Here is a list of best free X3D viewer software for Windows. X3D is a royalty-free file format that carries both still and interactive 3D computer graphics. Apart from graphics, it also supports Compressed Binary Encoding, ClassicVRML, and JSON Encoding. This format is also quite advanced than its popular predecessor (VRML). To view and interact with 3D graphics of an X3D file, I have created this list of X3D viewers. In some of these viewers, you can also open and view 3D graphics present in WRL, X3D, DAE, OBJ, MD3, and file formats.
To help you view 3D graphics of an X3D file, these viewers provide viewing tools like Render Mode, Full-Screen Mode, Camera Positions (to view graphics from different angles), etc. As these software also support interactive 3D graphics, thus you will also be able to interact with 3D graphics through these viewers. For interaction with 3D graphics, these let you change 3D model orientation, position, distance to the screen, etc., through mouse movements. To specify the type of interaction with the 3D graphics, you can use Navigation modes such as Fly, Walk, Examine, and more.
In some X3D viewers, you can also edit 3D graphics by adding or removing nodes, 3D objects, material properties, light parameters, etc. After editing, you can save the graphics in the same format or in formats like 3DS, DWF, STL, PLY, and others. In addition to that, multiple additional tools are also present in these viewers like Test URL, Plugin Support, Statistics, Animation, etc. Go through the list to know more about these viewers.
My Favorite X3D Viewer Software For Windows:
view3dscene is my favorite software because it offers all essential 3D graphics viewing tools along with various editing tools. Plus, it also supports 3D models of various file formats like DAE, 3DS, MD3, OBJ, etc.
view3dscene
view3dscene is a free open source and portable X3D viewer software for Windows, Linux, and macOS. Using this software, you can view as well as interact with 3D vector graphics saved in an X3D file. Apart from X3D, it can also show 3D graphics of XML, DAE, 3DS, MD3, OBJ, GEO, and more file formats. To view and interact with the 3D graphics, it offers multiple tools and features.
Unlike other similar software, it can also be used to edit 3D interactive graphics. It offers a dedicated Edit tab through which you can edit the existing graphics. After viewing and editing an X3D file, you can save all the changes in the existing or in a new X3D file. Let’s take a brief look at some of the main features of this software.
Main Features:
- Display: It creates multiple copies of an interactive 3D model and shows them on the side by side windows. It also contains an advanced ray tracing feature that renders the shadows and lighting in real-time. Besides this, a fullscreen mode is also provided by it.
- Navigation: It allows you to choose one of four available navigation modes namely Examine, Turntable, Walk, and Fly. These modes change the behavior of interaction between mouse movements and 3D graphics so that you can view the graphics from every possible distance and angle.
- View: It is a tab that offers multiple tools through which you can modify the rendering type (wireframe, solid wireframe, etc.), screen effects (negative, gamma, grayscale, etc.), and shadow maps.
Additional Feature:
- Edit: It is the main editing feature of this viewer through which you can remove nodes, add new material properties, modify light parameters, edit material type, and more.
Final Thoughts:
It is my favorite X3D viewer because it not only offers various X3D model viewing tools but also offers a good set of editing tools.
FreeWRL
FreeWRL is another free open source X3D viewer software for Windows, BSD, Linux, Android, and macOS. Apart from X3D, it also supports VRML files. In it, you can view interactive 3D models contained by an X3D file. As soon as you load an X3D file in it, a new window showing the interactive 3D model will open up on the interface. Besides this, it also offers options to adjust the frame rate, resolution, and stereo properties of an interactive 3D model. Now, check out the main features of this X3D viewing software.
Main Features:
- Viewer Window: It is the main viewing section of this software in which you can view interactive 3D models and their information like screen orientation, color scheme, shading style, etc.
- Window Size: Use it to manually specify the resolution of the viewer window.
- Target FPS: It is another important feature through which you can specify the frame rate of the interactive graphics.
- Stereo Vision: Using it, you can show the interactive graphics in side by side or up and down manner. Plus, it offers tools to adjust RGB values, screen distance, and base eye distance of the 3D interactive graphics.
Additional Feature:
- Test URL: Using it, you can fetch and show graphics of the X3D file by providing its URL link to this option.
Final Thoughts:
It is a simple X3D viewer software in which you can view and interact with 3D interactive designs present in an X3D file.
H3DViewer
H3DViewer is another free X3D viewer software for Windows. It is another easy to use viewer in which you can view X3D as well as VRML (WRL) files. It also lets you interact with 3D interactive graphics of an X3D file through mouse. It even lets you trigger the predefined 3D graphics movement by pressing the left mouse button. You can also use your mouse to move 3D interactive graphics in any direction and angle. Let’s take a look at some of the main features of this viewer:
Main Features:
- Render Mode: Through this feature, you can modify the solid outer layer of the interactive graphics to either wireframe or points layer.
- Navigation: It provides three navigation modes namely examine, walk, and fly. In examine mode, you can rotate the 3D graphics around its axis. In walk mode, you can move the 3D graphics towards the left or right direction. And in fly mode, you can move the graphics in all directions.
- Full-Screen Mode: Use it to hide all the distractions and to open up the graphics in the fullscreen mode.
Additional Features:
- Plugins: In this software, you can also add external plugins like MedX3D, H3DPhysics, etc., to introduce more features to this software.
- Open File From URL: This feature allows you to access and open X3D files present on the internet by using their URL links.
Final Thoughts:
It is a handy X3D viewer software in which you can easily open and interact with 3D graphics.
Instant Player
Instant Player is yet another free X3D viewer software for Windows, macOS, and Linux. With the help of this software, you can view interactive 3D graphics or models present in X3D, VRML, and OpenGS files. To interact with graphics, this software lets you use your mouse to zoom in, rotate, and move the model. Now, let’s take a look at some of the main X3D viewing features of this software.
Main Features:
- Render Mode: Using it, you can change the rendering mode that reflects in the outer layer of the model. It offers three rendering modes namely Filled, Points, and Wireframe. In the Filled mode, you can view the solid outer layer of the model. In Points rendering mode, the outer layer is represented by dots or points. In wireframe mode, the outer layer is made using a wireframe structure.
- Activate Fullscreen: It opens up an X3D file model in the entire screen and hides all the distracting tools and features.
- Reset Camera Position: You can use this feature to return the model to its actual position after viewing it from different angles.
Additional Features:
- Statistics: It shows various statistics about the interactive graphics like Material Changes, FrameTime, Range, Nodes, and more.
Final Thoughts:
It is a standard lightweight X3D viewer in which you can view interactive 3D graphics with ease.
SwirlX3D Viewer
SwirlX3D Viewer is the next free X3D viewer software for Windows. In this viewer, you can view and interact with 3D graphics of X3D and many other formats like SW3D, WRL, OBJ, PLY, 3DS, STL, and more. As soon as you load an X3D file in it, you can view the 3D graphics on its interface that you can easily move and rotate to view it from different angles. Let’s take a look at the main viewing features of this X3D viewer.
Main Features:
- Viewpoint Tour: It is a handy feature that automatically changes the distance, angle, and direction of a 3D graphics to give you an overview of the graphics.
- Movement: It offers two-movement modes namely Fly and Examine to slightly modify the interaction behavior between mouse movements and 3D graphics. In both modes, you can rotate the graphics around its axis using mouse movements.
- Manual Position Tools: In the toolbar, you get various position tools through which you can quickly turn a 3D graphics in right, down, top, and other positions.
- Headlight: Through this feature, you can disable or enable the main light source for the X3D graphics.
Additional Feature:
- Check Missing Textures: This feature analyzes the 3D graphics of an X3D file to find out missing texture elements if any.
Final Thoughts:
It is a nice X3D viewer software in which you can easily view and interact with graphics of an X3D or other supported files. Plus, it offers multiple ways to interact with 3D graphics.
NuGraf
NuGraf is a free CAD software that can also be used as the X3D viewer software. It works on Windows. As it is mainly a CAD software, thus you can also use it to view 3D models and graphics present in a variety of files like 3DS, OBJ, STL, FBX, DAE, STP, and more. The good thing about this software is its ability to show 3D graphics in four different angles on four side by side windows. Plus, a good set of editing tools are also present in it through which you can make various changes to X3D design.
Main Features:
- Multi Views: It offers multiple direct options to view the graphics from the bottom, top, left side, and other directions.
- Views: It is a tab that allows you to drop shadows on a 3D grid, enable/disable OpenGL texture, enable/disable grid color, enable/disable wireframe, etc.
- Animation Panel: It is present at the bottom of the window through which you can simulate the movements stored with the 3D graphics. At the time of running the simulation, it also shows the real-time frame rates.
- Camera: Using it, you can manually change the camera position. To adjust the camera position, it offers tools like tilt, orbit, set camera target, roll camera, and more.
- Render: It lets you render the movements of 3D graphics that you can save in AVI file format.
Additional Features:
- Geometry: It is an editing tool that lets you add various 3D objects to an existing 3D design like a cylinder, disk, prism, cone, etc.
- Export 3D Geometry: After viewing and editing an X3D file model, you can use this option to export the 3D graphics in formats like 3DS, DWF, STL, PLY, FBX, and more.
Limitation:
This free version of this software comes with a major limitation that limits it to show every fifth polygon of a 3D graphics. To remove this limitation, you need to purchase the paid version of this software.
Final Thoughts:
It is a feature-rich X3D viewer software in which you can view as well as edit various aspects of an X3D graphics.
X3DGlutViewer
X3DGlutViewer is a free and portable X3D viewer software for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It is a straightforward software through which you can view and interact with a 3D graphics or model of an X3D file. At a time, you can load and view one X3D file in it. After loading an X3D file, you can use your mouse to interact with the model. Besides this, it does not offer any other tool or feature.
Main Features:
- Viewer Window: This software offers a distraction-free viewer window in which you can view 3D interactive models with all their colors and shades.
- Mouse Interaction: After viewing the X3D 3D graphics, you can grab the graphics and move your mouse to rotate the 3D graphics in any direction.
Limitation:
- This software lacks many viewing features and it is also quite unreliable as it is not able to open up most of the X3D files that I have tested.
Final Thoughts:
It is a decent X3D viewer software if you just need to view and interact with 3D graphics.