Netron: Neural Network Model Visualization

Netron is a viewer for neural network, deep learning and machine learning models. It’s an essential tool for understanding model architecture, layer structure, and parameter flow.

What It Does

• Visualizes neural network models in an interactive, browser-based format
• Displays layer details including shapes, parameters, and connections
• Shows model metadata like input/output dimensions, weights, and quantization info
• Supports 40+ model formats (TensorFlow, PyTorch, ONNX, CoreML, TensorFlow Lite, Caffe, etc.)
• Drag-and-drop interface - just upload your model file

Common Use Cases

• Debugging model architecture issues before training
• Verifying layer connections and data flow
• Understanding pre-trained model structure
• Visualizing model for documentation/presentations
• Checking quantization and optimization effects
• Analyzing model size and parameter count

Supported Formats

TensorFlow (SavedModel, .pb, checkpoint)
PyTorch (.pt, .pth)
ONNX (.onnx)
CoreML (.mlmodel)
TensorFlow Lite (.tflite)
Caffe (.caffemodel)
Keras (.h5, .keras)
And 30+ more...

How to Use

1. Visit https://netron.app/
2. Drag and drop your model file
3. Explore the visualization:
   • Click nodes to see layer details
   • Hover over connections to see tensor shapes
   • Scroll to zoom, drag to pan
   • Right-click for options (properties, search)
4. Use search (Ctrl/Cmd+F) to find specific layers

Pro Tips

Filter by layer name: Search for “conv”, “attention”, “lstm” to find specific layer types

Export visualization: Right-click layers → Export as image for documentation

Check input/output shapes: Critical for TensorFlow.js integration - verify expected tensor dimensions

Compare models: Open multiple browser tabs to side-by-side compare architectures

Offline use: Works offline after initial load - no internet required

Use Cases in Your Work

• Visualize LipNet model architecture before integration
• Verify TensorFlow.js model conversion quality
• Analyze quantized models (INT8/FP16) for browser deployment
• Debug avatar animation model layers
• Document model structure for team collaboration

Resources

→ Open Netron App → GitHub Repository

Need help visualizing your models? Schedule a consultation or email me