If you are wondering how to Display 3D models on your WordPress site, and still not got the answer. Well! you are at the right place, in this article you’ll learn the easiest methods to embed interactive 3D models on a website for free.
The best way to embed a 3D model to a WordPress site is by using a plugin. There are tons of plugins out there, and if you are confused about which one to choose, don’t worry, we will help you decide which you should go for.
Best 3D model plugin for WordPress
Below are some of the recommended free 3D model preview plugins for WordPress
1. VRM 360 3D Model Viewer
VRM 360 is an open-source plugin for WordPress, that allows you to display 3D models on your website for free. This plugin is simple to use and supports multiple file types including OBJ, STL, WRL, and FBX.
It is a straightforward solution to integrate 3D models into a WordPress site. It allows you to Zoom and Rotates the object, also it is easy to use, you can publish any 3D model with only a few steps.
The VRM 360 Model Viewer is built on the Threejs framework and works uninterruptedly on all the browsers. It is extremely powerful and even previews high-quality 3D models effortlessly.
How do I use VRM 360 3D model viewer
- Download and install the VRM 360 Plugin
- Upload the 3D model to WordPress Media Library
- Add a new shortcode block into your article and paste the following code by replacing the “Demo.obj” with the uploaded 3D model file URL
[vrm360 canvas_name=Demo model_url=demo.obj aspect_ratio=1.8 initial_offset=0.9]
2. Spin 360° 3D Model Viewer
Spin 360° 3D Model Viewer is developed by the same team who made VRM 360. The Spin 360 is specifically made for product listing, which allows the user to preview the product.
The difference between VRM 360 and Spin 360 is, VRM 360 previews actual 3D models with the file extension of .obj and others, whereas Spin 360 displays the sequence of images of type jpg and png. The Spin 360 shows animated video frames on the swipe which gives an illusion of a 3D model.
This plugin works best on low specs devices that struggle to render an actual 3D model, also it is completely free and easy to integrate. This plugin also allows to zoom in the model, but since it is pixelated, it gives poor results.
How to use Spin 360 3D model viewer
- Render animated frames using Blender or other 3D tool
- Make sure all the images are in one folder, and all the render outputs are named by its frame number
- Upload the animation folder to your WordPress Media Library
- Add a shortcode block and paste the following code with slight modification
[spin360 canvas_name="S1" imgs_folder="enter-image-directory" imgs_nbr=enter-total-number-of-images aspect_ratio=1.3]3. 3D Viewer block
3D Viewer is one of the best WordPress plugins to display 3D models on your website. It is a simple yet powerful tool to showcase 3D models on a site and supports a variety of file types such as .glb, .gltf, and more.
It also works the same way the above two plugins do, but what makes it easier to use is, this plugin automatically generates the shortcode for you just by uploading the 3d model, whereas, in the above-mentioned plugins, you had to alter the shortcode manually.
This plugin is available in both free and pro versions, but you can get your job done with the free version because it doesn’t show any watermark or anything.
It has support for full-screen mode, rotation, and zoom. Overall, it is a nice plugin to embed .glb and .gltf type 3D models on your site.
4. Easy 3D Viewer
The easy 3D viewer is the best plugin for WooCommerce. It basically a 3D model viewer for an eCommerce site, where you can preview and sell 3D assets.
This plugin is available in both free and paid versions, where the free version is limited to displaying the 3D model, changing the background, changing the light sources, zoom, and rotation. While in the case of the pro version, it has many unique features such as converting the 3D model to PNG format online, shortcode support for thumbnail, see wireframe view of the model, and more.
It’s an ideal plugin for a WooCommerce site with many cool features, also supports a wide range of file formats such as STL, OBJ, MTL, GLTF, GLB, and ZIP.
5. WP 3D Thingviewer Lite
This plugin has every essential feature, including, zoom, rotate, move, and more. Also, it supports many file formats such as Obj, Stl, FBX, and GLB.
The use of this plugin is simple, you just have to paste the shortcode into your article and slightly modify it, and that’s it.
[wp-3dtvl model_file="paste-the-model-url"][/wp-3dtvl]This plugin has two versions, Lite and Full. The lite version does pretty much everything, but if you want more, then you can go for the full version which will cost you around $59 and has better support for smartphones. This plugin is also compatible with WooCommerce and works as expected.
6. Threepress
Threepress is a Javascript 3D model viewer that allows you to embed interactive 3D models on your website for free. At a glance it looks it’s difficult to use, but in reality, it is simple to set up, and it’s an amazing plugin, but the only limitation is, the 3D model must be a .glb file.
It is an open-source software, works on the Three.js framework, and allows you to fully customize the layout as per your requirement. It is mostly used to create 3D model galleries, and can also be used in WooCommerce sites.