I see the “spinning” view in browser, but I don’t see an option to download the STLs.
Edit: It appears the usdz AR file can be converted to obj/stl files.
alecail•Mar 12, 2026
Each of the models is available in fbx, usdz and glb if you dig a bit in the page.
It's in a json file named masters
jandrese•Mar 12, 2026
It's kind of annoying that the 3D viewer on their website keep you a respectful distance away from the object like you might try to touch it if you got too close.
knolan•Mar 12, 2026
It works really well with the AR viewer on mobile Safari.
LeifCarrotson•Mar 12, 2026
Interesting, on desktop Firefox I can barely zoom in past the point that the object fills the FOV.
I want to be permitted to navigate up close to a point where I can see the pixels and triangle meshes, as if I was a millimeter away from some brush stroke or chisel mark, and then back out just a bit.
No idea what they used but I know that in Brussels they use CultArm3D FT20 by https://verus.digital basically a camera on a robot arm.
alecail•Mar 12, 2026
From what I saw in that file and a few others (in USDZ), the metalness is not captured.
It's in 0/1_b.jpg , and the file is always pure white.
You are only seeing roughness
I opened them in Houdini and it translates to a USDPreview material, with those PBR channels connected: basecolor, roughness (decent map), metallic (no data, juste white) and normal map (decent map too)
jonhohle•Mar 12, 2026
> Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
>
> To request images under copyright and other restrictions, …
If these are available as public domain with unrestricted use without fee, what is the use case for requesting a version under copyright with restrictions?
dfxm12•Mar 12, 2026
Not everything is open access data and public domain images.
No idea. But I've integrated their API to a commercial project (https://bookmarker.cc) without any issues. Users are exploring The Met Collection and save images to their library directly in the app.
> Through The Met Collection API, users can connect to a live feed of all Creative Commons Zero (CC0) data and 406,000 images from the The Met collection, all available for use without copyright or restriction. The Met Collection API is another foundational step in our Open Access program, helping make the Museum's collection one of the most accessible, discoverable, and useful on the internet. The Met Collection API is where all makers, creators, researchers, and dreamers can now connect to the most up-to-date data and images of artworks in The Met collection, representing five thousand years of human history.
Here's a little script to download all the publicly available scans (135) as GLBs and stick the metadata in a JSON. The scans are all CC0 (public domain)
Absolutely beautiful scans. Thanks Met. Wonderful art that brightened my day.
Eduard•Mar 12, 2026
> high-def 3D scans
maybe 15, 20 years ago. I especially found the glossy shader goofy. No authentic replication, more 2000s gaming vibes. they should use gaussian splatting instead
dmarcos•Mar 12, 2026
I wish they would also publish the source images used to generate the 3D representation so people can recreate with other techniques.
15 Comments
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search?showOnly=has...
Edit: It appears the usdz AR file can be converted to obj/stl files.
I want to be permitted to navigate up close to a point where I can see the pixels and triangle meshes, as if I was a millimeter away from some brush stroke or chisel mark, and then back out just a bit.
>
> To request images under copyright and other restrictions, …
If these are available as public domain with unrestricted use without fee, what is the use case for requesting a version under copyright with restrictions?
This image is tagged open access & public domain: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/321937
This image is not: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/492371
> Through The Met Collection API, users can connect to a live feed of all Creative Commons Zero (CC0) data and 406,000 images from the The Met collection, all available for use without copyright or restriction. The Met Collection API is another foundational step in our Open Access program, helping make the Museum's collection one of the most accessible, discoverable, and useful on the internet. The Met Collection API is where all makers, creators, researchers, and dreamers can now connect to the most up-to-date data and images of artworks in The Met collection, representing five thousand years of human history.
source: https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/met-collection-api-2
Works well both on the Vision Pro (USDz format) and Meta Quest (glTF binary format).
That being said without the right mediation, without some context... unless you already are an expert in the domain what's the point?
I wish they had captured one of their Faberge eggs; those are almost more impressive.
Fill the base with concrete and use it as a bookend?
https://github.khronos.org/glTF-Sample-Viewer-Release/?model...
https://github.com/InconsolableCellist/met_scans
maybe 15, 20 years ago. I especially found the glossy shader goofy. No authentic replication, more 2000s gaming vibes. they should use gaussian splatting instead