STEP viewer online: open STEP and STP files for free

A supplier sends a STEP file and there is no CAD on your computer? Drop the file here. The viewer shows parts and assemblies with colours and dimensions, right in the browser.

Free, no sign-up
No third-party ads
Your file stays on your device
VR with a headset, AR with a phone

Drop a file here

IFC · STEP · STP · IGES · BREP · STL · glTF · GLB · OBJ · FBX · PLY · 3MF · DAE · ZIP

Choose file

Enter a code from your computer

The viewer on your computer shows the code under "View in a VR headset".

Your file stays on your device. Nothing is uploaded.

WebXR

Even better: your model in VR and AR

On a screen you look at a model. In a VR headset you stand in front of it or inside it: as a table-top model you can pick up, at full scale to walk through, or with passthrough right in your room. No app needed, just the browser on your headset. And with a phone you place the model in AR on your table.

Open your model here on the computer and click View in VR or AR. You get a six-digit code and a QR code.
In the browser of your VR headset, go to the address shown, for example viewer.atlasvr.ch/482913, or scan the QR code with your phone. The model comes straight from your computer, encrypted, with no upload.
Tap View in VR, or View in AR for passthrough and on a phone.

It also works without a computer: open viewer.atlasvr.ch on the headset itself and load the file from its downloads folder or a cloud drive.

WebXR, the open web standard for VR and AR, is built into the Meta Quest Browser (Quest 3 and 3S), the PICO Browser, Chrome on Android XR (for example Samsung Galaxy XR and AR glasses such as XREAL Aura) and Chrome on Android phones for AR. On iPhone and iPad the viewer opens the model in AR Quick Look, Apple's AR view. Safari on Apple Vision Pro supports VR mode.

Controls in the headset

Grip button or trigger: Pick up, move and turn the model
Both hands: Pull the table-top model bigger or smaller
A or X button: Switch between table-top model and full scale
B button: Reset the view
Menu button ≡ or Y button: Show and hide the guide, with "Exit VR" on it
Joystick: At full scale push forward, aim and let go to teleport; push sideways to turn 30 degrees
Hand tracking: Pinch thumb and index finger to grab

Scan with your phone to see the sample model in AR

Open the sample model

How it works

1
Open the STEP file
Drop the .step or .stp file into the box. IGES (.igs, .iges) and BREP (.brep) work the same way.
2
Explore the assembly
The structure lists the parts of the assembly by name. Hide parts and show them again.
3
View it in VR
In the browser of a VR headset, switch to VR mode and see the part at full size in front of you.

What is a STEP file?

STEP (ISO 10303) is the neutral exchange format of mechanical engineering. Almost every CAD program reads and writes it.

Exact geometry: STEP describes surfaces precisely (B-rep). The viewer turns them into triangles in your browser with the open-source library Open CASCADE.
STEP and STP: One format, two file extensions. The common application protocols are AP203, AP214 and AP242.
Assemblies and colours: A STEP file can hold whole assemblies. The viewer keeps part names and colours when the file contains them.
Units: STEP stores its unit. The viewer converts to metres and shows the dimensions.

Your file stays with you

The viewer reads your file right in the browser, with WebAssembly on your device. There is no upload, no server that sees your model and no account. If you send the model to your VR headset or phone, it goes encrypted straight from device to device; our server only brokers the connection and forgets the code after 10 minutes at most. The file for AR on an iPhone is made in your browser, too. Close the tab and the model is gone. We count visits with Vercel Web Analytics, without cookies; file names and contents are never sent.

Frequently asked questions

How do I open a STEP file without CAD?

Drop the file on this page. The viewer reads STEP with Open CASCADE compiled for the browser. You install nothing and need no licence.

What is the difference between STEP and STP?

There is none. .step and .stp are two extensions for the same ISO 10303 format. The viewer opens both, as well as IGES and BREP.

Does it show assemblies and colours?

Yes, if the file contains them. The structure lists the parts by name and lets you hide and show each one. Colours are kept per part and per face.

Can I edit or measure STEP files?

The viewer displays models and shows their overall dimensions. To edit a STEP file you need a CAD program.

Are my files uploaded?

No. The viewer reads the file in your browser, and we store nothing. If you send the model to your VR headset or phone, it goes encrypted straight from your computer to the device, not through our server. So it is safe for confidential drawings and models.

Which VR headsets work with VR mode?

Headsets whose browser supports WebXR: Meta Quest 3 and 3S with the Meta Quest Browser, PICO headsets with the PICO Browser, Android XR devices and Apple Vision Pro (VR only). On Android phones, Chrome opens AR mode; on iPhone and iPad, AR Quick Look. There is no app to install.

How does the model get from my computer to the VR headset or phone?

Click "View in VR or AR" in the viewer. You get a six-digit code, an address like viewer.atlasvr.ch/482913 and a QR code. Enter the address in the browser of your VR headset or scan the QR code with your phone: the model goes encrypted straight from the computer to the device, with no upload and no cable. Some company and guest networks block this direct connection; your phone's hotspot helps then.

From AtlasVR

Want more than a model viewer?

AtlasVR builds VR training for industry and vocational education: from high-voltage training for automotive technicians to construction trades and a crane simulator in use at AZW. Together with partners such as AGVS, suissetec and Campus Sursee. AtlasVR is an ETH Zurich spin-off based in Flüelen, Switzerland.

Want to show your own models on many VR headsets at once, in class, in a training centre or at a trade fair? Talk to us.

Book a demo Meet AtlasVR For training centres

More viewers

Every viewer opens every format. Each page explains its format.