Looking for a way to showcase your expertise in 3D models and scenes? One effective way to do this is by sharing 3D GIFs on social media, messaging apps, and other platforms.
It is simple and time-saving to record GIFs using the user interface, instead of using third-party engines and apps to render models.
Here is the video version for this tutorial:
3D GIFs are not only a fun and engaging way to share information, but they also allow you to present maximum visual detail in a short amount of time.
In this tutorial you will learn how to create an animation of a rotating 3D model in Autodesk software (Revit, AutoCAD, Navisworks, etc.) without the need for special devices like a SpaceMouse.
Create 3D GIF
Step 1 – ScreenToGif
- Download ScreenToGif (Portable Freeware) and launch it.
- Align the recorder window with the viewport by dragging its borders.
- Press on View Object Wheel in the navigation panel.
Step 2 – ViewCube
- Right-click the object wheel > Select Full Navigational Wheel.
- Select the window borders and drag them to the desired object in the 3D view.
- Right-click the object wheel > Options > ViewCube > Uncheck “fit-to-view on view change”.
- Click OK.
Deactivating this feature prevents the pivot point from being reset to its central default position when you use the ViewCube for navigation.
- In the ScreenToGif overlay window, click Record.
- Place the cursor on an upper edge of the ViewCube and click 4 times (Isometric transition).
- Stop the recorder of ScreenToGif.
- Go to the Edit tab > Remove Duplicates > Similarity %: 90 > click Apply.
✨ Tip: Try reducing the similarity percentage to %85.
Step 3 – 3D GIF Transparency
- Go to the File tab > Check Enable Transparency > select the color to be displayed as transparent.
- Drag the cross sign under “Drag this to sample color” to the background color.
- Click Ok.
- Scroll down to select the location under the File panel.
- Click Save.
How to apply a green screen:
- Go to File tab > Options > Colors > Background.
- Set the color to green to apply a green screen behind your model.
Use the color picker in ScreenToGif to select the background color. (Replace green with a color that does not appear in your model).
Learn more about transparency in Revit.
Fusion Style Orbit in Autodesk Viewer
- Go to the Collaborate tab > click Publish Settings.
- Leave only the 3D view selected in the menu.
- Click Save & Close.
- Go to the Collaborate tab > click Shared Views.
- Click New Shared View > Assign a name for the shared view > Click Share.
- Wait until the link is generated, and then click View in Browser.
- In the top bar, open the Settings tab > Navigation pan > toggle the Fusion-style orbit.
- Reduce the size of the window so that it records inside the circular boundary.
- Start the capture in ScreenToGif.
- Click and drag the horizontal line on the sides of the model.
- Follow the steps (10-17) in the 3D GIF creation tutorial.
✨ Tip: More than 60 formats of 2D/3D files are viewable in Autodesk Viewer.
The only drawback with this method is the visible cross that follows the pivot point when you activate the fusion-style orbit.
Zoom as much as possible before recording to have the highest resolution out of the captured footage.
The view cube provides consistent transitions. We use these transitions to capture individual images and then edit them as video frames using ScreenToGif.
GetKap works for iOS devices. You can even record a video and convert it to a GIF via EzGIF.
Upload the file to Giphy or EzGIF. Right-click the online animation on the screen and save it. Now you have a 3D GIF that you can share with everyone!
Mohamed Fakhry has helped thousands of architects and designers find their next project with step-by-step guidance on his blog, mashyo.com. About Mohamed
His journey began during his university years when he recognized the need for information-rich 3D models to accelerate learning and improve production processes. Now, Mohamed shares his expertise through Revit tutorials that are accessible to all.
