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To capture only part of a model in an embedded Autodesk Forge Viewer app, select the target elements, isolate them, focus the camera on them, and then call the Viewer screenshot API. viewer.getScreenShot(width, height, callback) captures the viewer at the requested render dimensions; it does not crop an arbitrary rectangle. For a pixel-region crop, crop the returned image with a canvas. For automated model-space clipping, convert model coordinates to screen coordinates with viewer.worldToClient(...) and use a browser screenshot tool that supports clipping.
Choose the right method for the capture you need
There are three different meanings of “part of the model,” and they call for different steps:
| Goal | Approach | What defines the part |
|---|---|---|
| Show only chosen model objects | Select and isolate objects, focus the view, then capture with the Viewer API | Selected object database IDs |
| Save a rectangular patch of the current viewer image | Capture the viewer, then crop the image using a canvas | Pixel coordinates in the captured image |
| Automatically capture a region derived from model geometry | Convert model-space bounds to screen coordinates and use browser screenshot clipping | Projected screen coordinates |
The Autodesk Platform Services (APS) Viewer is the browser-based JavaScript SDK formerly known as Forge Viewer. Its built-in screenshot function renders the viewer; it is not a general-purpose crop function. Autodesk Platform Services explains the distinction in its Viewer screenshot guidance.
Capture selected objects in the Autodesk Viewer interface
If you only need an image by hand, the viewer already provides the basic workflow. The exact placement and wording can vary with the host application and its Viewer configuration, but Autodesk documents the Model Browser and context-menu actions for selecting and controlling visible model parts.
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- Open the Model Browser and select the desired object, or search for it if the host app exposes model search.
- Open the selected object’s context menu and choose Isolate to hide other objects. Choose Hide selected instead if you want to remove a particular object from an otherwise visible model.
- Use Focus to frame the selection. If the cutaway itself is the subject, use the available Section controls.
- Use Screenshot in the Export Data area to save an image of what is visible.
Use Show all objects to restore the full model after an isolate or hide operation. The available actions are documented in Autodesk’s Autodesk Viewer navigation and selection help and Viewer export options.
Capture selected model elements in an embedded app
In an application you control, use the Viewer selection APIs to obtain the selected database IDs, isolate them, wait for the visibility update, focus or fit the camera, and then take the screenshot. The key is to wait for the viewer to finish applying selection, visibility, and camera changes before capturing. Autodesk’s basic extension tutorial demonstrates selection-change handling and isolation-change events.
1. Read selected database IDs
For an interactive selection, listen for the Viewer selection-change event and read the selected IDs from the viewer. The basic-extension tutorial shows the selection event pattern. A minimal outline is:
viewer.addEventListener(Autodesk.Viewing.SELECTION_CHANGED_EVENT, (event) => {
const dbIds = event.dbIdArray;
console.log("Selected object IDs:", dbIds);
});The selected IDs are the objects to pass to the visibility operation. If the viewer contains multiple models, keep the relevant model reference alongside its IDs and use the model-specific APIs supported by the Viewer version in your app.
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2. Isolate the target objects
Use the viewer’s isolate behavior for the selected IDs, or the visibility manager when you need to address a particular model. Isolation-change events let the app detect when the visibility state has updated. This matters because capturing immediately after requesting isolation can produce a frame from the prior state.
3. Frame the object and wait for the view
Focus or fit the camera to the isolated selection so it fills the intended frame. If you need a specific angle, set the camera explicitly. For an automated workflow, wait for the relevant selection, isolation, and camera/render updates before capture; use the event or completion mechanism available in the Viewer SDK version your app loads rather than relying on an arbitrary short delay.
4. Request the screenshot
Call viewer.getScreenShot(width, height, callback) with output dimensions chosen for your desired render size. Use dimensions that preserve the aspect ratio of the viewer area. The API’s dimensions determine the rendered screenshot size; they do not specify a crop rectangle.
// Run after the target is isolated and the desired camera view is ready.
viewer.getScreenShot(1200, 800, (dataUrl) => {
const link = document.createElement("a");
link.href = dataUrl;
link.download = "viewer-part.png";
link.click();
});This example requests a 1200 × 800 render; choose dimensions appropriate to your viewer’s aspect ratio and output needs. Autodesk’s screenshot API guidance explains that the function takes a picture of the viewer as if it had the given size, rather than taking a picture of an arbitrary specified area.
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Crop a rectangular area from the captured image
If the target is a rectangle in the rendered image rather than a set of model objects, crop the screenshot after capture. A canvas lets you specify the source rectangle and output dimensions. The coordinates below are example values: measure or calculate the rectangle for your own image.
function cropDataUrl(dataUrl, x, y, width, height) {
return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
const image = new Image();
image.onload = () => {
const canvas = document.createElement("canvas");
canvas.width = width;
canvas.height = height;
const context = canvas.getContext("2d");
if (!context) {
reject(new Error("Could not create a 2D canvas context"));
return;
}
context.drawImage(image, x, y, width, height, 0, 0, width, height);
resolve(canvas.toDataURL("image/png"));
};
image.onerror = () => reject(new Error("Could not load the viewer screenshot"));
image.src = dataUrl;
});
}
viewer.getScreenShot(1200, 800, async (dataUrl) => {
try {
const cropped = await cropDataUrl(dataUrl, 200, 100, 600, 450);
const link = document.createElement("a");
link.href = cropped;
link.download = "viewer-crop.png";
link.click();
} catch (error) {
console.error("Screenshot crop failed:", error);
}
});The crop rectangle uses the source image’s pixel coordinates: x and y identify its top-left corner, while width and height set the rectangle size. Keep the rectangle within the image bounds. For higher-resolution captures, scale or recalculate the coordinates accordingly. This crops pixels; it does not alter which model objects are visible. Autodesk provides the canvas crop approach in its Viewer screenshot guidance.
Automate a crop from model-space bounds
When the crop should follow a geometric region rather than a manually chosen pixel box, start with the region’s model-space bounds. Project its corners into the viewer using viewer.worldToClient(...), derive the screen rectangle that encloses the projected points, and pass that rectangle to a browser screenshot tool with a clipping option. Autodesk describes this method in its screenshot guidance.
This approach is more involved than selection-based capture: it requires valid bounds, the current camera and viewport transform, and an automation context capable of capturing the browser surface. Ensure the viewer has finished rendering the desired state before taking the clipped screenshot. A projection can also put some corners outside the viewport; handle clipping to the viewport bounds or decide how your automation should treat partially visible geometry.
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Choose dimensions and timing carefully
- Aspect ratio: Keep requested screenshot dimensions aligned with the viewer’s aspect ratio when you want an undistorted capture. Crop afterward if the deliverable must use a different shape.
- Render readiness: Wait for model loading and the final visibility and camera state. Capturing while isolation or rendering is still in progress can save an incomplete or stale frame.
- Output size: Larger requested dimensions produce a larger rendered image, but should be selected for the actual output requirement. The Viewer screenshot function’s dimensions are not a crop specification.
- Automation: A UI workflow is simplest for occasional exports. Viewer API calls suit an embedded application; coordinate conversion plus browser clipping suits repeatable region-based automation.
Troubleshooting
The screenshot shows the whole model
Confirm that the target IDs were selected and that isolation completed before capture. If you only hid objects, the remaining visible model may still include more than the intended target. Use isolate when the goal is to show only selected elements, and inspect the result in the viewer before exporting.
The image has the wrong framing or shape
getScreenShot(width, height, callback) sets render dimensions, not an arbitrary screen rectangle. Focus or fit the target before capture; for a rectangular crop, apply a canvas crop to the returned image. Keep the requested dimensions’ aspect ratio consistent with the viewer if you do not want distortion.
The image is blank, old, or only partly rendered
Do not capture until the model and desired view are ready. In app code, respond to the relevant selection and isolation updates and wait for rendering to settle. A fixed delay may be too short on a slower load and unnecessarily long on a fast one.
The crop cuts off the target
Check that the crop coordinates refer to the screenshot’s pixel dimensions, not CSS-scaled display dimensions. Increase or recalculate the rectangle, and verify that it stays within the image bounds. For geometry-derived crops, project the relevant bounds with worldToClient using the current view before calculating the clip.
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The API call does not match the loaded Viewer SDK
Viewer applications can load different SDK versions and configurations. Check the documentation and API surface for the version used by the host application; use the corresponding current screenshot method if its signature differs. Autodesk describes the documented method as getScreenShot(width, height, callback) in its Viewer screenshot guidance.
Or skip the browser setup
If your workflow needs a screenshot of a publicly reachable page rather than a capture of an embedded Autodesk Viewer instance, ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server. It cannot select Viewer object IDs or replace the Viewer SDK’s model-specific isolation and camera controls; use it for browser-page screenshots and browser-rendered output.
One GET request returns an image or PDF. For a WebP screenshot:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options. ScreenshotNeo accepts cookie/consent banners before capture and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each step can be turned off. Bot checks/CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and each response identifies the page verdict and billing status in headers. Its MCP server exposes take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf for AI agents and MCP clients. The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Autodesk Forge Viewer still called Forge Viewer?
Forge is now Autodesk Platform Services (APS); the Viewer is its browser-based JavaScript SDK.
Can I capture just the objects I selected without cropping pixels?
Yes. Isolate the selected model elements, frame them in the viewer, and capture the resulting view.
Can I use the Viewer screenshot method for an arbitrary rectangle?
No. It renders the viewer at the requested dimensions; use a canvas crop or browser screenshot clipping for a rectangle.
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