Sand3D Assets Explorer

Sand3D Assets Explorer

Browses Sand3D objects in 3D, moves their joints and shows the Python program behind each one. For people who work with these simulation-style 3D assets and want to inspect them in a browser.

Made by fffiloni on Hugging Face. These notes are Mindket's, written from its Space page and README; the app's own files and license are on Hugging Face.

About

What it is: Sand3D Assets Explorer is a web app for looking through Sand3D objects. You open an object in 3D, move its joints and read the Python program that describes it. It is built from the Sand3D parts of an earlier explorer, and it names the dataset Sandflow/sand3d-automate.

Who it suits: People who work with articulated 3D objects and want to inspect parts, motion and code in one place. It also suits developers who want to see how such a viewer is built.

Industry | Who uses it | How they use it | Example
Simulation | Engineers working with 3D assets | Check parts and joint motion before using an object | Play a movement and watch the parts
Research | Researchers | Browse a dataset of objects and read their programs | Search an object and open its Python code
Software | Developers | Study a viewer built over USD files | Read the src and backend folders in a local copy
Education | Students | See how joints and parts relate | Drag the Explode slider

If you only need a flat image gallery, you can skip it.

Where to use it: The explorer runs in these places:

• A web browser: open the Space page on Hugging Face and use it there.
• Windows, macOS or Linux with Docker: build and run a copy on your own computer.

Use case | Who | What they get back
Inspect an object | Engineers | An interactive 3D view with parts, meshes and materials
Test joint motion | Researchers | The checked movements playing or paused, with sliders for each
Read and copy a program | Developers | The object's Python source with line numbers, to copy or download
Collect originals | Anyone | A download basket of the original files

How to set it up: Using it online needs nothing. For a local copy you need a few things:

• Python with pip, to fetch the files
• The huggingface_hub package, which the first command installs
• Docker, since the Space is built from a Dockerfile

The steps download the Space, build a Docker image from it and run that image with port 7860 open.

1. Install the Hugging Face package.
2. Download the Space into a folder called Sand3D-assets-explorer.
3. Move into that folder.
4. Build the Docker image.
5. Run the image with port 7860 open.

pip install -U huggingface_hub
hf download fffiloni/Sand3D-assets-explorer --repo-type space --local-dir Sand3D-assets-explorer
cd Sand3D-assets-explorer
docker build -t sand3d-assets-explorer .
docker run -it -p 7860:7860 sand3d-assets-explorer

How to use it: Open the Space page, or run the last command above and open your browser on port 7860 of your own computer. Use pan and zoom to move around the canvas. Search for an object, narrow the list by source or movement, then select one to open it in 3D. Drag to rotate it and drag the background to pan.

Tool | What it does
Materials, Parts, Meshes | Three display modes: original materials, a color per part and surface edges
Explode slider | Pulls the mesh parts apart for inspection
Movement checklist | Picks which joints play together, with Play, Pause and Reset
Python reader | Shows the object's program with line numbers, copy and download
Download basket | Collects the original files you want

Example: You search for an object, select it and tick one of its movements. You press Play and watch the joint move, then open the Python reader and copy the object's program.

For newcomers and experts: If you are new to this, open the Space page, pick any object and press Play on a movement. Then open the Python reader to see the code behind it. Nothing in the display settings changes the files you download.

If you know the field, the viewer works over the USD renderer and needs no GLB conversion. Parts mode gives each named USD mesh its own color, and objects over 250,000 triangles use a shader wireframe to keep edge preparation bounded. Dataset source text is escaped for display and is never executed.

You search or filter the object canvas
You select an object to open it in 3D
You play joints and inspect parts
You read its program or download originals

Good to know: The README is long and the page has many controls, so open it in a wide window for the side panel.

• License: apache-2, as the Space lists it. Objects carry their own source and license details in the app.
• Cost to run: none named. The hosted Space runs on the cpu-basic hardware at Hugging Face.
• Data it reaches: the Sand3D dataset it names, Sandflow/sand3d-automate. Dataset code is shown but never run.
• Not for: editing the objects. The display modes change only the view, so your downloads stay as they were.

On Hugging Face, 13 November 2026

• Likes: 1
• Built with: docker
• License: apache-2.0

Links

• Space: https://huggingface.co/spaces/fffiloni/Sand3D-assets-explorer
• Files: https://huggingface.co/spaces/fffiloni/Sand3D-assets-explorer/tree/main

Try it

Open the Space in your browser, or copy it to your own Hugging Face account from its page. Nothing in this kit runs by itself.