Shapespark

Start by getting your geometry into Shapespark the way you actually work. If you build in Revit, SketchUp, or 3ds Max, install the matching Shapespark plug‑in, pick the scene or selection you want to send, confirm units, and export directly to the desktop app. Open the scene in Shapespark and do your first pass: verify scale, check materials, rename objects for clarity, and organize the hierarchy. From this point on, keep refining in the editor—adjust material properties, reorder objects, toggle visibility—and know that these refinements remain intact when you bring in a revised model from your design tool.

Working in other DCC or CAD software? Use an exchange format. Export FBX, COLLADA (DAE), or OBJ with textures saved next to the model or embedded, and ensure you keep consistent units, up‑axis, and material names. Import the file into Shapespark, resolve any missing paths, and confirm that your mesh and materials look correct. Establish a steady rhythm for updates: keep object and material names stable in your source app, re‑export using the same settings, and bring the new file into the same Shapespark project. The editor will match the incoming content to what’s already there, so your earlier scene adjustments persist instead of being wiped out.

Real‑world loops look like this: an architect pushes a Revit schematic to Shapespark for an early walkthrough, tweaks material intensities in the editor, then updates the BIM model with new door families and re‑exports; the editor preserves the prior edits, so you only review the deltas. A visualization artist sends a SketchUp concept, fine‑tunes material roughness and object naming for client review, then iterates on geometry in SketchUp; a quick re‑import keeps the editor changes. A product designer working in 3ds Max publishes an initial version, tests finishes in Shapespark, and later adjusts fillets in the source file; re‑sending the model retains the finish choices set in the editor.

Practical tips for smooth handoffs: keep naming stable (materials, layers, groups) so Shapespark can reliably map updates; export at the same scale every time; avoid random hierarchy changes between versions; embed or keep texture paths relative to the model file; test a small subset before a full scene to validate export settings; prefer FBX for complex hierarchies, OBJ for simple static meshes, and DAE if your tool’s exporter is more predictable. When a new revision is ready, reimport into the existing Shapespark project rather than starting from scratch—this preserves your scene work and shortens each iteration.