Smart Web Export · STEP
Online STEP viewer
that you can share
Drop a .step or .stp file: it is converted in your browser and shown in 3D, exact edges included. No account, no CAD software. To send it to a client, a supplier or a workshop, publish it as a link and a QR code.
First link without an account Publish in one click, no form: your model is online for 24 hours, with its link and QR code. One trial only; the free account then keeps that link.
Your file stays on your computer: Smart Web Export (acrealab.com) converts it in your browser. No account needed for the preview.
The account, risk-free
- Free, no credit card, no commitment.
- It ties your published models to you: only you can edit, pause or delete them.
- An e-mail address and a password. No data resale, no advertising.
No CAD software
Neither for you nor for whoever receives the link.
Converted on your computer
Your STEP file never leaves it. Only the model you publish goes online.
First link without an account
Your first export is published with no account and no form: a 24-hour trial link, which the free account then keeps.
On a phone, in AR
Your client places the model in the room: iPhone, iPad, and Android with Chrome.
How it works
From your STEP file to a shared link
Drop the file
A .step or .stp exported from SolidWorks, Fusion, Inventor, CATIA, Creo, Onshape or FreeCAD, among others. Conversion runs in your browser.
Set up the display
Split the model by material or by component, into up to six layers your client can hide. Pick the background, the edges, the opening view and the measuring unit. A preview shows the final result.
Publish and share
Publish, with no account the first time (a 24-hour trial link): you get a short link and a QR code. Your client opens the model in a browser, with nothing to install.
On the other side of the link
What your client sees
They turn the part or assembly, zoom in on details, and show or hide the groups you defined. They measure a distance between two points themselves, with the gap on each axis, in the unit you chose. On a phone, they place the model at real size in the room, in augmented reality.
They cannot change anything: they explore what you decided to show.
STEP files: what to know
- Extensions
- .step and .stp
- Exported by
- SolidWorks, Fusion, Inventor, CATIA, Creo, Onshape, FreeCAD, among others
- Edges
- Exact, taken from the STEP file
- Layers
- Split by material or by component, up to six hideable layers
- Published size
- Up to 52 MB once converted and compressed
- Very large assemblies
- Conversion in the browser has about 4 GB of memory: a very large assembly (measured case: a 157 MB file) may not go through.
- What goes online
- Only the converted 3D model, and only when you publish. The STEP file stays on your computer.
Questions
How do I open a STEP file without CAD software?
Drop it in the area at the top of this page, or directly into Smart Web Export: it is converted in your browser and shown in 3D, with no account and nothing to install.
Is my STEP file sent to a server?
Not for the preview: conversion runs on your computer. If you publish, only the converted 3D model goes online, visible to the people you give the link to. The STEP file itself is never sent.
Does my client need to install anything?
No. They open the link or scan the QR code in their browser, on a phone, tablet or computer, with no account and no app.
Is it free?
Yes, to convert, set up and publish: the free account, with no credit card, keeps up to 3 models online at a time, each visible for 7 days. An expired link frees its slot: you can publish another one. Paid plans add your logo, a free choice of duration, more models and view counts. The embed code is included from the free account.
What about other formats?
Smart Web Export also handles: IFC viewer, sharing a SketchUp model, OBJ, STL and GLB viewer.
My assembly is very heavy. What can I do?
Conversion has about 4 GB of memory in the browser. If a very large assembly does not go through, export part of it, or simplify it in your CAD software. Smart Web Export can also reduce a model that is too heavy before sending it.
Can my client measure the part?
Yes, if you turn measuring on: they measure a distance between two points, with the gap on each axis. While measuring, the view flattens so that edges line up with the X, Y and Z axes. The distance carries a ≈ sign, since it depends on exactly where you click: it helps to get a sense of size, it does not replace a dimensioned drawing.