Sketchfab

Sketchfab
Type of site
 3D models platform
Available in English
Website sketchfab.com
Alexa rank 13,179 (July 2016)[1]
Commercial Yes
Registration free
Users 500,000[2]
Launched 2012
Current status Active

Sketchfab is a website used to display and share 3D content online. The company behind it was launched in France and is today based in Paris and New York City. It provides a 3D model viewer based on the WebGL technology that allows to display 3D models on any mobile, desktop webpage or VR headset. Sketchfab took part in the Spring 2013 TechStars New York City startup accelerator program,[3] raised $2 million in December 2013 and $7 million in June 2015.

Service

The main product of Sketchfab is a 3D model viewer. It enables viewers to move freely around or inside the 3D scene using mouse or touch manipulation. In addition to static 3D models, the viewer is able to play and control 3D animations. Finally, viewers can enable the Virtual Reality mode to make the model viewable in Virtual Reality headsets.

The 3D viewer is used on the Sketchfab website but can also be embedded on external websites, notably on Facebook,[4][5] Twitter[6] or Wordpress.

Sketchfab provides a community portal, where visitors can browse, rate and download[7] public user generated 3D models. Users of Sketchfab have profile pages, premium users can customize and share their models privately[8] (the online portfolio feature[9] is now deprecated). Sketchfab users can choose to make their 3D model files available for download under Creative Commons licenses,[7] this feature places the Sketchfab website as a 3D printing marketplace since some downloadable models are compatible with 3D printing. The Sketchfab 3D model library can be browsed within Virtual Reality.[10]

3D models can be uploaded to Sketchfab from its website or directly from various 3D software, using plugins[11] (for example for 3ds Max[12] or SketchUp[13]) or natively (from Blender[14][15][16] or Adobe Photoshop[17]).

Technology

The Sketchfab 3D viewer is using the WebGL JavaScript API to display 3D models and is built using the open-source OSG.JS JavaScript library. This allows the display of 3D models on webpages without the need of third-party plugins if the browser supports WebGL. Rendering is achieved using classic real-time rendering or physically based rendering.[18][19] On browsers that don't support the WebGL technology, the Sketchfab viewer uses a 2D fallback displaying a pre-rendered 3D model. Sketchfab supports the WebVR specification in order to provide Virtual Reality experiences on the web.

History

Sketchfab was initially created by entrepreneur and 3D developer Cédric Pinson under the domain name ShowWebGL in early 2011.[20] He was joined in early 2012 by Alban Denoyel, and they relaunched the site under the name Sketchfab in March 2012.[21] Pierre-Antoine Passet joined as CPO in September 2012.

Growth

Users

Date Users (claimed)
August 2013 50,000[22]
December 2013 100,000[23]
January 2016 300,000[24]
July 2016 500,000[2]

3D models

Date 3D models (claimed)
April 2014 100,000[25]
November 2014 200,000[7]
May 2016 750,000[26]
January 2016 500,000[24]
July 2016 900,000[2]
September 2016 1,000,000[27]

Startup accelerators

The startup was part of the third batch of the French startup accelerator Le Camping in June 2012.[28] It was later selected into Mozilla’s WebFWD accelerator program during that same year.[29] The year after, Sketchfab was selected in the Spring 2013 TechStars class in New York City.[3]

Fundraising

In February 2013, Sketchfab raised an angel round of 370,000 euros.[30][31] Less than one year after, in December 2013, Sketchfab raised $2 million from Balderton Capital with Partech Ventures, Borealis Ventures, David Cohen and existing angel investors also participated in the funding.[32][33][34] In June 2015, Sketchfab raised a $7 Million Series A led by FirstMark Capital.[35][36][37]

Awards

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Sketchfab.com Site Info". Alexa Internet. Retrieved 2016-07-07.
  2. 1 2 3 "Half a million Sketchfab members! - Sketchfab Blog". 2016-07-01. Retrieved 2016-07-07.
  3. 1 2 Eugene Chung (April 2, 2013). "TechStars NYC 2013 Class". TechStars.
  4. ↑ Alban (February 26, 2015). "Facebook now supports Sketchfab 3D embeds! - Sketchfab Blog". Sketchfab.
  5. ↑ Stott, Rory (March 2, 2015). "Embed Your 3D Sketchfab Models on Facebook". ArchDaily.
  6. ↑ "alban denoyel on Twitter". Twitter. 2016-09-16. Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  7. 1 2 3 "Sketchfab launches a Download Option and reaches 200k 3D files". Sketchfab. October 30, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Plans & Pricing - Sketchfab". Sketchfab. Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  9. ↑ "sketchfab.me, your pro 3D portfolio website". Sketchfab. March 25, 2013.
  10. ↑ "VR Launcher". Sketchfab Help Center. Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  11. ↑ "Sketchfab Exporters". Sketchfab.
  12. ↑ Klaas Nienhuis. "Sketchfab - Autodesk 3ds Max - Autodesk Exchange Apps".
  13. ↑ Alexander Schreyer. "SketchUp to Sketchfab.com Uploader - SketchUp Extension Warehouse".
  14. ↑ Bart (March 24, 2014). "Sketchfab is the first 'Commercial' Add-on Bundled with Blender". BlenderNation.
  15. ↑ "We now ship with Blender!". Sketchfab. March 24, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Blender 2.70: Addons". Blender Wiki.
  17. ↑ "Major Update to Adobe Photoshop CC Brings 3D Printing to the Design World" (PDF) (Press release). Adobe. January 16, 2014.
  18. ↑ Bart (March 4, 2015). "Sketchfab releases Physically Based Rendering". BlenderNation.
  19. ↑ "Physically Based Rendering".
  20. ↑ "ShowWebGl.com Whois Record".
  21. ↑ "SketchFab.com Whois Record".
  22. ↑ "50k Strong!". Sketchfab. August 19, 2013.
  23. ↑ "Sketchfab raises $2m to scale its "YouTube for 3D files"". Sketchfab. November 29, 2013.
  24. 1 2 "Sketchfab Blog — Sketchfab hits 500K! Thank you!". Sketchfab. Retrieved 2016-01-10.
  25. ↑ "Thank you 100k times". Sketchfab. April 8, 2014.
  26. ↑ Dillet, Romain. "Sketchfab now supports all VR headsets for its 3D model sharing platform". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
  27. ↑ "Over 1 million scenes to explore - Sketchfab Blog". 2016-09-27. Retrieved 2016-09-27.
  28. ↑ "Le Camping Season 3".
  29. ↑ "Portfolio WebFWD".
  30. ↑ Liam Boogar (February 25, 2013). "With 20,000+ users on board, Sketchfab raises a 370K€ Angel round for its YouTube of 3D". Rude Baguette.
  31. ↑ "Sketchfab on AngelList". 2013.
  32. ↑ John Biggs (December 6, 2013). "3D Model Sharing Service Sketchfab Raises $2 Million". Techcrunch.
  33. ↑ "Sketchfab raises $2m to scale its "YouTube for 3D files"". Balderton Capital. December 5, 2013.
  34. ↑ Ricardo Bilton (December 5, 2013). "Sketchfab raises $2M to make itself the 'YouTube for 3D design'". VentureBeat.
  35. ↑ Alban Denoyel. "Sketchfab raises $7 Million to build the place for 3D, VR and AR on the web". Retrieved 2015-06-16.
  36. ↑ "Get your 3D printers ready: Sketchfab raises $7 million to be the world's 3D file hub". VentureBeat. Retrieved 2015-06-16.
  37. ↑ "Welcoming Sketchfab to the FirstMark Family! | FirstMark Capital - New York City Venture Capital". firstmarkcap.com. Retrieved 2015-06-16.
  38. ↑ "Finalists 2012, Pioneers Festival". Pioneers Festival. 2012.
  39. ↑ Mike Butcher (January 22, 2013). "The Europas – Europe's Tech Startup Oscars – Showcases A Booming European Scene". TechCrunch.

External links

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