Note: This tutorial is for when you receive an Offline HoloBuilder project as handover and not by downloading it. To download a project from your account, please refer to this tutorial.
In order to view any shared .holo project files, you will always need to install the dedicated Offline HoloViewer. The program allows you to open any shared offline HoloBuilder project without needing a HoloBuilder account.
When wanting to download HoloBuilder projects directly from the HolBuilder platform, the Offline HoloViewer needs to be installed to a location on any of your hard disks the executed application will have write permission to. This is required to download and generate the .holo file. E.g. install the app on the desktop or any other location than “C:/Program Files/…”.
Steps to view your Offline Project
The HoloViewer needs to be downloaded. You can find the download link for any HoloViewer version here. We support Windows 32, Windows 64 and Mac devices. Important: The HoloViewer is only supported on Intel Mac - M1+ devices are not compatible.
If you are using our HoloBuilder EU solution, please make sure to download the EU version here.
If you received the project as a handover bundle, the installer files for the Offline HoloViewer are included in the ZIP-folder.
Install the HoloViewer on your desktop. Please pay attention to any restrictions that may apply to the location where the system can be installed.
Next, you need to download the project from the sharing platform or extract from the zipped handover folder. Make sure that it is downloaded as a .holo file.
Attention: Depending on the browser used for the download, it can happen that the project is converted into a .zip file during the download process. The HoloViewer cannot open and read .zip files, so you might need to adjust the file type before downloading the project!
Opening an Offline HoloBuilder project as a handed over file
Once the viewer is installed and the project downloaded, you have 2 options to open the project on the viewer:
1. Option:
Double-click on the .holo file (the downloaded project) to open it. The project will open in the HoloViewer.
Please note that when wanting to use the option to automatically open the .holo file in the viewer upon double-clicking on the .holo file, you will have to enable admin permissions for the software during the installation of the Offline HoloViewer.
Alternatively, you can manually select the Offline HoloViewer as the application to open the .holo file with when Windows asks which application it should use to open it.
When not downloading any project directly from HoloBuilder, the system does not require admin permissions. The desktop app can be installed anywhere on the PC.
2. Option:
Move the .holo file from the download folder/its current location to the folder path HoloViewer>Holobuilder>Projects to have this project always shown when opening the viewer.
Note: Do not change the folder path for the projects or rename any of the folders as otherwise the system won't be able to find the project location anymore.
Should you be interested in opening your own HoloBuilder account to improve documentation processes at your company, you can find more information about a subscription on our website or directly request a demo for HoloBuilder.