How to Share a 3D Scan with a Client
To share a 3D scan with a client, find out what software they will open it in. Export the scan in a format that software reads and send it as a zipped package or a hosted viewer link:
- OBJ or GLB for viewing
- STL for printing
- USDZ for iPhone AR
- E57 or ReCap formats for point clouds in CAD
Include a short note stating the units, scale, scan date and any known gaps. A file the client cannot open or cannot trust is not a delivery.
The rest of this article covers how to pick the right format, when a link beats a file, how to move large scans without breaking them, and the mistakes that get scans sent back.
What does your client actually need to do with the scan?
Ask this before you export anything. The same scan can be a deliverable or a dead end depending on the answer.
Most client requests fall into one of four buckets:
- Look at it. A manager approving a product shot, a homeowner checking a room, an insurer reviewing damage. They want to rotate and zoom, nothing more. They usually have no 3D software installed.
- Measure it. A logistics planner checking pallet fit, an engineer verifying a part. They need correct scale and a format their tool can measure in.
- Build from it. A designer importing the scan into CAD, or a print shop making a copy. They need clean geometry in a format their pipeline accepts.
- Archive it. A facility or museum keeping a record for years. They need an open, documented format that will still open long after your app or theirs is gone.
A two-line email asking what software they use saves a round of re-exports. If they say they do not know, assume the first bucket and send something viewable in a browser or on a phone.
Which file format should you send a client?
Match the format to the job, not to what your scanner defaults to. If you scanned with a phone app, export from the app in the format below. MagiScan, for example, exports scans for 3D printing, AR and e-commerce use, so you can produce the client version directly from the phone. For a step-by-step on the export itself, see how to export a 3D scan to STL, OBJ, or USDZ.
| Client need | Format to send | What it keeps | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| View on any computer or web page | GLB / glTF | Mesh, colour texture in a single file (GLB) | Some older desktop tools will not open it |
| View in AR on an iPhone or iPad | USDZ | Mesh and texture, opens in Apple AR Quick Look | Not the natural choice for Android or Windows clients |
| Edit in 3D or render | OBJ (with MTL and texture images) | Mesh, UVs, texture via separate files | Texture is lost if you send the .obj alone |
| 3D print | STL | Geometry only | No colour, no units stored in the file |
| Point cloud for survey or archive | E57 | Points, images, metadata, vendor-neutral | Large files; client needs point cloud software |
| Point cloud into AutoCAD | ReCap RCS / RCP | Indexed point cloud ready to attach | Requires Autodesk ReCap to create |
Why E57 is the safe choice for point clouds
If your client works with laser scan data or wants a long-term record, E57 is the format least likely to cause trouble. The reference documentation describes it as a compact, vendor-neutral format for storing point clouds, images, and metadata, specified by ASTM in the E2807 standard.
The Library of Congress format registry notes that it is documented in ASTM E2807-11(2019) e1, the Standard Specification for 3D Imaging Data Exchange. In practice that means no single vendor controls whether your client can open the file in ten years.
When the client is on AutoCAD
AutoCAD does not want raw scan files. Autodesk's documentation explains that ReCap converts raw scan data to RCS scan files and RCP project files that reference multiple RCS files, and both can be attached to an AutoCAD drawing.
If the client has ReCap, send E57 and let them convert. Otherwise, convert yourself and send the RCP together with every RCS it references. Sending the RCP alone is the point cloud equivalent of sending an OBJ without its textures.
Should you send a file or a viewer link?
For clients who only need to look, a link is almost always better. Nobody has to install anything, the file never leaves your control, and you can update the model without sending a new attachment.
Platform workflows are built around this. Matterport's support documentation describes the process as using the camera to scan your environment, upload your 3D models to Matterport Cloud, and then share with your colleagues and clients. Note the order: upload comes before sharing.
Matterport also points out that when you scan with the Matterport app, the scan data is stored on your device and isn't yet stored in the cloud. A scan sitting on your phone cannot be shared through a hosted link until it has been uploaded and processed, so build that time into your delivery promise.
Here is how the main delivery routes compare:
| Route | Best for | Strengths | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Export from MagiScan and send the file | Objects scanned on a phone, clients who need a usable file | Client gets the actual model in a format for printing, AR or e-commerce | You manage the transfer and the client needs a viewer for the format |
| Matterport hosted link | Building interiors and real estate walkthroughs | Upload to Matterport Cloud, then share a link with clients | Scan must be uploaded from the device first |
| E57 file package | Survey, engineering, archive | Vendor-neutral ASTM standard with metadata | Needs point cloud software on the client side |
| ReCap RCP plus RCS files | Clients drafting in AutoCAD | Attaches directly to an AutoCAD drawing | Requires ReCap to produce the files |
A sensible pattern for most jobs is to send two things:
- A link or a USDZ/GLB for a quick look.
- The working file (OBJ, STL or E57) for whoever does the real work.
Decision makers and technicians are often different people at the same client.
How do you send large 3D scan files without breaking them?
Textured meshes and point clouds get big fast, and email attachments are usually the first thing to fail. A few habits make delivery reliable:
- Zip the whole package. An OBJ needs its .mtl file and its texture images in the same folder with the same relative paths. Zipping the folder keeps those links intact. The same applies to an RCP and its RCS files.
- Use a file transfer or cloud storage link, not an attachment. Set an expiry date if the scan is sensitive.
- Decimate a viewing copy. A client who only wants to look does not need the full-resolution mesh. Send a lighter version for viewing and keep the dense one for production use.
- Name files so they explain themselves. Something like client_part-A_scan_2026-10-21_mm.obj tells the client what it is, when it was captured and what units it uses.
- Check the download yourself. Open the shared link in a private browser window and unzip the package on another machine. If anything is missing, you find out before the client does.
What should you check before sending a scan to a client?
A scan with holes or wrong scale undermines everything else you deliver. Run through this list first:
- Holes and floating debris. Background objects, the turntable, stray points. Clean them up first; this guide to fixing holes and cleaning up a 3D scan covers the usual repairs.
- Scale and units. STL files store numbers but not units, so a part modelled in millimetres can open a thousand times too small in software expecting metres. Measure a known dimension on the scan and write the units in your note. For checking accuracy, see how to get accurate measurements from a 3D scan.
- Orientation. Make sure the object sits upright with a sensible origin, so it does not open sideways or far off screen.
- Texture appearance. Open the export in a different viewer from the one you scanned in. Missing or stretched textures show up immediately.
- Privacy. Room scans can capture documents, screens and faces, and scans of people are personal data. Remove what the client should not see and follow whatever data handling terms you agreed with them.
Write a short readme
Add a plain text file or a paragraph in your email covering:
- Capture date and the device or method used
- Units
- The formats included and what each one is for
- Known limitations, for example a reflective area that did not capture fully
- Who to contact with questions
It takes five minutes and answers most follow-up emails before they are written.
What mistakes make clients reject a 3D scan?
The same problems come up again and again:
- Sending the scanner's native file. If the client does not own the same software, the file is useless to them. Always export.
- Sending a bare OBJ. The model opens grey because the material and texture files were left behind.
- No units. The client imports the model, it appears the size of a grain of sand or a building, and they assume the scan is wrong.
- Promising a link before uploading. On cloud platforms, the scan has to upload and process before a link exists.
- One huge file for everyone. The person approving the job cannot open a dense point cloud on a laptop. Give them a light preview.
- No version control. If you revise the scan, change the file name or the date in it, so nobody works from the old copy.
Putting it together
Sharing a scan well comes down to three decisions:
- What the client will do with it.
- Which format their software reads.
- How the file or link reaches them intact.
Answer the first question and export to match. Package everything the format depends on, check it on a second machine, and include a short note on units and limitations.
For phone-based scans, MagiScan exports for 3D printing, AR and e-commerce. You can produce both the working file and a lighter AR or viewing copy from the same capture. Confirm that the client has a viewer or tool that opens the format you choose before you send it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest way to let a client view a 3D scan without installing software?
Send a hosted viewer link or a format their device opens natively, such as USDZ for iPhone and iPad users or GLB for web viewers. Hosted platforms like Matterport require you to upload the scan to their cloud before a shareable link exists.
Which format should I use to send a point cloud to an engineering client?
E57 is the safest default because it is a vendor-neutral format specified by ASTM in the E2807 standard. If the client works in AutoCAD, they can also use ReCap RCS and RCP files, which attach directly to a drawing.
Why does my client see a grey model when I send an OBJ file?
An OBJ stores geometry, while colour comes from a separate .mtl file and texture images. Zip the OBJ, MTL and texture files together in one folder so the relative paths stay intact.
How do I make sure the client sees the scan at the correct size?
State the units in the file name and in your note, because formats such as STL do not store units. Measure a known dimension on the scan before sending to confirm the scale is right.