Importing a model
VIZid Next imports two CAD formats: STEP and OBJ. These are the only supported import formats. There is no USD import verb. File ▸ Open… opens a whole document rather than importing into the current one; its file dialog lists VIZid Document (.vizid) first, then USD (.usd, .usda, .usdc, .usdz).
Opening the Import Model dialog
File ▸ Import 3D Model… (Ctrl+I) opens the Import Model dialog, showing the chosen file's name in the header. Click Import to proceed.
Enable quick import (a toggle inside the dialog) makes future Ctrl+I imports skip the dialog and reuse the last-used options. Use File ▸ Import 3D Model (Options…) (Ctrl+Shift+I) to see the dialog again at any time — it always opens regardless of the quick-import setting.
You can also import by dragging a STEP or OBJ file onto the VIZid window. This uses the same dialog/quick-import logic as Ctrl+I. The Welcome screen has an Import STEP… button that also opens this path.
Supported formats
| Format | Extensions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| STEP | .stp .step | Industry-standard boundary-representation format. Most CAD applications export STEP. |
| OBJ | .obj | Polygon mesh only. No parametric data; imported as static geometry with no re-mesh capability. |
Import Model dialog
VIZid remembers your last choices from one import to the next. The defaults below apply only to the first import on a new installation.
Scene
| Control | First-use default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mode | Add to Scene | Add to Scene — import under the existing group. Update Geometry — replace existing geometry while re-applying materials by part name (available only when a document with geometry is open). Add to Empty Scene — import and remove all other content. |
| Add to | (scene root) | Import under this named group. The list shows (scene root) plus existing top-level groups. Type a new name to create a new group. |
| Import Metadata | Off | Store the source file name, unit and assembly path on each imported part. |
Position
| Control | First-use default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Center Geometry | On | Move the bounding box centre to the scene origin. Disabled when Keep position is on. |
| Snap to Ground | On | Place the lowest point of the geometry on the ground plane (Z = 0). Disabled when Keep position is on. |
| Keep position relative to native origin | Off | Import at the geometry's original world position. Disables Center and Snap to Ground. |
| Up Orientation | Z | Z — the source file is Z-up (standard for STEP). Y — the source file is Y-up; VIZid rotates it to match its Z-up scene. |
Geometry
| Control | First-use default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Tessellation Quality | 33 | Slider from 0 to 100. Controls triangle density when converting STEP surfaces. Only applies to STEP files. |
| Import NURBS Data | Off | Cache the healed per-part boundary-representation data alongside the mesh. Enables re-tessellation at a different quality without re-reading the STEP file. Increases document size. |
Environment and Camera
| Control | First-use default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Adjust Camera to Look at Geometry | On | After import, frame the new geometry in the viewport and update the active camera's look-at position. |
Materials and Structure
| Control | First-use default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Unlink materials by part name | On | Give each part its own material instance, even if multiple parts share a name. |
| Apply materials from Scene to matching source names | Off | After import, copy materials from scene parts whose names match the imported parts. |
| Apply materials from Library to matching source names | Off | After import, apply library material presets whose names match the imported parts. |
| Use Material Template | Off | Apply a CMF-rules preset to all imported parts. When on, choose the template from the dropdown. The first entry Classic Active means no template; other entries are saved CMF rule presets. See CMF Looks. |
| Structure Scene Tree hierarchy by | Object | Object — preserve the STEP assembly hierarchy in the Outliner. Flat — import all parts at the root level with no groups. |
Quick Import
Enable quick import — skip this dialog on all future Ctrl+I imports. The same settings reuse every time. To see the dialog again: use File ▸ Import 3D Model (Options…) (Ctrl+Shift+I).
Progress window
While converting, a modeless Importing CAD window shows real-time feedback. It does not block the application.
- Phase — the current stage: Reading CAD data… / Meshing parts… / Writing geometry… / Finished / Stopped
- Part — the current STEP entity being processed (e.g., a MANIFOLD_SOLID_BREP)
- Progress bar — spans the entire batch if multiple files are queued
- Cancel — stops the import and empties the queue
After import
After a successful import, the geometry appears in the viewport and in the Outliner. If Adjust Camera was on, the active camera frames the new geometry.
Next steps: