Best practices
3DVue

Accepted formats

The 3DVue platform accepts several 3D formats. GLTF is the recommended format — it offers the best quality-to-file-size ratio for real-time web rendering.

Converting from SolidWorks — STEP / STL → GLTF

Files from CAD software (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, CATIA) are generally in .STEP, .STP or .STL format. They must be converted before integration.

1. Open FreeCAD
2. Import the STEP/STL file
   Ctrl + I → select your .stp or .stl file

3. Export to GLTF or DAE
   Ctrl + E → choose DAE or GLTF format

Online converter (quick alternative):
   https://imagetostl.com/fr/convertir/un-fichier/stp/en/glb

Export from Blender

If you work directly in Blender, here are the recommended GLTF export settings for the 3DVue platform. Using Draco compression significantly reduces the file size.

Format:          glTF Binary (.glb)  ← bundles everything into one file
Compression:     Draco enabled       ← reduces file size by 60–80%
Textures:        Include → check
Materials:       Export materials → check
Transforms:      Apply → check       ← required, see Transforms section

Blender collection naming

Scripts automate the export of GLTF files and UV maps. For them to work correctly, Blender collections must follow a precise structure.

Collection
  └── product-name             ← no accents or spaces
        ├── modelisation         ← all 3D objects
        └── gltf                 ← generated export files

Correct examples:
  product-name: butterfly-chair      ✓
  product-name: tolix-chair-a        ✓

Incorrect examples:
  product-name: Butterfly Chair      ✗ uppercase + space
  product-name: siège-étagère        ✗ accented characters

Transforms & scale

• Always apply transforms Ctrl + A → All Transforms before exporting — otherwise UV maps are incorrect
• Work at scale 1 (real-world scale in metres) — avoids scale errors in the configurator
• If an object does not touch the ground (e.g. a pendant light), add an invisible plane named RA sized 0.0001m at position 0,0,0 for augmented reality

Recommended Blender addons

These addons are used systematically by the 3DVue team to guarantee quality UVs on all projects.

Texel Density consistency

Texel density defines how many texture pixels cover a given real surface area. If two objects from the same client have different texel densities, a wood texture will appear at different scales on each object — which is not realistic.

Favour UV unwraps based on seams with the Conformal method — except for objects with a uniform colour that do not need a precise unwrap.

UV for SVG proofing

When the configurator uses an SVG proof (personalisation with logo upload or text), additional rules apply to UV unwrapping.

• All UVs must fit on a single UV map
• Export the UV map at 4096×4096 px
• The GLTF must correspond exactly to the exported UV map
• A Blender script automates the export of the GLTF and UV map — collections must be correctly named for it to work
• If needed, paint on the UV map to assist with creating the Illustrator file (pattern alignment)

Texture file naming

Each PBR channel corresponds to a texture file with a standardised name. The platform identifies the role of each texture by its name.

Formats & resolution

• Square format required — 1024×1024 or 2048×2048 (maximum 2K)
• File format: PNG (recommended for transparency and quality) or JPEG (lighter file size)
• An overly heavy normal map can be losslessly compressed via imagecompressor.com

General rules

• Square format required, 4K resolution (4096×4096 px)
• Naming: BAT-modelname-dimension_albedo.svg
• No accented characters, no spaces in the file name
• All editable elements must be vectorised in the SVG — no raster elements

Format:  BAT-modelname-dimension_albedo.svg

Examples:
  BAT-matchjersey-sizeL_albedo.svg    ✓
  BAT-cup-25cl_albedo.svg             ✓
  BAT-match jersey size L albedo.svg  ✗ spaces not allowed
  BAT-matchjersey-sizelé_albedo.svg   ✗ accented characters not allowed

Illustrator layer structure

Illustrator layers must be organised according to a precise structure so that the configurator can identify editable zones and reference zones.

SVG export from Illustrator

• Vectorise all editable elements before export — Shift + Ctrl + O
• Name the exported file using the convention designname_albedo.svg
• No raster elements in the exported file — everything must be vector
• Check that the gabarit and présentation layers are hidden on export

Include the script

Add the script once in your <head> or before </body>. One inclusion is enough for all pages of your site.

<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/3dvue/api@v4/viewer-3dvue-min.js"></script>

Declare the component

Place the <viewer-3dvue> tag where you want the viewer to appear. Two attributes are required: name (unique identifier on the page) and src (URL of your configurator, provided by 3DVue at delivery).

<!-- Required attributes -->
<viewer-3dvue
  name="myViewer"
  src="https://app.3dvue.fr/view?p=AB01-CD02"
></viewer-3dvue>

<!-- With debug enabled (console logs) -->
<viewer-3dvue
  name="myViewer"
  src="https://app.3dvue.fr/view?p=AB01-CD02"
  debug
></viewer-3dvue>

Control without JavaScript

The component automatically listens for click and change events on any element carrying the attributes below. No JavaScript needed.

<!-- Button that changes multiple materials on click -->
<button
  viewer-3dvue="myViewer"
  viewer-3dvue-clic="setMaterial"
  viewer-3dvue-meshs-materials='{"1":"0n","3":"2b"}'
>
  Midnight Blue
</button>

<!-- Select that applies the chosen value -->
<select
  viewer-3dvue="myViewer"
  viewer-3dvue-change="setMaterial"
  viewer-3dvue-mesh="2,4"
>
  <option value="0n">Red</option>
  <option value="1a">Blue</option>
</select>

JavaScript API

For advanced cases — dynamic loading, image capture, SVG export. Retrieve the component reference via querySelector.

// Get the component reference
const viewer = document.querySelector('viewer-3dvue[name="myViewer"]');

// Change materials
viewer.setMaterial({ "1": "0n", "3": "2b" });

// Capture the current render
viewer.captureToBase64();
viewer.addEventListener("onCaptureBase64Complete", (e) => {
  const { base64, error } = e.detail;
  if (!error) document.querySelector("#preview").src = base64;
});