# FBX Viewer

> Open FBX files from Maya, 3ds Max, Blender, Mixamo or an asset store without installing anything. Meshes, materials and textures at their real size.

Page: https://printpal.io/tools/fbx-viewer
Updated: 2026-11-12
Use it: open https://printpal.io/tools/fbx-viewer in a browser and drop a file. Free, no account, files are processed locally and never uploaded.

FBX is Autodesk's interchange format for animation and games. It stores meshes, materials, skeletons and animation, in binary or ASCII. The viewer reads FBX 7.0 and newer, which covers files saved in the last fifteen years, and shows embedded textures as well as separate ones you drop alongside.

FBX declares how many centimetres one unit is, and the viewer applies it, so a character modelled in centimetres shows at its real height. Rigged characters appear in their bind pose without animation, which is also the pose you would print.

## How to use the FBX viewer

1. **Open the file.** Drop .fbx files (FBX 7.0 or newer, binary or ASCII) with any separate textures.
2. **Check size and orientation.** The model stands on the plate in millimetres. Switch to inches, or change the file units or up axis if it looks wrong.
3. **Run the checks.** Read the mesh check, pick your printer to see whether it fits, and use Measure (M) or Section (X) for a closer look.
4. **Save or convert.** Take a PNG screenshot, or save the model as STL, 3MF, OBJ, GLB, PLY or USDZ.

## What you can check

- Meshes with materials and embedded or separate textures
- Real size from the FBX unit scale
- Triangle count and a watertight check before printing
- Section view and point-to-point measuring
- Save as STL, 3MF, OBJ, GLB or USDZ

## FBX at a glance (Autodesk Filmbox)

FBX began as Kaydara's FiLMBOX and has been owned by Autodesk since 2006. It is the standard for moving rigged, animated characters between DCC tools and game engines; the format is proprietary, so most tools read it through Autodesk's SDK or reverse-engineered readers.

- **Stores:** Meshes, materials, textures, skeletons, animation, cameras
- **Color:** Materials and textures, embedded or as separate files
- **Units:** Declared as a scale factor, centimetres by default
- **Up axis:** Usually Y
- **File size:** Binary, large when textures are embedded
- **Opens in:** Maya, 3ds Max, Blender, Unity, Unreal, Mixamo

## Tips

- **Old FBX?** Files older than FBX 7.0 are not supported. Open them in Blender or Maya and export again.
- **Missing textures** Drop the texture images with the FBX, or a .zip of the folder. Embedded textures load on their own.
- **Printing a character** Game characters are rarely watertight and have thin parts. Check the mesh, then run [Mesh Repair](https://printpal.io/tools/mesh-repair) and scale it up before slicing.

## FAQ

### Can I open an FBX file without Autodesk software?

Yes. Drop it on this page; the viewer reads FBX in your browser with no install and no account.

### Does the FBX viewer play animations?

No. It shows the model in its bind pose, which is what you need to inspect or print it.

### Can I convert FBX to STL or OBJ?

Yes. Save from the sidebar, or use [FBX to STL](https://printpal.io/convert/fbx-to-stl), [FBX to OBJ](https://printpal.io/convert/fbx-to-obj) or [FBX to GLB](https://printpal.io/convert/fbx-to-glb).

### Is the viewer free? Are there limits?

Free, with no sign-up, watermark or file limit. The practical limit is your device's memory: files of a few hundred MB open on most laptops.

### Are my files uploaded anywhere?

No. Files are read by JavaScript and WebAssembly in your browser and never sent to PrintPal. Only the code is downloaded, and the STEP and IGES reader once, from a public CDN.

## Related

- [FBX to STL Converter](https://printpal.io/convert/fbx-to-stl)
- [FBX to OBJ Converter](https://printpal.io/convert/fbx-to-obj)
- [FBX to GLB Converter](https://printpal.io/convert/fbx-to-glb)
- [STL to OBJ Converter](https://printpal.io/convert/stl-to-obj)
- [OBJ to STL Converter](https://printpal.io/convert/obj-to-stl)
- [STEP to STL Converter](https://printpal.io/convert/step-to-stl)
- [STL to 3MF Converter](https://printpal.io/convert/stl-to-3mf)
- [GLB to STL Converter](https://printpal.io/convert/glb-to-stl)
- [3D model viewer](https://printpal.io/tools/3d-model-viewer)
- [3D model converter](https://printpal.io/tools/3d-model-converter)
- [Mesh Repair](https://printpal.io/tools/mesh-repair)
- PrintPal for LLMs: https://printpal.io/llms.txt