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PlayCanvas Adds Sketchfab Integration

· 3 min read
Will Eastcott
Will Eastcott
CEO

Today, we're excited to announce the integration of Sketchfab into the PlayCanvas Editor!

"Spartan Armour" by McCarthy3D is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

With today's launch you'll have instant access to Sketchfab's enormous library of high quality 3D content right inside the Editor.

What Is Sketchfab?​

Sketchfab is a platform that allows users to publish, share and discover 3D content on the web. You can think of it as a sort of "YouTube for 3D models". The platform hosts millions of 3D models in various formats, including glTF, OBJ, STL, and more.

Users can upload their 3D models to Sketchfab and embed them in other websites much like one would embed a YouTube video. This has made it popular for showcasing 3D models for a wide range of uses including game assets, 3D scans, architectural models, and educational content.

Accessing Sketchfab from the Asset Store​

Earlier this month, we announced the brand new PlayCanvas Asset Store. The Asset Store is an in-Editor panel of useful assets that you can use in your projects. With a few clicks, you can browse, discover and import various types of content. So it is the obvious place to incorporate the vast Sketchfab content library.

To access the Sketchfab library, simply hit the Asset Store button on the Asset Panel header and select the SKETCHFAB filter on the left.

Open Sketchfab

Authorizing PlayCanvas to Access Sketchfab​

If you want to import models from Sketchfab into PlayCanvas, you first need to create a Sketchfab account. Then, the first time you try to import a Sketchfab model in the Asset Store, you will be asked to authorize PlayCanvas to access your Sketchfab account.

Authorize Sketchfab

It's so quick and easy!

New License and Author Info for Assets​

Sketchfab assets are all tagged with a license and an author. When you import Sketchfab content into your PlayCanvas projects, it's important that we preserve this information. Now, when you click on any imported asset, you'll see we've added links to license and author information in the Inspector panel.

Sketchfab Licenses

This ensures that the author's licensing wishes are respected and that they recieve credit for their work.

Go Forth and Create​

With today's release, it's never been easier to create interactive 3D experiences for the web. We hope you love the new Sketchfab integration. But, as always, we love to hear your opinions so head over to the forum and join the conversation. Happy creating! 🚧👷