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BLBlender

Web Preview

by Gabor Kiss·Workflow

Images © Gabor Kiss. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

Web Preview earns attention in the superhive library for pulling four web renderers, per-material tuning, and HDR lookdev into a single in-Blender preview step, with a baked fallback path and PNG capture for handoff-focused review.

What is Web Preview?

Web Preview is a local Blender add-on for checking how a selected model and materials look in a real browser viewer before you hand them off, publish screenshots, or set up a web scene. Send the asset from Blender with one click and open it in the viewer to tune the look and decide which review you need.

Direct Preview exports the selected object to a temporary glTF and opens it in the browser, with a focused panel for reviewing one material at a time. You can adjust surface color, roughness, metalness, emission, double-sided rendering, opacity, alpha mode, clearcoat, transmission, and IOR, compare Original and Tweaked, reset a material or the full session, and export a tweaked glTF. Baked Preview creates a baked fallback for selected mesh materials with Speed, Balanced, High, or Extreme quality.

Switch between three.js, Babylon.js, PlayCanvas, and the read-only Filament reference preview in the same viewer, adjust HDR lookdev presets and settings, toggle body visibility, and save current-view or transparent PNGs with optional branding.

Who is Web Preview best for?

Web Preview is best for blender asset creators reviewing model and material presentation in web renderers before placing the asset in a web project or handing it off, and for catching visual issues before a customer sees them in their own viewer.

How much does Web Preview cost?

Web Preview is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Direct Preview exports the selected object to a temporary glTF and opens it in the browser viewer
  • Material panel to review one material at a time and adjust surface color, roughness, metalness, emission, double-sided rendering, opacity, alpha mode, clearcoat, transmission, and IOR, with Compare Original and Tweaked, reset, and tweaked-glTF export
  • Baked Preview fallback for selected mesh materials with Speed, Balanced, High, or Extreme quality presets
  • Renderer comparison across three.js, Babylon.js, PlayCanvas, and the read-only Filament reference preview in one viewer
  • HDR lookdev controls with bundled presets plus exposure, environment intensity, rotation, background color, grid, and wire overlay, with extra tuning for PlayCanvas and Filament
  • Body visibility toggles to isolate parts and inspect exported bodies and material status in the viewer
  • Screenshot capture as current-view or transparent PNG with an optional brand watermark

Tags

#Blender#web preview#glTF#three.js#Babylon.js#PlayCanvas#material review#lookdev

Frequently asked questions

Which web renderers can Web Preview compare?

Web Preview lets you switch between three.js, Babylon.js, PlayCanvas, and the read-only Filament reference preview inside the same browser viewer. three.js and Babylon.js share the same lookdev controls for a direct comparison, while PlayCanvas and Filament include extra tuning because their environment lighting workflows are different. PlayCanvas adds controls for HDR background, IBL balance, skybox strength, skybox blur, and material tonemapping, and Filament provides its own reference lighting for ambient strength, key light strength, key direction, key height, HDR direction, and environment color. Filament was introduced in version 1.20.0.

What's the difference between Direct Preview and Baked Preview in Web Preview?

Web Preview offers two preview paths. Direct Preview exports the selected object to a temporary glTF and opens it in the browser viewer, useful for quickly checking how your model and materials translate to a web-style 3D presentation. Baked Preview creates a baked fallback for selected mesh materials when you want a more stable real-time preview path, with Speed, Balanced, High, or Extreme quality presets. Exporting the baked preview as a glTF handoff is disabled, while Direct Preview lets you export a tweaked glTF for use outside Web Preview.

What image formats can Web Preview export?

Web Preview can save the current view as a PNG or export a transparent PNG for use in product images, storefront layouts, compositing, and image or video workflows. You can add an optional brand watermark and control its position, size, color, shadow, or plate styling. Separately, Web Preview can export a tweaked glTF from the material panel, saving a browser-patched copy of the Blender-exported file with your current material changes applied. Exporting the baked preview as a glTF handoff is disabled.

Is Web Preview free to use?

Web Preview is listed as free in this catalog. For current licensing terms, check the developer's page. The add-on runs locally in Blender and uses Blender's glTF export path to create the temporary preview file that opens in the browser viewer. From that preview you can adjust materials, tune HDR lookdev, isolate bodies, compare renderers, export a tweaked glTF for further testing, and save current-view or transparent PNGs with optional branding.

What languages is the in-viewer Help available in?

Web Preview includes a built-in Help menu you can open from the viewer for compact workflow notes on Render Engines, Environments, and the Material Editor. The Help content is available in English, German, French, Spanish, and Polish, while the technical workflow terms stay aligned with Blender, glTF, and web renderer terminology. This gives you reference notes on the tool's workflow without leaving the browser viewer.

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