Exactly What I Needed

I just wanted a way to view my SketchUp models on my iPhone without upgrading to SketchUp Pro (for extra export options to use with other apps). This app does the trick. I simply export my model from SketchUp in kmz format, upload it to my free 3dvia account, and can then view it with the app.

My 5-star rating is primarily based on the fact that this app lets me do exactly what I wanted to do, and does so very well. The UI is clean and intuitive, and the app works fine on my iPhone 4 (no crashing, hanging, etc). Models load quickly and are easy to manipulate (pan, rotate and zoom). You do have to switch between pan and rotate modes, but Id imagine that is easier than trying to differentiate gestures for a 3d object.

My only complaint, and its a minor one, is that you need a paid account to make models private. I dont care if others view my models, but I feel bad for cluttering the public galleries with unprofessional models that are irrelevant to others, and dont understand why this option is considered to be a premium.

The app also will not display models with more than 100,000 triangles, but thats more a limitation of the iPhone than the app. Also, the default upload page on 3dvia.com did not work for me using FF6 on a Mac, but they have a link for a basic upload page which works fine.

Finally, I noticed a number of reviews about not being able to use existing photos. They dont have this option because the app needs to know the 3d orientation of the photo in order to place a 3d object with the correct perspective, which it records when you use the in-app camera. Granted, there could perhaps be an option to use existing photos with manual adjustment for the object, but considering this is more of a token feature anyway, Im fine with it as-is.

Mipley about 3DVIA Mobile, v1.3