Archicad PLN design review
Review an Archicad PLN building in VR
A client or consultant can open a received PLN and explore supported building geometry in a headset. The Archicad project itself is the starting point, and the included pavilion provides a real building to try before opening your own file.
Open the file on a compatible WebXR device, then press Enter VR.
Private local review, directly from the file
Open your file directly on the device running the headset browser. The browser parses it locally, so a confidential model stays on that device during local viewing. No conversion, no plugin, no upload, no account.
The optional Send to VR headset workflow on a computer uploads a local file after your confirmation to create a hosted share and pairing code. Choose direct local opening on the headset when your model needs to stay on that device. An already hosted model can also be opened from its URL.
Discuss the building envelope from within the model
The PLN reader cuts supported door and window openings through their host walls. In VR, those gaps make the relationship between an enclosed room, a terrace and the landscape easier to discuss. Change your viewpoint to inspect how a pitched roof meets the space and how columns frame the view out.
The pavilion sample combines wall openings, a roof, terrace structure and compact terrain. Start with that model to learn the controls, then apply the same review to your project. A headset gives clients a useful way to ask spatial questions about the decoded design.
Know which Archicad geometry is available
Tested files come from Archicad 25, 27 and 29. Supported geometry includes walls with through-cut door and window openings, slabs, pitched roofs, zones, beams, columns, morphs, meshes and terrain. The reader also extracts the embedded project preview, which can help identify the project before review.
Check your building in the ordinary viewer first and plan the session around the supported geometry that appears. For example, use wall openings to discuss visibility, slabs to discuss level relationships, and terrain to understand the building setting. Keep the project preview available as additional context.
How to open Archicad PLN in VR
- 1
Open the Archicad PLN viewer in your headset browser
Use a browser and device that support immersive WebXR. Make your file available through that device’s file picker, then open the viewer.
- 2
Choose your file and inspect the loaded model
Open the local file, check the geometry in the ordinary 3D view and confirm the source units and a familiar dimension. Choose the visible layers that explain your review.
- 3
Press Enter VR
Use the VR control after the model loads and accept the headset session prompt. The model starts at an inspection size, with its largest dimension fitted to 1.5 metres. Use the controllers to position, rotate and scale it.
Archicad dimensions and visual model size
The PLN adapter emits scene coordinates in metres. Check a known wall length or storey height with the ordinary viewer measurement tool before your discussion. That check ties a numerical observation to the decoded project geometry.
The VR stage initially fits the entire project into 1.5 metres and provides adjustable visual scale. A large terrain mesh affects that initial fit, so enlarge and reposition the building until the opening or roof you want to discuss is easy to inspect. Use measured dimensions for exact size decisions.
Move from the pavilion exterior to an opening
Inspect the building and terrain together at the starting scale. Enlarge the model, use the grip to bring a wall opening to your viewpoint, then adjust the height for a useful view through it. Physical head movement adds parallax through the opening while the model remains under your control.
Position the model with your controllers
- Hold a grip
- Grab the model and move it with the controller.
- Right stick left or right
- Rotate the model in 30 degree steps.
- Right stick up or down
- Enlarge or reduce the model visually.
- Left stick up or down
- Move the model closer or farther away.
- Left stick left or right
- Raise or lower the model.
- Move your head
- Inspect from different viewpoints within your headset boundary.
The controls position the model around you. The ordinary browser view is restored when you leave the headset session.
Archicad PLN VR questions
â–¶Can colleagues review a PLN in VR with the browser alone?
Yes, for supported decoded geometry. Open the PLN on the device running a WebXR headset browser, inspect the model and enter VR. The viewing workflow reads the file locally and is free and account-free.
â–¶Which Archicad sample can I try in VR?
Open the included innerscene-pavilion.pln demo. It loads a real Archicad building with supported wall openings, roof, terrace structure and terrain. On a device that supports immersive WebXR, enter VR after the model has loaded.
â–¶How can I keep a confidential model local during VR review?
Open your file directly on the device running the headset browser. The browser parses it locally, so a confidential model stays on that device during local viewing. No conversion, no plugin, no upload, no account. The optional Send to VR headset workflow on a computer uploads a local file after your confirmation to create a hosted share and pairing code. Choose direct local opening on the headset when your model needs to stay on that device. An already hosted model can also be opened from its URL.
â–¶How does model scale work in this VR viewer?
The initial VR stage fits the largest model dimension to 1.5 metres. The right controller stick changes the presentation scale visually. Use checked dimensions in the ordinary viewer for exact sizing; the current VR controls provide adjustable presentation scale.
â–¶What does the headset browser need?
It needs immersive WebXR support and access to the model file. Open the viewer in a compatible headset browser, select the file and use the VR control after loading. The ordinary 3D view is also available on desktop and mobile browsers.