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Microsoft 3D Viewer

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3D Viewer
Other namesMixed Reality Viewer, View 3D
DeveloperMicrosoft
Release11 March 2016; 10 years ago (2016-03-11)
Final release
February 2026 Update (7.2602.8012.0) / 11 February 2026; 5 months ago (2026-02-11)[1]
Operating systemWindows 10 Version 1709 to Windows 11 Version 26H1
PlatformIA-32, x86-64, ARM32, ARM64
SuccessorBabylon.js
Available in65 languages[1]
List of languages
  • Afrikaans
  • Albanian
  • Amharic
  • Arabic
  • Azerbaijani
  • Bangla (Bangladesh)
  • Basque
  • Belarusian
  • Bulgarian
  • Catalan
  • Chinese (Simplified)
  • Chinese (Traditional)
  • Croatian
  • Czech
  • Danish
  • Dutch
  • English (United Kingdom)
  • English (United States)
  • Estonian
  • Filipino
  • Finnish
  • French
  • French (Canada)
  • Galician
  • German
  • Greek
  • Hausa (Latin)
  • Hebrew
  • Hindi
  • Hungarian
  • Icelandic
  • Indonesian
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • Kannada
  • Kazakh
  • Khmer
  • Kiswahili
  • Korean
  • Lao
  • Latvian
  • Lithuanian
  • Macedonian
  • Malay
  • Malayalam
  • Norwegian (Nynorsk)
  • Persian
  • Polish
  • Portuguese (Brazil)
  • Portuguese (Portugal)
  • Romanian
  • Russian
  • Serbian (Latin, Serbia)
  • Slovak
  • Slovenian (Slovenia)
  • Spanish (Latin America)
  • Spanish (Spain)
  • Swedish
  • Tamil
  • Telugu
  • Thai
  • Turkish
  • Ukrainian
  • Uzbek
  • Vietnamese
Type3D modeling
LicenseProprietary, commercial software
Websiteapps.microsoft.com/detail/9nblggh42ths at the Wayback Machine (archived November 12, 2025)

3D Viewer[2] (formerly Mixed Reality Viewer and before that, View 3D)[3][4][5] was a retired 3D computer graphics viewer and augmented reality application that was first released in March 2016. It supports multiple file formats, including the .fbx, .3mf, .obj, and .stl.[6]

The Mixed Reality Viewer was introduced in Windows 10 1703 and superseded by Babylon.js in 2026.

History

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On the first launch, 3D Viewer automatically loads a "Bee.glb" file and renders an animated wasp[citation needed] on a grey background. Users can change the viewing angle, select and watch one of the available animations (defined in the 3D file) or adjust either of the 3 light sources. The light setup can be saved as "themes" and applied to other 3D objects quickly. The app also features four "Quick Animations".

These are ways in which the app can showcase the 3D object by changing the viewing angle. For example, the "Turntable" item rotates the viewpoint around the object latitudinally. If the device running the app is equipped with a camera, the app can create a mixed reality experience that will allow you to tap on a surface you are viewing, and the 3D model will drop onto that surface. It will then make a rudimentary attempt at SLAM in order to keep the object in place.[jargon]

In the Windows 10, View 3D was renamed to Mixed Reality Viewer on September 6, 2017 and later was replaced by 3D Viewer on October 1, 2018.[4][2]

On February 4, 2026, Microsoft announced that Support for 3D Viewer ended on June 30, 2026 and was removed from the Microsoft Store on July 1, 2026, replaced by the Babylon.js.[7][8][9][10]

Functions

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3D Viewer can post a file to the Remix 3D website, open it in Paint 3D, or send it to the Print 3D app (formerly 3D Builder) for 3D printing.[11] When in Mixed Reality mode, the 3D Viewer can also capture photos and videos of the scene that has your 3D model augmented into it.

Availability

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3D Viewer is no longer included with the operating system as of Windows 11, but can still be downloaded from the Microsoft Store until July 1, 2026.[12][10]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 "3D Viewer". Microsoft Apps. Archived from the original on 2025-11-12. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
  2. 1 2 "Mixed Reality Viewer renamed to '3D Viewer' for Skip Ahead Insiders". Windows Central. 2018-10-01. Archived from the original on 2021-05-16. Retrieved 2018-10-01.
  3. ↑ "Microsoft's new View 3D app lets Windows 10 users interface". MSPoweruser. 2016-12-08. Archived from the original on 2022-12-10. Retrieved 2019-01-30.
  4. 1 2 "View 3D renamed to Mixed Reality Viewer for 'Skip Ahead' Insiders". Windows Central. 2017-09-06. Archived from the original on 2018-12-14. Retrieved 2017-09-06.
  5. ↑ "View 3D App Finally Allows Windows 10 Users to Add 3D Models to their Environments". IT Pro. 2017-08-31. Archived from the original on 2022-12-10. Retrieved 2019-01-30.
  6. ↑ Hay, Richard (9 December 2016). "App Tour: View 3D for Windows 10 Redstone 2 (Creators Update)". IT Pro Today. Informa. Archived from the original on 31 July 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  7. ↑ "Resources for deprecated features in the Windows client". Microsoft Learm. Archived from the original on 2026-02-15. Retrieved 2026-02-15.
  8. ↑ "Windows 11: After Paint 3D, Microsoft is removing 3D Viewer, as the "Creators Update" era fades away". Windows Latest. Archived from the original on 2026-02-09. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
  9. ↑ "Microsoft quietly kills off 3D Viewer app — the Mixed Reality-era app will disappear from the Microsoft Store later this year". Windows Central. Archived from the original on 2026-02-05. Retrieved 2026-02-04.
  10. 1 2 "Microsoft removes 3D Viewer from the store, ending new installs". Neowin. Archived from the original on 2026-07-02. Retrieved 2026-07-01.
  11. ↑ Litchfield, Steve (May 10, 2017). "How to: use View 3D in Windows 10 Mobile Creators Update". All About Windows Phone. Archived from the original on 31 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  12. ↑ "Windows 11 Specifications - Microsoft". Windows. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
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