# Interacting with 3D Graphics, for export

Are there any export formats which preserve the ability to interact with 3D Graphics? (In particular, the ability to rotate.)

EDIT: I've found this question: How to make a 3D plot auto-rotate? which produces an object with head DynamicModule. Can I export as an animated gif or QuickTime movie?

• I guess it depends on the software you would use to rotate it after the export. – Öskå Aug 11 '14 at 17:29
• Save your notebook as a CDF file and download the free CDF player to view and rotate? wolfram.com/cdf-player – Bill Aug 11 '14 at 18:30
• Take a look here. – Öskå Aug 11 '14 at 19:07
• I don't think this is a duplicate since the OP specifically asks for an export format that "preserves the ability to interact with 3D Graphics" and then settles for a non-interactive animated gif/movie. I am not clear on what is being asked here. – bobthechemist Aug 12 '14 at 1:57
• @stopple Why is the CDF format not desirable? All the other suggestions pale in comparison with what you can do with CDF. – Edmund Jul 25 '15 at 13:12

First let's take a 3D element:

g = PolyhedronData["Spikey"];


• Export as GIF:

As stated here one can Export a List of images as a GIF:

animation = Table[Show[g, Boxed -> False,
ViewVector -> {0, 5 Cos@u, 5 Sin@u}], {u, 0, Pi, Pi/20}];
Export["~/animated.gif", animation, "DisplayDurations" -> .1]


giving:

But since the question is "Are there any export formats which preserve the ability to interact with 3D Graphics? (In particular, the ability to rotate.)" I propose the following which I find very interesting:

• Nice and interesting. +1 – RunnyKine Aug 12 '14 at 0:33
• @RunnyKine Thank you, I felt that the Sketchfab idea was worth being shared :) – Öskå Aug 12 '14 at 0:35
• Indeed, thanks for sharing :) – RunnyKine Aug 12 '14 at 0:36

Partly a response, You can work with Interactive Manipulation (just hit F1 and search for it) as well with Import and Export Animations (you know F1).

m = Manipulate[Plot3D[Sin[x y + a], {x, 0, 6}, {y, 0, 6}], {a, 0, 4}]

Export["manipulate1.avi", %]


Works fine on Mac OS X x86 (64-bit) internals will translate "avi" to "mov".

Possibly you are looking for something like LiveGraphics3D, a Java applet for interactive rotation of 3D graphics. Three different summaries:

• Cannot download applet from Mr Kraus' homepage. The Mathworld link does not seem to work with Safari 11.0.1 even if I allow the Java plugin everywhere: no animation is visible. :-( – Laryx Decidua Jun 13 '18 at 9:21
• @LaryxDecidua I'm sorry to say that LiveGraphics3D appears to be an abandoned product. The Mathworld example isn't working for me either at this point, but I get a message that it is blocked so I should at least try to figure out how to unblock it. Nevertheless I don't think this will be of much use any more, even though it was once a nice solution. – Mr.Wizard Jun 13 '18 at 14:53