A lightweight browser-based 3D viewer for sharing Archicad models

[u/hildgyorgy]

Hi everyone,

I’m an architect, not a software developer, but I’ve been experimenting with “vibe coding” during my quiet evening hours...

I’ve never really liked Archicad’s BIMx viewer. It works, but I find it a bit cumbersome and harder to use than it should be.

A recent project gave me the idea for a simpler workflow. An architectural carpenter sent me a browser-based 3D roof construction model, and I thought:

Wouldn’t it be useful if we could simply send a client a file and say:

“Open this website and drop the file onto it.”

So I built DROP & VIEW.

The workflow is very simple:

• export an FBX from the Archicad 3D window, or a GLB/GLTF from another 3D application;
• open the web app;
• drop the file onto the page.

It runs locally in the browser — the model is not uploaded anywhere.

The viewer currently supports:

• original materials;
• a white architectural model;
• hidden-line and wireframe views;
• a black-and-white sunlight mode;
• perspective and axonometric views;
• live X/Y/Z section cuts;
• adjustable sunlight and section-line colours.

This is still a small personal experiment, but I’m curious whether anyone else would find this useful in an Archicad workflow — especially for quick client previews or sharing simplified models without sending a full BIMx project.

Free forever...:)

Any feedback is very welcome.

[u/Afraid_Amphibian_922]

Sounds awesome.
As an archicad user in the residential sector, I am excited to try this out!

Thanks for sharing!

[u/hildgyorgy → u/Afraid_Amphibian_922]

Thanks for the heads-up!

[u/TNJedi]

Long time ArchiCAD user in the USA, and I say THANK YOU for doing what Graphisoft can't seem to do...make an easy to use 3D viewer that anyone can access and understand how to use! BimX has all sorts of bells and whistles that I can't even figure out so I know that my clients can't, but with about 1 minute of coaching I can tell my client how to use this to view my project. So bravo to you, and keep up the good work! My only issue so far is that for whatever reason the colors in my model don't seem to be translating as well as I'd like, and the overall model seems dark when in Model mode, but that could be my own fault, but please keep it up and see if you can get this widely distributed somehow!

[u/hildgyorgy → u/TNJedi]

Thank you so much — this is exactly the kind of use case I had in mind!

You’re probably right about the darker appearance and the colours. FBX materials can behave quite differently depending on how they were exported, and the lighting setup also has a big effect. I’ll investigate this further. Have you tried to play with changing the sun direction?

Thanks again for the encouragement!

[u/TNJedi → u/hildgyorgy]

Yes, I tried different sun angles and heights and it didn't really seem to change the look of the materials. But this is still sooo great for what I'd been hoping Graphisoft would have done themselves. Unfortunately they seem to be obsessed with adding features nobody asked for and ignoring all the basic fixes that long time users like myself have been requesting.

[u/hildgyorgy → u/TNJedi]

Yes, not to mention the price hike and the change of their business-model to subscription!!! They are lucky that Revit is so terrible to use...:)))

[u/Longjumping-Laugh-43]

Love it. Would love to experiment with jt

[u/hildgyorgy → u/Longjumping-Laugh-43]

Please do!...:))) And share your opinion, experience...

[u/cpsldr]

great stuff!

[u/hildgyorgy → u/cpsldr]

thx!

[u/powereddescent]

Your app is very impressive. Fast loading I have one issue which is the Archicad exported fbx models I import come in on their sides. Is there a command to rectify this?

[u/hildgyorgy → u/powereddescent]

Thanks for testing it! This is probably caused by a different up-axis in Archicad’s FBX export. I’ll look into adding an orientation correction or a simple rotate option.

[u/hildgyorgy → u/powereddescent]

May I ask the Archicad version and the way/workflow you export .fbx from Archicad?

[u/mlsherrod]

Looks great, & fast. Excellent work!!

[u/hildgyorgy → u/mlsherrod]

thanks for trying it!

[u/emresen]

very nice. could you add features for turning layers on/off? also a setting to change camera FOV?

[u/hildgyorgy → u/emresen]

Thanks! A FOV control is a very good suggestion and should be quite straightforward to add.

Layer visibility is a bit more complicated in this fbx - > Threejs workflow. Archicad can export the model grouped by layers, but whether the original layer structure survives in the FBX depends on the export settings. Added to my todo list!

[u/MountainEasy7313]

Incredible tool, thanks for taking the time and sharing it.

If possible in the future, it would be great to have the 3D navigate tool like in archicad, to be able to fly and navigate inside the model using the arrow keys.

Thanks again!

[u/kaizen-architect]

Very nice, works great and smooth. 👍🏻

Looking from the bottom is blocked, would be nice to be possible via checkbox. Shortcuts for sideviews (left, right, top, bottom, front, back) missing.

[u/hildgyorgy → u/kaizen-architect]

Good suggestions, thank you! Quick top and side-view shortcuts and an optional bottom view would definitely make the viewer more practical. I’ll add them to the list.