Viewing, Managing, and Sharing 3D Viewer Models in Home Designer

The information in this article applies to:

QUESTION

How do I view, manage, or share a 3D Viewer model? 

ANSWER

3D Viewer model files can be exported from within the Home Designer software, and then viewed, managed, and shared by utilizing the tools available in your Chief Architect Account. Additionally, 3D Viewer models can be viewed using the free 3D Viewer app, which is available on supported Android and iOS devices.  

To export a 3D Viewer model

1. Navigate to 3D> Create Camera View> Full Camera in your desired plan, then click and drag to create a camera view.
   
   In Home Designer Pro, navigate to 3D> Create Perspective View> Full Camera  instead.
   
   Other camera tools, such as the Perspective Full Overview  tool, can also be used for this process.
   
   
   
2. With the camera view open, select File> Export> Export Chief Architect 3D Viewer File .
   
   
   
3. If you are not already logged in, the Chief Architect Account Login dialog will display. Sign in to the online account that is associated with your Home Designer software license.
   
   
   
4. The 3D Viewer Export Options dialog will display. Select either Create New Model to create a new 3D Viewer model file, or Replace Existing Model to overwrite an existing 3D Viewer model file that was uploaded previously.
   
   
   
5. Next, the Export 3D Viewer File dialog will display. Provide a Name and an optional Description.
   
   

   Notice that this dialog also shows the models Surface Count and the Texture Size. It is recommended to keep the number of exported surfaces below 500,000 and exported texture size below 50 MB.
   
   The more objects that are present in a plan, the higher the surface count will be. Turning off the display of any layers that don't need to exported with the model is recommended. Please see the Related Articles section below for more information on toggling the display of layers.
   
   If the models Texture Size is over 50 MB, it's likely that detailed and complex materials have been applied and used on objects in relation to your structure. Decreasing the amount of detailed materials that are present within the plan prior to export will help greatly with the loading and viewing experience of the model.
   

   
   
   
   
   
6. Click the Cameras button to specify which saved cameras to export.
   
   
   
   
   • Place a check within the Include column for each camera you want to be included in the export. 
     
     
   • Place a check in the Initial View column for the camera you want to see first when the model is opened in the 3D Viewer.
     
     
   • Choose the Include All or Include None buttons to either include all cameras or exclude all cameras from being exported.
     
     
   • Click OK to confirm your changes.
     
   
   
   
7. Click OK to start the export process. Once the export has completed, an information message will display confirming your upload. Your 3D Viewer model file can now be viewed and managed within your Online Chief Architect Account. 
   
   

To view, manage, or share a 3D Viewer Model

1. Sign in to your Online Chief Architect Account and click on Manage 3D Viewer Models.
   
   
   
2. Click the View button next to your 3D Viewer model file to view it in your web browser.
   
   
   Note: 3D Viewer model files are not viewable with Internet Explorer. For more information on the system requirements for the Chief Architect 3D Viewer, please refer to the 3D Viewer System Requirements page.   
   
   
3. If at anytime, you want to remove or deactivate a 3D Viewer model file from your online account, click on the Deactivate button next to the models name.
   
   
   
4. 3D Viewer model files are private by default. A 3D Viewer model file needs to be made public before it can be shared or embedded. Click the Make Public button to enable sharing.
   
   
   
   To make a public 3D Viewer model file private, click on the Make Private button. Any users that had access to the model will lose access immediately and any open instances of the model will be closed.
   
   
   
5. Once the 3D Viewer model file is made public, click the Share button to bring up the different sharing options.
   
   
   • Direct Link
     Click the Direct Link tab to directly share your 3D Viewer Model. Copy the link and paste it to wherever you're sharing it. This would be the link to use to see the 3D Viewer model file in your browser, the 3D Viewer mobile app, or sharing to various social media sites.
     
     
     
     
   • E-mail
     Select the E-mail tab. Click the Send E-mail button to open the default mail application on your computer (Outlook, Microsoft Mail, macOS Mail, etc.). Click the COPY button if your primary e-mail is a web-based e-mail (Gmail.com, Outlook.com, Yahoo.com, etc.). This will copy the text to your clipboard. Go to your web based e-mail client and start a new e-mail. Then paste the text to add it to your new e-mail. This method can also be used if you're wanting to share a 3D Viewer model file with a client or colleague that is using the 3D Viewer mobile app.
     
     
     
     
   • Embed
     Click on the Embed tab, COPY the HTML code, and paste it into the source code for your website; or provide the code to your webmaster and ask them to add it to your website.