins with an upload already started with a "draw" program, or can I start with a screenshot??
@balue - That's right, you'll need a 3D model file to start using Sketchfab. There are lots of options out there. Try Smoothie-3D, which lets you create a 3D model from a 2D image: http://www.smoothie-3d.com/
So basically if your not good with computers you might as well submit your invention somewhere else because I didn't understand anything on the prepare your 3D file section on this page nor do I know how to use those 3D sketch programs.
@wallmarker - That's right, you'll need a 3D model file to start using Sketchfab. If you don't know how, you can check our job board for community members willing to help: http://forum.sketchfab.com/c/jobs
I've made models, photographed them, photo shopped them, arranged them in a video sequence with voice over submitted once just as the Quirky changed websites, lost the Legacy submission, re submitted...... and now I've got to attempt a 3d sketch? Man that's one way to thin out the herd!
Ok, so if I have set materials in Blender, they won't appear here when the model is uploaded? I have to set it all as a texture? I'm asking because that's exactly what happened to me. The preview had no materials and everything was glossy. :/
@blade113 - Blender materials should be preserved, whether they are textures or basic material properties (color, etc.)
I'll have to take a closer look, can you please send me the original .blend file? support@sketchfab.com
@James I realized that maybe the problem is that I'm trying to upload the .blend file with the whole scene, including the world lights, not just one model. Am I right that this is causing the issue?
@blade113 I'm no Blender expert, but we should be able to handle most scenes, or at least pick out the parts we're able to process. I'd really have to take a closer look at the scene and the Sketchfab result, and probably talk to our devs - we're constantly making improvements to our Blender importer.
@James Alright, I'll send that file.
@James Is that your email, or I have to decribe my problem again? I'm lazy :)
@blade113 - Yes, that email will come to me, just mention this thread :)
I`m trying to verify my account but the email to do so haven`t showed up, it`s been days, what do I do?
@Andreas_Pettersen
I'm very sorry about that. We're experiencing an issue with our email server. I just activated your account
I cant seem to get my materials on my models to show up in here, the basic colors do but not png textures. im using blender,
@whitejackal Can you post a link to the model? Did you embed the textures in the .blend file? https://help.sketchfab.com/hc/en-us/articles/209143886-Blender-Materials#blender-textures
I have scanned a 3D model in TRNIO and I have been able to read that into Sketchfab. However I am not sure what the next step is to allow me to create a 3D stl file that I can 3D print? I can't see any options for saving the file from Sketchfab?
Many thanks
Piet
Hi Piet,
You can enable download on your model, then convert it to an STL in software like MeshLab.
https://help.sketchfab.com/hc/en-us/articles/201368589-Downloading-Models
Can I bind an object to a GPS position, to viewe it "on place"?
How can I make my object visible in Android Sketchfab app?
@jumpjack - We don't currently do any sort of geo referencing in models.
You should be able to view any model on Sketchfab with the app. Are you having trouble with it?
Hi guys,
I'm using sense 3D scanner, I have an error while starting the software saying "The 3D detected camera is not supported", anyone can help me, please
Hi there,
I'm afraid I don't have any experience with the Sense scanner. Have you tried contacting their support team yet?
I see one of my models properly positioned in world map... so I guess now geolocation is enabled and working?!?
I don't remember how I geolocated it, I think I did it by joining Sketchup and ARMedia Player for Sketchup...Although sketchup officially does not support geolocation anymore, I think I found kind of a bug which allows associating coordinates to a model: in all free versions you can still export to KMZ format; just open it in Google Earth, place the model where it should be, and import it back into Skecthup...
are you supposed to make the model first, THEN upload it to sketchfab? or does sketchfab have its own place you can make the models?
@jumpjack - We have an experimental geohash tool here, but it's not based on any data in the 3D file itself: https://labs.sketchfab.com/experiments/map/
@Batt0 - Sketchfab is a platform for publishing 3D models that you create in other software.
@James i have a problem with my 3D scene in Cinema 4D. I tryed to upload it via the Plugin but it does not work properly, after processing all i get is a sphere.
@cr34tiv3works I just created a support ticket on your behalf. You should receive an email. Thanks!
(noob) I am having some issues with this https://sketchfab.com/models/51f65371603c403b805d48a1e78bf4b2 model. I download it and it opens in Cura 15.04, I increase the size to 25mm and 40mm in height. I then save the file to the sd card, place it in the Ender-3 Printer, set the heat of the extruder and bed, load from sd card, the printer heats up and when temp is reached it starts to print BUT in the bottom left corner, very very small. As stated earlier, I increased the size and moved the model to the center of the grid.
If I load the program to a blank sd card will it work properly?? it's a 32 gig sd card
thanks for any help
ctdigger
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