STEP design review
Review a STEP part or assembly in VR
A STEP handover describes the shape of a manufactured design. Open the file directly to inspect its rendered parts in a headset, from the overall arrangement of an assembly to the shape of a recessed feature.
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 access and assembly layout with depth cues
A machine assembly can be hard to understand from one shaded screenshot. In a headset, look around a housing, compare the positions of adjoining parts and inspect the direction from which a fastener or service panel is approached. This gives a design discussion a shared spatial reference.
For an individual part, enlarging the model helps explain a fillet, pocket or intersecting surface. The VR view supports shape review and communication. Keep a checked measurement alongside any decision about tool access, tolerances or manufacturing dimensions.
Inspect the surfaces that the STEP reader produces
The reader supports STEP AP203, AP214 and AP242 geometry and tessellates supported surfaces into a viewable model. Open the assembly in the ordinary viewer first and inspect the specific parts needed for your discussion. Surface and wireframe content can produce different kinds of visible results.
Choose a representative assembly or subassembly for a standalone headset. A model with thousands of detailed fasteners can spend much of its rendering budget on features outside the review question. A focused handover keeps the geometry that explains fit and access easy to inspect.
How to open STEP in VR
- 1
Open the STEP 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.
The STEP reader normalises length units to millimetres
The parser reads supported STEP length-unit declarations and normalises coordinates to millimetres. This includes files authored with inch, centimetre or metre units. Verify a familiar overall dimension in the ordinary viewer when checking a supplier handover.
The headset starts with a 1.5 metre presentation of the whole model, so a small connector may begin enlarged and a production machine may begin reduced. Use the controller scale for visual inspection and the measurement tool for actual dimensions.
Bring the assembly to the inspection position
Use grip movement to hold the assembly at a useful angle, then rotate it in 30 degree steps to compare adjacent sides. Raise the model to inspect its underside or enlarge a pocket. Your physical head movement supplies the changing viewpoint while you position the geometry.
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.
STEP VR questions
â–¶Can I use both .step and .stp files for VR?
Yes. Both extensions are supported by the STEP viewer. Open the file, check its recovered geometry, and enter VR from a browser that supports immersive WebXR.
â–¶What is the difference between a STEP dimension and its size in VR?
The ordinary viewer measures using the scene length units, which the STEP reader normalises to millimetres. VR independently fits the model to an adjustable stage for inspection. Use the measured value when documenting the size of a manufactured feature.
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.