3D object preview

Help & Support
1

I put this question here earlier : https://resource.dopus.com/t/3d-object-preview-3mf-fbx-glb-glbt-obj-ply-stl/29541 but got no answer yet, so I've created a new Topic...

Hello Leo,
Could you elaborate on what you mean by "an alternative compatible viewer"? I'm one of those cavemen who's still trying to invent the wheel using Windows 7 and would love to have this functionality in Directory Opus. Hope there's an alternative way of doing 3d in a viewer as you seem to suggest.
On a related node: it would also be great to view Blender files (*.blend) like this. Blender is open source and I'm sure the required API(?) is out there...
Ok, have a great day!
Gert

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Please link your account.

3

I've linked my account.

4

Thank you!

"An alternative viewer" just means any other viewer component which someone has written which works as a preview handler.

Preview handlers are a type of component Microsoft defined that can work in the viewer panes in Windows Explorer / File Explorer, Outlook, Opus and some other programs.

The preview handler API is quite simple to implement. In this case the hard part would be decoding and rendering the 3D object formats. So for the people who already know how to do that and already have code to do it, converting that code into a preview handler should not be that difficult. But whether anyone else has, other than Microsoft with the 3D Object Viewer that comes with Windows 10, I do not know.

(Opus also has its own custom plugin API which viewers can be written for, but we'd already know if there was a viewer written for that.)

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Thank you for the explanation. I was under the impression that I missed something, despite considering myself to be up to speed with anything 3d-graphics related. Perhaps a solution will show up in the future and when my Win7 days are over, I'll certainly give the option Win10 offers a try.

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For anyone wanting thumbnails for nearly all 3D formats inside opus: check out f3d. Its and open source 3D viewer which also generates thumbnails.

dopus_539
dopus_539836×649 42.3 KB

Its also a very fast 3D viewer:

f3d_540
f3d_5401089×716 133 KB

just doesn't seem to work with the side viewer panel. But still the best option I found.

Installation:

  1. Install the exe from github Releases · f3d-app/f3d · GitHub
  2. in install check generate thumbnails
  3. To fix that opus is not showing the thumbnails:
    screenshot_551
    screenshot_5511263×1921 226 KB

Comparing the options for viewing 3D files in win11:

  1. this f3D
    -> Fast
    -> Thumbnails
    -> Supports nearly all formats
  2. Windows 3D viewer from the marketplace
    -> Medium Speed
    -> 3D Viewer in the sidepanel
    -> No thumbnails
    -> Limited file support (no fbx)
  3. QuickLook with 3D file plugin
    -> Good addition because it has also many other formats
    -> No thumbnail or sidepanel but quick view with spacebar
    -> Limited file support (no fbx)
    -> I use this and f3D

QuickLook screenshot:

QuickLook_552
QuickLook_5521203×1251 73 KB

Tip: If you encounter memory leak with f3d try uninstalling it and windows 3D viewer.

2 Likes
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Hi @Kettenotter !

F3D dev here, thanks for sharing about F3D!

If you have found any issues (you mentionned leaks), please open an issue on our github :slight_smile:

Thanks again for using F3D!

Best,

1 Like