Interface and Navigation

The Speckle model viewer allows you to explore your 3D models directly in your browser. Below is a guide to help you understand the interface and how to interact with your model.

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Overview

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Top Navigation

• Workspace (top-left):
  Displays your current workspace.
  Click to switch to a different one or access workspace settings:

• Navigation (top-center):
  Shows your location in Speckle:
  All Projects → Project → Model

• Share button (top-right):
  Click to share the model via link or manage access permissions.

• User avatar (top-right corner):
  Access your account settings or sign out.

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Toolbar (left sidebar)

From top to bottom:

1. Models: Manage model versions and add or remove models from the scene.
2. Scene explorer: Explore your model’s data and apply filters.
3. Discussions: View and participate in comments and discussions within the model.
4. Measure: Take quick measurements directly in the 3D view.
5. View modes: Switch between different visual styles (e.g., Pen, Arctic, Shaded).
6. Views: Change camera angles (e.g., Top, Front, Side).
7. Fit: Automatically center and fit the model to your screen.
8. Light controls: Adjust lighting settings to improve visibility and contrast.
9. Projection: Toggle between perspective and orthographic camera views.
10. Section: Use the section box to slice through the model and inspect interior geometry.
11. Explode model: Explode components of the model to better understand its structure.
12. Free orbit: Allows full 360° orbiting around and beneath the model.

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Selection Info Panel (right sidebar)

Speckle is a platform designed to streamline data exchange and collaboration in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries. It connects various design and modeling software—such as Revit, Rhino, Grasshopper, AutoCAD, and others—and enables the extraction of detailed object properties from each.

Each software plugin in Speckle translates native objects (like walls, beams, or curves) into a standardized Speckle format. During this process, key properties—such as geometry, materials, dimensions, and metadata—are captured and stored in Speckle. These properties remain intact and are accessible regardless of the originating software.

Once extracted, Speckle allows users to visualize and explore these objects and their properties in a web-based 3D viewer using the Selection info panel.

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Visibility Controls

With an object or objects selected, you can control their visibility or isolation from the rest of the model using the following buttons.

• Hide and isolate controls:
  Located at the top-left of the panel:

  • Hide: Temporarily removes selected object(s) from view.
  • Isolate: Hides everything except the selected object(s).

• Open object in a new window:
  Located at the top-right corner of the panel:

  • Clicking this button opens a new window focused solely on the selected object. This is an excellent way to isolate and explore unique objects in greater detail or to share them with external collaborators for inspection.

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Object Properties

All objects have a set of properties that are used to describe them. These properties are extracted from the original software and stored in Speckle. How many properties are available depends on the host application. The object properties panel provides detailed information about any object selected within your Speckle model. This metadata is essential for understanding the object’s characteristics and for making informed decisions during collaboration and analysis.

When you select an object, this panel will display key attributes, including but not limited to:

• id, name, volume, type, and more