Using the Sketchfab Viewer API, you can create a 3D model configurator that allows others to experience your models in 3D and perform a number of actions to interact with it. Essentially, you or your developer can code buttons to perform a variety of functions.
All Sketchfab members have access to the Viewer API. No specific paid subscription is necessary.
What can you do with a configurator?
You can add and edit a number of elements when embedding your model with the Sketchfab viewer, including, but not limited to, the following:
Change object styles (materials)
You can offer the ability to select a material on your model and edit the color or texture.
You can also offer the ability to edit the background color or image.
Show or hide different objects
If you use the Viewer API to upload a model with multiple features, you can show and hide different configurations. Some examples might be adding/removing different knobs on a 3D piece of furniture or adding/removing antennae or wings to a 3D bug model.
Example
Yamaha leveraged the Sketchfab Viewer API to create a configurator with the ability to customize their Tenere 700 motorcycle model. You could show/hide extra features and change colors/textures on specific parts:
Highlight materials
If you want to spotlight a particular element of your model, such as a wire on a computer model, the Sketchfab configurator could offer the option to highlight a material when a viewer clicks or hovers over it.
Edit annotations
Using the Viewer API, you can customize the design of your model's annotations, offer annotation text in different languages, or jump to an annotation in the viewer with the press of a button.
Edit lights
Just like a light switch in your home, you can create functions to turn on or off specific lights for your model in the Sketchfab viewer.
Create screenshots
Want to capture the customized version of your 3D model? The Sketchfab viewer can do that too. You can add a button to offer viewers the ability to export a 2D screenshot.
What can't you do with a configurator?
Not all models can be used in configurators. For example, 3D scans don’t often work well.
In addition, there are naturally some limitations to what you can build or edit with a Sketchfab configurator, including the following:
Augmented Reality (AR)
Augmented reality is still a relatively new technology. While Sketchfab does offer AR capabilities to interact with models, there is not currently the ability to configure models in the AR environment. Likewise, you can't "send" a configured model to an AR environment either.
Some users have worked around this limitation by using the Viewer API for the configurator experience and created each individual version separately for viewing in AR.
Uploading
The Sketchfab configurator offers the ability to edit one model in the viewer at a time. You cannot currently offer viewers of your model the ability to upload another model or material/texture to the configurator.
The Sketchfab configurator is still subject to your Sketchfab membership limitations. You cannot upload files to configure that are larger than your plan allows. Our Plans page outlines the membership plan details.