# The Oxide 3D Explorer

- Show: [Oxide and Friends](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends)
- Published: 2026-06-27
- Length: 1h 14m
- Episode: 15
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2026-06-27-the-oxide-3d-explorer
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/c9e8b249

## Summary

Ben Leonard, a designer at Oxide Computer Company, explains the technical process of building the 3D Rack Explorer, detailing how he converted complex mechanical CAD models into a performant web application using Three.js and React Three Fiber. The team discusses the manual effort required to reduce polygon counts and manage levels of detail for components like the Cosmo compute sled and Sidecar switch, ensuring the interactive site runs smoothly across different devices. They also highlight the tool's potential for customer support and internal training, as well as its open-source nature, inviting community contributions via pull requests.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2026-06-27-the-oxide-3d-explorer#t=0) Introduction: Ben Leonard and the 3D Rack Explorer
- [8:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2026-06-27-the-oxide-3d-explorer#t=537) Converting Complex CAD Models to Web Assets
- [17:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2026-06-27-the-oxide-3d-explorer#t=1075) Technical Implementation: Three.js and React Three Fiber
- [24:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2026-06-27-the-oxide-3d-explorer#t=1467) Motivation: Building In-House vs. Outsourcing
- [33:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2026-06-27-the-oxide-3d-explorer#t=2005) Future Applications: Thermal Explorer and Support
- [36:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2026-06-27-the-oxide-3d-explorer#t=2206) Oxide Lore: The Grumpy Pierre PCB Art
- [49:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2026-06-27-the-oxide-3d-explorer#t=2976) Guided Tours and PowerShelf Controller Visibility
- [58:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2026-06-27-the-oxide-3d-explorer#t=3515) Performance Optimization and AI-Assisted Debugging

## Topics

- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [Connected products & IoT](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/connected-products-and-iot)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Oxide Computer Company (company)
- Three.js (tool)
- React Three Fiber (tool)
- Cosmo (product)
- Sidecar (product)
- Altium (tool)
- Cadence OrCAD (tool)
- SolidWorks (tool)
- Claude (tool)
- Pierre Lamond (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Ep 160: Pedal Power, OpenSCAD in the Browser, Tasmanian Tigers, and the Coolest Knob](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2022-03-18-ep-160-pedal-power-openscad-in-the-browser-tasmanian-tigers-and-the-coolest-knob) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [163. Creating 3D Objects With AI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2024-02-27-163-creating-3d-objects-with-ai) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [034 - Mechanical RE](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2020-06-23-034-mechanical-re) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [232: Video Product Renderings for Your Invention](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2024-07-07-232-video-product-renderings-for-your-invention) (Product Startup)
- [186: Product Renderings for a New Invention](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-07-27-186-product-renderings-for-a-new-invention) (Product Startup)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2026-06-27-the-oxide-3d-explorer. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Oxide and Friends.