How to prepare a 3D model for AR (for interior designers)

Model at real-world scale

AR shows a model at the size it was built. Work in real units, metres or millimetres, and check a known dimension before export. If a 2.1 m sofa measures 21 or 2,100 in your tool, fix the units first; AR will not guess.

Keep geometry as light as the design allows

Phones render in real time. Remove hidden geometry, interior faces nobody will see and unnecessary detail such as individual screws. Keep curves smooth through shading rather than by adding segments.

Handle textures deliberately

Use only the maps you need. Very large textures slow loading without making a visible difference on a phone screen. Make sure textures are embedded in the exported file rather than linked from your computer.

Export as GLB

GLB packs geometry, materials and textures into one file, which makes it the easiest format to upload and share. Most 3D tools can export glTF or GLB, either natively or with a plugin; Blender does it natively. GLTF and USDZ files are accepted as well.

Test on a phone before you send it

Open the AR link on a real phone, place the model, and check three things: it is the right size, it looks right from every side, and it loads in a reasonable time on mobile data.

Common problems and fixes

• The model appears tiny or enormous: this is units. Rescale in your tool and export again.
• The model is black or grey: textures were not embedded. Embed them, or bake simple materials.
• The model loads slowly: the file is too heavy. Reduce texture sizes and remove hidden geometry.
• The model floats or sinks: set the model’s base at the origin so it sits on the floor.

ARView Interior accepts models up to 100 MB and presentation PDFs up to 20 MB, but lighter files open faster for your client.