3D Files Preview

VS Code extension for CAD-style 3D preview of mesh files and OpenSCAD.

Install from the VS Code Marketplace: niradler.3d-files-preview.

Open stl / obj / fbx / dae / 3ds / 3mf and you get a Z-up viewer with an XY print-bed grid. Open .scad and it stays a text editor; a side panel tessellates through the OpenSCAD CLI when you hit Render.

Not a fork of vscode-3dviewer. Same problem, CAD-oriented UI.

Features

• Mesh files open in a custom readonly 3D editor (Text Editor still available via Open With)
• .scad stays text; Render Preview runs OpenSCAD once (no save/live rebuild)
• OpenSCAD mouse: LMB orbit, RMB drag pan, RMB click menu, scroll zoom
• Views: Fit, Front (+Y), Top (+Z), Right (+X), Iso
• Shading: Shaded / Edges / Wireframe; 3MF file colors on by default
• Hover inspect: name, size (tooltip only while hovering)
• Move / Rotate a part, then Drop to bed to sit it on Z = 0 (keeps XY)
• Refresh re-tessellates .scad or reloads a mesh file
• Right-click the model (click, not drag — drag still pans): Copy dimensions, Copy point…, Copy for chat…, Insert in SCAD…, Go to SCAD, Clear pin
• Copy dimensions copies W × D × H of the part under the click. Items with … switch to a crosshair; click a face to see a yellow pin, then copy or insert. Esc or Clear pin removes it.
• Go to SCAD jumps to // @id, module, or // @cad-pick (QuickPick when the mesh has no names)

Requirements

• VS Code 1.85+
• Node 22+ (to build)
• OpenSCAD on PATH, or set cadPreview.openscadPath (default: C:\Program Files\OpenSCAD\openscad.exe)

[!NOTE] OpenSCAD 2021 writes STL. STL has no part names and no color, so a .scad preview is gray and Go to SCAD falls back to QuickPick. Named jump and file colors work on examples/colors.3mf (same basename as examples/colors.scad). Mark modules with // @id name so a click can land on the right line.

Run from source

npm install
npm test
npm run typecheck
npm run compile

Press F5 (Run Extension). In the Extension Development Host:

1. Open examples/colors.3mf — red / green / blue parts, file materials on
2. Right-click a colored part → Go to SCAD jumps to examples/colors.scad
3. Right-click a part → Copy dimensions copies W × D × H mm. Right-click → Copy for chat… → crosshair → click a face
4. Open examples/colors.scad → right-click Render Preview (or the title-bar preview icon)

Command Palette: CAD Preview: Render Current File. Explorer and editor context menus also have Render Preview.

Settings

Spawn is always argv (never a shell string). Working directory is the .scad file’s folder.

Examples

Development

Host and webview are separate esbuild bundles in dist/. Tests are Vitest next to the pure modules (src/*.test.ts).

npm run watch

Agent notes and locked product decisions live in AGENTS.md.