> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.speckle.systems/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

> ## Agent Instructions
> These docs describe Speckle as it works today, including everything released in 2026.9. Treat page content as current unless the page or section says it applies only to versions published before 2026.9.
> Content scoped to versions published before 2026.9 (the object graph and root object, Proxies, Receive2, operations.receive, object.children) applies only to model versions in that earlier data format. For versions published in 2026.9, answer from the Object model pages and the SDK migration guides.
> The What's new pages summarise what changed in 2026.9 and link to the page that documents each change. Answer from the linked page rather than from the summary. Legacy (v2) connectors are retired; send questions about them to the community help forum.
> Match guidance to the customer's deployment, model data format, connector, plan and permissions. Self-hosted servers on a release before 2026.9 and compatibility-mode workflows follow the Compatibility mode page. If an unknown version or data format changes the answer, ask one focused question; do not infer the deployment version from the date alone.

# Open and explore models in the 3D viewer

> Open a model in the Speckle web app, find your way around the viewer panels and tools, and pick the right page for inspecting, filtering, measuring, and sharing.

The 3D viewer opens any model you publish to Speckle in your browser. Geometry starts appearing
while the model is still downloading. Panels for **Models**, **Filters**, **Views**, **Issues**,
**Selection**, and **Elements** dock around the canvas, and the toolbar holds **Section**,
**Sketch**, and **Measure**.

<Warning>
  The 3D viewer requires WebGPU. There is no fallback. Firefox on macOS currently allows eight GPU
  storage buffer bindings, and the viewer needs nine, so models do not open there — use Chrome,
  Edge, or Safari.
</Warning>

## Open a model

Open a project, then select a model. Large models use a hybrid load. A first overlay can show
**Preparing 3D stream** or **Downloading model**. Once geometry starts painting, the overlay goes
away and a progress stack in the top-right corner continues in the background. The downloaded copy
is stored locally, so opening the same version again prefers that cache.

You should see objects in the scene before the background download finishes.

When you open an earlier version of a model, its card in **Models** shows **Older version**.
Select that badge to load the latest version.

<Note>
  Point clouds do not render in the viewer yet. Everything else in the model loads normally, and
  your point cloud data is unchanged — the points are not drawn.
</Note>

<Note>
  Some colours and materials do not render yet. Affected objects show as flat grey, even though the
  colour is in the published data. Known cases are coloured meshes and geometry with a **Color**
  input from Grasshopper, Civil 3D surfaces with materials, and models published before your project
  moved to the 2026.9 data format. Your data is unchanged, and connectors that load the model keep
  the colours.
</Note>

## Find your way around

* The **top bar** shows where you are (project, then model) and holds **Share**.
* The **left sidebar** holds the workspace switcher and the **Models**, **Filters**, **Views**,
  and **Issues** tabs. **Selection** sits under those tabs and shows properties for the current
  pick.
* **Elements** sits in the bottom dock and lists every object in the loaded models.
* The **toolbar** at the bottom of the canvas holds fit, **Section**, **Sketch**, **Measure**,
  **Save view**, and **Copy view link**.
* The **status bar** holds panel icons, undo, redo, fit, **Screenshot**, keyboard shortcuts, and
  **Settings**.
* The **navigation cube** at the bottom-right of the canvas sets standard camera directions.

Panels are dockable: you can regroup, move, hide, and restore them. See [Interface and
navigation](/3d-viewer/interface-nav).

## What you can do

| To… | Use | Page |
| - | - | - |
| See an object's properties and relations | **Selection** | [Interface and navigation](/3d-viewer/interface-nav#select-and-inspect) |
| Group the model tree by a property | **Models** → **Group by…** | [Interface and navigation](/3d-viewer/interface-nav#group-objects-in-the-tree) |
| Show only what matches a property, or colour by it | **Filters** | [Exploration](/3d-viewer/exploration#filter-and-color) |
| Browse or export every object as a table | **Elements** | [Exploration](/3d-viewer/exploration#browse-objects-in-elements) |
| Cut through the model or measure it | **Section**, **Measure** | [Exploration](/3d-viewer/exploration#cut-with-section-planes) |
| Draw on the model for feedback | **Sketch** | [Sketch on your model](/3d-viewer/markups) |
| Save and share a viewpoint | **Views** | [Saved views](/3d-viewer/saved-views) |
| Add other models to the scene | **Models** | [Model federation](/3d-viewer/federation) |
| Raise and track issues | **Issues** | [Issues](/3d-viewer/issues) |
| Ask questions about the loaded models | The sparkle at the top right | [Speckle Intelligence](/analytics/intelligence) |
| Batch-edit parameters | **Elements** → **Update parameters** | [Parameter Updater](/beta/parameter-updater) |
| Share a link or embed the model | **Share** | [Share your models](/3d-viewer/sharing) |

## Issues in the viewer

**Issues** lists issues for the models in the scene. Open it with Shift+I. Opening an issue that
was created in this viewer restores the camera, filters, visibility, and selection stored with it.
Right-click an issue card, or use **⋯**, for **Open issue page**, which opens the full issue in a
new tab.

To tie an issue to particular objects, select them in the scene before you select **New issue**.
The selection is stored with the issue, along with the camera, filters, and visibility at the
moment you create it. An issue raised with nothing selected stores the view only. Fields,
assignment, and permissions are on [Issues](/3d-viewer/issues).

<Note>
  Issues are available on every Speckle plan, on Speckle Cloud and on self-hosted servers.
</Note>

An issue created in the viewer before 2026.9 can show **Legacy issue — its view can't be applied
here yet**. Its details still open.

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Why can't I see my point cloud?">
    Point clouds are not drawn in the viewer yet. Re-publishing or re-uploading the model will not
    change what you see, and connectors that load the point cloud keep working. Uploading an `.e57`
    file is a separate case — see [Direct uploads](/connectors/direct-uploads/introduction).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why does my coloured model show as grey?">
    Some colours and materials are not drawn yet. Your data is unchanged. If the model was published
    before your project moved to the 2026.9 data format, publish it again from the source
    application to restore the colours. For Grasshopper colours and Civil 3D surface materials,
    publishing again does not help yet. If the colour stands for a property such as status or
    category, use **Color by values** on that property in **Filters** instead.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Where did View changes (compare versions) go?">
    The viewer has no dedicated diff view. Ask Speckle Intelligence to compare two versions and
    summarise what changed — see [Assess model changes with Speckle
    Intelligence](/workflows/assess-model-changes).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Where did the section box, view modes, explode, and lighting go?">
    The viewer cuts with individual section planes instead of a box — see [Cut with section
    planes](/3d-viewer/exploration#cut-with-section-planes). View modes (Pen, Arctic, Shaded),
    explode, and lighting controls are not in this viewer. Projection and the grid are in the status
    bar **Settings**.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why does my embedded model have no filters or toolbar?">
    Embeds show the 3D scene only. The model tree, **Filters**, selection details, and the toolbar
    do not appear inside an embed on another site, whichever embed options you choose. Your model
    and its data are unchanged. Open the model in the web app to filter, select, or measure.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why won't a model open in Firefox on macOS?">
    Firefox on macOS supports WebGPU, but it currently allows only eight GPU storage buffer
    bindings, the WebGPU specification minimum. The viewer needs nine, so the model will not open.
    Other browsers on macOS allow ten or more, and Windows and Android browsers generally allow
    sixteen or more. Until Firefox raises the limit, use Chrome, Edge, or Safari.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>


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