Type of site 3D models platform Website sketchfab.com Commercial Yes | Available in English Alexa rank 8,336 (March 2017) Registration Free | |
Sketchfab is a website used to publish, share and discover 3D and VR content online. It provides a viewer based on the WebGL and WebVR technologies that allows to display 3D models on the web, to be viewed on any mobile browser, desktop browser or Virtual Reality headset.
Contents
The company behind it is today based in Paris and New York City. Sketchfab took part in the Spring 2013 TechStars New York City startup accelerator program, raised $2 million in December 2013 and $7 million in June 2015.
Service
The main product of Sketchfab is a 3D and VR model viewer. It enables viewers to move freely around or inside the 3D scene using mouse, touch manipulation or in Virtual Reality. In addition to static 3D models, the viewer is able to play and control 3D animations. Viewers can enable the Virtual Reality mode to make the model viewable in Virtual Reality headsets.
The 3D viewer is used on the Sketchfab website but can also be embedded on external websites, notably on Facebook, Twitter or Wordpress.
Sketchfab provides a community portal, where visitors can browse, rate and download public user generated 3D models. Users of Sketchfab have profile pages, premium users can customize and share their models privately (the online portfolio feature is now deprecated). Sketchfab users can choose to make their 3D model files available for download under Creative Commons licenses, this feature places the Sketchfab website as a 3D printing marketplace since some downloadable models are compatible with 3D printing. The Sketchfab 3D model library can be browsed within Virtual Reality.
A selection of Sketchfab models are available within a native application for the following VR headsets: Google Cardboard, Samsung Gear VR, HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.
3D models can be uploaded to Sketchfab from its website or directly from various 3D software, using plugins (for example for 3ds Max or SketchUp) or natively (from Blender or Adobe Photoshop).
Technology
Sketchfab relies on the WebGL JavaScript API to display 3D on web pages in all major modern web browsers. It does not rely on third-party plugins.
Sketchfab implements the WebVR JavaScript API to provide a Virtual Reality mode of its viewer on compatible VR headset.
The 3D viewer uses the open-source OSG.JS JavaScript library, a library created and largely maintained by Sketchfab employees. Rendering is achieved using classic real-time rendering or physically based rendering.
Company
Sketchfab was initially created by entrepreneur and 3D developer Cédric Pinson under the domain name ShowWebGL in early 2011. He was joined in early 2012 by Alban Denoyel, and they relaunched the site under the name Sketchfab in March 2012. Pierre-Antoine Passet joined as CPO in September 2012.
Startup accelerators
The startup was part of the third batch of the French startup accelerator Le Camping in June 2012. It was later selected into Mozilla’s WebFWD accelerator program during that same year. The year after, Sketchfab was selected in the Spring 2013 TechStars class in New York City.
Fundraising
In February 2013, Sketchfab raised an angel round of 370,000 euros. Less than one year after, in December 2013, Sketchfab raised $2 million from Balderton Capital with Partech Ventures, Borealis Ventures, David Cohen and existing angel investors also participated in the funding. In June 2015, Sketchfab raised a $7 Million Series A led by FirstMark Capital.