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Guide
About the CAD Viewer
Drop in a CAD file to look at it, without installing anything or making an account. STEP and IGES files from SolidWorks, Fusion 360, Inventor, CATIA, Creo or FreeCAD open as solids; meshes such as STL, OBJ and 3MF open as they are; DXF drawings open with their layers.
Everything happens in your browser, so drawings under NDA, client parts and unreleased designs never leave your device. For STEP, IGES, IFC and 3DM files the reader for that format downloads once from jsDelivr; your file is not sent with it.
Converting STEP to STL for 3D printing
Open the STEP or IGES file, hide any parts you do not want to print, choose STL (binary) and download. The solid is turned into triangles when it opens, so the STL is ready for a slicer such as Cura, PrusaSlicer or Bambu Studio. Check that the volume is shown: a model that is “not closed” has gaps, and may need repairing before it prints well.
Estimating weight and cost before you print
The 3D print estimate takes the model’s volume and surface, then works out the plastic in the walls and the infill, as a slicer would. Pick the material, the infill and the wall thickness, and enter what a kilogram of filament costs you. It also checks the model against your printer’s build volume in any orientation. Slicers add top and bottom layers and supports, so expect the real print to weigh a little more.
My STL came out 25 times too small
STL files carry no unit: a slicer reads the numbers as millimetres. A model drawn in inches therefore prints 25.4 times too small. If the sizes look wrong, set the unit the file was drawn in, then save it again in mm. The Scale box resizes the model by any percentage as well.
Why can’t I open DWG files?
DWG is AutoCAD’s closed format. The free readers for it come under licences this site cannot use, and the others are paid. Save the drawing as DXF instead: AutoCAD, DraftSight, LibreCAD and BricsCAD all can, and the free ODA File Converter turns a whole folder of DWG files into DXF at once.
How to use it
- 1Drop in a CAD file — with an OBJ, add its MTL and texture files, or drop a ZIP.
- 2Turn and zoom the model, pick a view, and hide the parts or layers you do not need.
- 3Click a part to inspect it, measure between points, or cut a section.
- 4Check the 3D print estimate, and pick the unit and scale to save in.
- 5Download it as STL, OBJ or GLB, or save the view as a PNG.
Frequently asked questions
Are my files uploaded?
No. They are read and drawn in your browser. For some formats (STEP, IGES, BREP, IFC, 3DM, and glTF with Draco compression) the reader itself downloads from jsDelivr the first time; your file stays on your device.
What units are the sizes in?
In the unit the file says, when it says one: STEP files and most DXF drawings do. STL and OBJ files have no units, so their sizes are plain numbers — usually millimetres.
Why does the volume say “not closed”?
Volume only means something for a closed, watertight shape. Open surfaces, meshes with holes and 2D faces have no inside, so no volume is shown. Very large models are not checked, to keep the page quick.
How accurate is the measuring?
Points snap to the corners of the triangles and to the ends of lines and arcs, so between such points the distance is exact. On curved surfaces the model is made of small flat triangles, so a point in the middle of a curve can be off by a tiny amount.
Can I measure wall thickness?
Yes: cut a section through the wall, turn the model to look at the cut, and measure across it.
Can I edit the model?
No — this is a viewer and converter. You can hide parts and save the rest in another format, but not change shapes or dimensions.
How big a file can it open?
That depends on your device’s memory. Files of a few hundred megabytes open on a typical laptop; very large assemblies may be slow on phones.
Does it work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. Drag with one finger to turn the model, two fingers to move it, and pinch to zoom.
