OpenBuilding

I made an open-source structural viewer that lets you view 3D structural models without installing anything.

OpenBuilding is a free, fully responsive browser-based viewer. Drop in a STAAD file (.std extension) and it renders members with their actual cross-section shapes — wide flanges, channels, angles, HSS, pipes — not generic cylinders. Click any member to see its section properties. The goal is to make structural visualization portable and accessible to everyone, including non-engineers who just need to see a model without buying software.

Currently supports: STAAD (.std). ETABS, SAP2000, and ROBOT are on the roadmap. Material composition and member-end release data are in the works.

Limitations: single-section members only (no double angles, double channels, or built-up sections). Plate rendering is basic. Some non-US steel naming conventions aren't mapped yet. No load or deformed-shape display.

This isn't structural analysis software, the aim is engineering reporting and construction visualization. Long-term, I'm open to adding basic analysis, but the focus right now is making model viewing frictionless.

It's fully open-source (MIT). If you're a structural engineer who codes or a developer into AEC tools, take a look. Every contribution helps move engineering tooling forward one step at a time.

You can download an example model in the GitHub link below that you can use to try the app.

Try it: https://openbuilding.vercel.app/

Source: https://github.com/DannCarlo/OpenBuilding