STEPFILE.comFree, alpha release

Phone and Tablet

STEPFILE.com runs in the browser on a phone or tablet. Every tool is there. On a narrow screen (about 640 pixels wide or less) the layout changes to make room for the model.

Touch Controls

  • One finger drag: orbit the model
  • Pinch: zoom
  • Two-finger drag: pan
  • Two-finger twist: roll the part in the screen plane
  • Tap (no drag): a measurement or sketch pick, the same as a mouse click

Touch has no right button, so the right-click menus are not available. To look straight at a face, use the Views panel. See Mouse, Touch, and 3D Mouse.

Step by Step: Look Around a Part on a Phone

  1. Open a model.
  2. Drag one finger to turn it. Pinch to zoom. Drag with two fingers to slide it.
  3. Tap the cube at the top of the view, then tap Front, Top or 3D view. See Views.
  4. Tap Fit on the View tab to bring the whole part back.
  5. For more room, tap Full Screen and rotate the phone to landscape.

Layout Changes on a Small Screen

  • The docked side panel (Model, Properties, Files, Notes, or Help) becomes a sheet that slides up from the bottom instead of sitting beside the 3D view, so the model stays visible above it. The sheet takes about half the screen to start with.
  • A grab bar at the top of the sheet can be dragged up to make the sheet taller or down to make it shorter. The size is remembered for next time.
  • The Properties panel does not open by itself on a selection the way it does on a larger screen, since it would cover the model. Open it from the right rail when you want it.
  • The tabs show short names (2D, 3D, Fab, Docs), and more of each tab's least used buttons go into its Advanced drawer so the rest fit.
  • The strip of tabs scrolls sideways: swipe it left or right to reach the other tabs (a fade at its edge shows there are more that way). Find a tool is the magnifier in the top strip.
  • There is no Library strip on the left edge: tap Library on the Features tab, and the drawer opens over the model.
  • The eye on the top strip is not shown. Marks on the View tab does the same job. See Marks.
  • The Share button moves into the File menu, under Share.
  • Several open files show as one button with the file name and a count. Tap it for the list. See Tabs: Several Files at Once.
  • The ribbon, the right rail and the tool panels otherwise work as on a desktop, just touch-sized.

Step by Step: Make the Sheet Bigger

  1. Open a panel from the right rail, for example Model.
  2. Put a finger on the grab bar at the top of the sheet.
  3. Drag up for a taller sheet or down for a shorter one.
  4. Tap the same rail button again to close the sheet.

Tips and Common Problems

  • The sheet hides the part. Drag the grab bar down, or close the sheet.
  • The Full Screen button does nothing. Some phone browsers do not allow it. Use the browser's own full-screen or "add to home screen" option. See Full Screen.
  • A tool name is cut off. Rotate to landscape for more width.
  • The 3D mouse does not work. A 3D mouse is a desktop accessory over WebHID and has no equivalent on a phone or tablet.
  • I cannot hover. Touch has no hover. Tap to pick instead.

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