How to create deconstructed 3D models for ThingLink XR

The ThingLink XR app for Meta Quest, PICO, and HTC VIVE allows you to pull 3D models apart so you can inspect individual parts:

Whether this is possible depends on how the 3D model file is built. To use this feature, the model must contain separate parts within the file.

If you create your own 3D models, each part that should move independently must be a separate mesh in the model file. ThingLink XR treats those meshes as individual parts that can be moved separately. If the model is exported as a single mesh, its parts cannot be separated in XR.

For example, in the screenshot below, the coffee maker model consists of four meshes: Body, Basket, Carafe, and Lid. Each of these can be interacted with as a separate part in ThingLink XR.

You can adjust the mesh structure in most 3D modelling software, such as Blender, Maya, 3ds Max, Cinema 4D, or SketchUp.

Models created by scanning real-world objects, such as with ThingLink Capture or apps like Polycam, are typically exported as a single mesh. Because of this, this feature is not available for scanned models.