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If all we need is a simple 3D model viewer, then the free 3D Viewer plugin works very well.

It was super easy to set up with a .glb file. Just upload the file, choose a background color that makes your model easy to see, and add the shortcode anywhere on the course page.

The shortcode can be added anywhere on the page along with other elements like images and text blocks. The two embeds here are the same plugin, surrounded by different page elements.

Tested on:

  • Firefox
  • Google Chrome
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Mobile Safari

All tests went well, I didn’t notice any issues.

Using this method, I think we could easily make clear, visual instruction pages similar to iFixIt, for example: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Framework+Laptop+16-Inch+Wi-Fi+Card+Replacement/169784

Similarly, the Visody 3D viewer plugin offers the same features and ease of use.

For a $90 lifetime 1-site license, we could also add walkthroughs with hotspots and annotations, as seen in this demo: https://visody.com/product/model-walk-through-hotspots/

These plugin options are nice in that they are hosted on our own domain, therefore easier for school IT teams to whitelist.

AR is not supported on this device
For an embed option, Sketchfab was easy to upload to and embed onto our site.

It also allows you to add annotations directly to the model.

The only drawback I’ve found so far is that it’s an external embed, so it may get blocked on some school networks.

Here is what a PDF with 3D models would look like.

However, I wasn’t able to interact with the 3D models outside of Acrobat. It doesn’t look like Chrome, Firefox, or Edge’s PDF viewers support 3D content. This option also isn’t as mobile-friendly.

I didn’t find an easy way to make this work without requiring our users to install Acrobat, but if there is a way that I’m unaware of, then the main benefit would be that we can use the same print files for digital instructions. But, if we weren’t going to print these instructions anyway, or if we were wanting to make separate print and digital instructions regardless, then the other embed options will work better for the website.

Easemble lets you build step-by-step manuals based on a 3D model. It costs about $25 /product /month if you need multiple instruction manuals.

The editor was chugging really badly for me and it was not great to work with. Your mileage and patience may vary. I tried on Firefox and Chrome with the same results.

It also requires the mobile app to view the manual, and does not offer a web view or website embed option.