Import a 3D Model

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You can import a 3D model from your computer. If you want to import more than one 3D model into your project, you can import them one after the other. In the Sphere XG Viewer you can display one 3D model at a time.

Most standard file types are supported, for example .nwd and .nwc, .rvt, .dwf and .ifc. If you encounter a problem with a particular file type, contact the FARO support team. Note that Sphere XG does not support 3D models that consist of more than one file.

  1. Click the Import Data button in the top right corner of the Sphere XG Viewer.

  2. Optional: In the popup, click the link Recommended file size by format to get a list of recommended file sizes by format, see figure below.
    Clicking the List of supported formats link, will give you a list with currently supported file formats.

Figure 1-99 Recommended file size by model

  1. In the popup, click entry Upload from your computer in section 3D Models.
    A file selection window is opened.

  2. Select the 3D model you want from the file system and confirm.

The 3D model is being uploaded and processed. The cloud icon at the top right corner of the screen indicates the progress with a blue progress wheel, for example .

Clicking this icon opens a popup showing current and recent importing and exporting procedures, see chapter Cloud Activity.

Uploading and processing may take some time. You can continue to work in the Sphere XG Viewer. Leave the browser window or tab open until the import is finished. Otherwise, all progress will be lost.

When the procedure is finished, the 3D model is displayed on the 3D Model tab in the project structure view.

Import or Conversion Issues with Navisworks Models

If you encounter issues while importing or converting Navisworks models, try the following solutions.

Rendering or converting a Navisworks model returns an error

If Sphere XG reports an error like Rendering of the 3D Model failed or File Conversion failed the following setting in Navisworks may be the cause:

The default option for saving .nwd files in Navisworks is to leave the option May be re-saved unchecked. As a result, the 3D model cannot be imported into Sphere XG.

To solve this issue: 

  1. Open the same set of source files in Navisworks.

  2. Go to the Output tab.

  3. In the Publish ribbon click NWD.

  4. In the configuration window mark the May be re-saved checkbox.

  5. Click OK to publish the new .nwd file set.

For more detailed information, see Navisworks (NWD) files cannot be displayed or show processing errors in cloud viewers.

Very large Navisworks model does not import or convert

If you are working with very large Navisworks models, you may encounter import or conversion issues when using .nwd or .nwc files. One effective workaround is to export the model as an .fbx file from Navisworks before importing into Sphere XG.

The resulting .fbx file contains meshed geometry (no metadata) and typically uploads and converts faster and more reliably than the original .nwd.

The visual fidelity remains nearly identical, but some smaller model details may not initially appear during streaming.