Popular with the 3D modeling and scanning folks of the world, file hub Sketchfab has launched its very own store to help creators monetize their 3D printing, VR and AR content.

Sketchfab, the content platform that lets creators publish, share and discover 3D, VR and AR content has announced the launch of its Sketchfab Store. Though only in beta for now, the Store aims to help developers monetize their creations.

Sketchfab was started six years ago to allow the public to discover and share their 3D content. Ever since, it has grown into a platform with over 1.3 million members. More than two million 3D files have already been shared across the platform, with the content racking up views form some 150 million people.

The newly launched Store will also help creators share their 3D content more effectively. Though Sketchfab already provides a download tool for 3D assets to be shared, creators have been calling for a paid download feature that allows them to monetize their work.

The Sketchfab Store. (Image: Sketchfab)

What are the Store Features

The Sketchfab Store has some unique features including a 3D viewer and model inspector. This is to ensure that buyers can check out 3D models and explore them in more detail before buying. For sellers, Sketchfab auto-processes the files and generates a data set including polygon counts, material types and textures.

In addition, support for the glTF file type — a one-size fits all file format that renders the models consistently in game engines such as Unity and Unreal — has also been added.

At launch only part of Sketchfab’s two million model library is available for sale. But the company claims a comprehensive swathe of object types, anything from poly assets to 3D scans for 3D printing, are available.

In a blog post, the company reassured that it would review all sellers. New sellers are being subjected to the same selection criteria as existing ones. However, the company did not share how exactly it would determine who’s eligible.

Running in beta means that the Sketchfab Store is still missing vital features such as ratings and a cart. However, Sketchfab plans to add all these functions in the near future.

Source: Sketchfab