Augmented reality (AR) allows you to view 3D models in the real world using your mobile device's camera. There are several different ways to enter AR mode on Sketchfab.
Viewing Sketchfab models in AR
There are currently three workflows to viewing Sketchfab models in AR:
- All models are available in AR through the Sketchfab mobile app on both iOS and Android.
- Downloadable models can be viewed directly in AR on iOS by downloading the USDZ versions of the model.
- Enterprise customers can enable app-free "native" AR mode on any model for both iOS and Android.
How do I view models in AR with the mobile app?
Please visit Using the Sketchfab mobile app for details.
How do I view public USDZ files in AR?
Go to the model page of a downloadable model.
Scroll down and tap Download 3D Model.
Tap Download next to "Augmented Reality Format (USDZ)". This opens a link to the USDZ file, which will load in Apple Quick Look.
Tap the AR icon.
Then, follow the instructions on-screen to place the model in AR. Once it's placed, you can pinch with two fingers to scale and swipe with one finger to move the model.
How do I view my own models in AR?
Pro members and above have the ability to download all their own models, even if they are not publicly available for download. This means that on iOS, all your models can be viewed in AR, but the download button is in a slightly different location.
Scroll down the model page, and tap Edit Properties.
Scroll down and tap Download next to "USDZ (Converted AR format)". Then, follow the same steps as above.
Comments
12 comments
Hi!
The AR feature is awesome!
But I have some troubles to try it on embedded HTML in an iOS app. For tests, I use the cube example.
When I press the AR button I observe only a loading page. Also, there is a link with the text "If the loading takes too long ...". But I get only a 404 error when I open it.
Furthermore, I can see in the logs a bunch of errors about forbidden access (403 error) but they appear before I press the AR button. Most of them are related to js map files like this one.
All the functionality besides AR works well.
What can I do with it?
Thanks!
Hi James,
Is the ap-free AR model compatible with with the viewer API? Meaning if we tweak the visual of the model with code, the tweaks will be visible in AR?
Hi crivlaldo
1) This is Safari embedded in a native iOS app? We are looking into some issues related to this. Does it attempt to open the USDZ link and it comes out as just garbled text? Or it just gets stuck on loading?
2) Sorry about the broken link. It will be updated to this page soon.
3) You can ignore the js.map errors. We are working to remove those as they are only meant for internal development.
Hi pierre.savoie
I'm afraid that's not possible at the moment. The browser is downloading a static glTF (Android) or USDZ (iOS) file, which is generated based on the source model and 3D settings. Viewer API changes only exist at runtime in the viewer.
Hi James!
1) This is Safari embedded in a native iOS app?
Exactly, this a web view in the iOS application.
Or it just gets stuck on loading?
I think, yes, it's stuck. I've attached a screenshot of this moment. Loading animation is playing but nothing happens. Finally, after some timeout, the loading text is disappeared and the original scene is presented again.
2) It will be updated to this page soon.
Sounds great, thanks!
3) You can ignore the js.map errors
Got it.
The app free AR example model doesn't work in any android divice we have tried. Are we doing something wrong? where we can see an example of a app free AR model in a android divice?
Hi there,
It looks like Google changed something and it broke AR on all versions/devices. We are working on a fix and hope to have it live in the next couple days.
Hi james!
How can we get a notification when this problem get's solved, we are seriously considering getting a bussines license but we need app free AR to be working on android and ios. Could you please send us a notification?
Thanks!
It should be fixed now!
Hey James it does not work yet :(
Hello everyone, three questions:
1) Is there ETA for portrait mode support? Some models look really bad in landscape mode.
2) Can / could ceiling be used as a valid insertion XY plane?
3) How is default scale chosen? Is it somehow 1:1?
Thanks!
Hi jonish
The mobile app's AR mode is mostly faked and not really a great way to do it. It's just putting the regular model viewer with a transparent background on top of your camera and using very minimal phone features to find the floor. We are not really planning to work on that version of AR. Instead, we will probably expand the "Enterprise app-free AR" to more users and the mobile app.
https://help.sketchfab.com/hc/en-us/articles/360046289571-App-free-AR-for-Enterprise
1) It's not planned, but "real" AR is all portrait.
2) Not at the moment (as above), as we are just delivering the file to iOS and Android and it's up to their own AR viewers after that.
3) There is no notion of scale in the mobile app. In real AR you can define the scale (as above).
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