Free Online ArtCAM Model Viewer (No Signup)
Also opens DWG, DXF, STEP, IGES, IFC, SKP, STL, OBJ, GLB, FBX, 3DM and other 3D/CAD files. Drop any file on the viewer.
Works directly in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge
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What Is an ArtCAM Model File?
ArtCAM (made by Delcam, then Autodesk; the last release was ArtCAM 2018) saves a carving project as an .art model. The model has a size in pixels and in millimetres or inches, and holds everything drawn at that size: the reliefs (a height for every pixel, as a composite and as relief layers), a bitmap of colours that marks out the design, often a traced photograph, and the vectors that toolpaths follow. A relief saved on its own is an .rlf file, and the model keeps its reliefs in that same form inside it.
The viewer reads the model in your browser. When the model has a relief with heights (the composite relief, or the first relief layer that has any), it is drawn the way an .rlf opens: one smooth surface at the model’s real size, lying flat as on the machine bed, closed with sides and a base. The bitmap is laid over the top of the relief, the way ArtCAM’s 3D view shows the colours. When the relief is flat, the bitmap is drawn on a flat board the size of the model, so a model that holds only a traced picture still opens at its real size.
Recent ArtCAM versions store the vectors encrypted, so they are not drawn; a note in the status bar says so. When a model holds nothing else the viewer can draw, it shows the preview picture ArtCAM saved in the file. The relief exports to STL, OBJ, GLB and the other formats in the Export menu.
Who Uses ArtCAM Model Files?
CNC woodcarvers, sign makers, furniture and door makers, and stone and memorial carvers who designed in ArtCAM, and the shops that still hold an archive of ArtCAM models after the program was discontinued. Customers sent an .art file by a carver, and designers moving their work to Carveco, Aspire or another program, who want to see what a model holds before converting it.
Common Use Cases
- Look inside an ArtCAM model without an ArtCAM licence
- Check the relief and the bitmap of an archived carving project
- Measure the model’s size and the depth of its relief
- Convert the relief of an .art model to STL for a 3D printer or another CAM program
- Send a customer a link that shows the carving in 3D
Features
Opens ArtCAM .art Models
Models saved by ArtCAM, told apart from other .art files by the ArtCAM storage inside them.
The Relief in 3D
The model’s relief as one smooth surface, closed with sides and a base, lying flat as on the machine bed.
The Bitmap on Top
The model’s bitmap of colours laid over the relief, the way ArtCAM’s 3D view shows it.
Real Size
Width, height and depth in the millimetres or inches the model stores.
Flat Models Open Too
A model whose relief is still flat shows its bitmap on a board the size of the model.
Saved Preview
A model with nothing else to draw shows the preview picture ArtCAM saved in it.
Convert to STL, OBJ or GLB
Save the relief as STL, OBJ, 3MF, PLY, FBX or DAE, as GLB, glTF or USDZ with the bitmap as texture, or the view as PDF, PNG or JPG.
Measure the Carving
Use Tools to measure the model’s width, height and relief depth.
Nothing Is Uploaded
The file is read and drawn entirely in your browser. No account, no upload, no copy of your model on a server.
Share and Embed
Send a link that opens the model in any browser, or drop the viewer into your own page with one iframe.
Compatibility & Format Notes
What is read: the model’s size in pixels and its real width and height in millimetres or inches; the composite relief and the relief layers, read the same way as an .rlf file; the model’s bitmap with its colour table; and the preview picture ArtCAM saves with the model. The file is recognised by the ArtCAM storage inside it, so other files that also end in .art (AOL ART pictures, First Publisher clip art) are told apart. Models saved by ArtCAM 2018 have been tested.
How it is drawn: the front relief as a closed surface at the model’s size and position, with the bitmap laid over its top and the sides and base in a plain wood colour. Reliefs over 1.5 million pixels are averaged over squares of a few pixels, and a bitmap larger than 4096 pixels on a side is reduced to fit. A model whose relief is flat is drawn as a flat board the size of the model with the bitmap on it.
Not shown: the vectors, which ArtCAM stores encrypted, and the toolpaths. The back relief of a two-sided model is not drawn. A protected relief (one whose heights are encrypted for a licensed relief library) stays locked, and the bitmap is drawn flat with a note saying so. A model with no relief heights and no bitmap shows the preview picture ArtCAM saved. To see the vectors, export them from ArtCAM as DXF.
Embed on Your Website
Add this viewer to your own site with a single line of HTML. Click Embed in the toolbar to generate an embed code, or use the snippet below with your own file URL.
Your Files Stay on Your Computer
Your ArtCAM Model files are parsed entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, stored, or shared unless you explicitly click the Share button. Shared files are hosted for 90 days then deleted.
Frequently Asked Questions
▶Do I need ArtCAM to open an .art file?
No. The model is read in your browser, so it opens on a computer or a phone with no ArtCAM licence. ArtCAM itself is no longer sold.
▶Why are the vectors of my model not shown?
ArtCAM stores a model’s vectors encrypted, so the viewer cannot read them. The relief and the bitmap are drawn, and a note in the status bar says the vectors are left out. Export the vectors from ArtCAM as DXF to view them.
▶Why does my model show a flat picture?
The model’s relief is flat (it has no heights yet) or protected, so the bitmap is drawn on a flat board the size of the model. When a model has neither relief heights nor a bitmap, the viewer shows the preview picture ArtCAM saved in the file.
▶What is the difference between an .art file and an .rlf file?
An .art file is the whole ArtCAM model: reliefs, bitmap and vectors. An .rlf file is one relief saved on its own, which is what relief libraries sell. Both open here; an .rlf opens on the RLF viewer.
▶Can I convert an ArtCAM model to STL?
Yes. Open the model and click Export. The relief saves as STL, OBJ, 3MF, PLY, FBX or DAE, and as GLB, glTF or USDZ with the bitmap as its texture. The vectors are not included.
▶Is this ArtCAM model viewer really free?
Yes, completely free. No signup, no watermarks, no file size limits on the viewer (the optional share-link feature has a 100 MB upload cap). Built by Innerscene as a tool for architects, engineers, and designers.
▶Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. All parsing, rendering, and conversion runs in your browser: nothing is uploaded, stored, or transmitted by default. The Share button is the only feature that uploads a file, and only when you explicitly click it.
▶Can I convert to another format?
Yes. Click Export in the toolbar to save as STL (3D printing), OBJ (Wavefront), GLB (glTF binary), or PDF (snapshot of the current view).
▶Can I embed this viewer on my own site?
Yes. Click Embed in the toolbar to generate a one-line <iframe> snippet you can paste into any HTML page. You can choose whether the embed shows the viewer’s toolbar.