Overview

ARC3D™ is a professional architectural design application for creating building plans, 3D models, and construction documentation. It provides a complete 2D drafting and 3D modelling environment powered by the Babylon.js rendering engine.

Quick Start

First Launch

When ARC3D™ opens, you are placed in 2D orthographic mode with a grid and rulers visible. The default tool is the pointer (select mode). You can immediately begin drawing walls or switch to 3D view.

Drawing Your First Room

1. Press W to activate the Wall tool.
2. Click on the canvas to set the wall's start point.
3. Move the mouse — a live preview shows the wall length and angle.
4. Click again to set the end point. A confirmation dialog appears with editable Length, Angle, and Height fields.
5. Press Enter to confirm. With Continuous Mode on (default), the next wall starts from the previous endpoint.
6. Draw three more walls to complete a rectangle. Press Escape to stop drawing.
7. Press Tab to switch to 3D view and see your room in perspective.
8. Press Ctrl+S to save your project.

Interface Layout

Header Bar

Left Sidebar Menus

Floating Mode Toolbar

• Layers — Shows active layer name; opens layer management dropdown
• 2D — Switch to 2D orthographic mode
• 3D — Switch to 3D perspective mode
• Views — Opens the Views panel: interactive View Cube, elevation presets (Front, Back, Left, Right, Top, Bottom, isometric corners), Active View indicator, Exit Elevation View, and camera settings (Distance, View Height, Zoom)

Status Bar

Walls

Activation

Press W or click Wall in the BUILD menu. A floating toolbar appears with draw/select toggle, editing tools, and confirm/cancel.

Drawing Workflow

1. Click on the canvas to set the start point. The cursor snaps to grid points, wall endpoints, and midpoints.
2. Move the mouse — a live preview shows the wall outline with length and angle labels.
3. Click to set the end point. If Confirm Mode is enabled, a dialog appears.
4. In the dialog, fine-tune Length (mm), Angle (°), and Height (mm). Press Tab to cycle fields.
5. Press Enter or click ✓ to confirm the wall.
6. With Continuous Mode on, the next wall starts from the previous endpoint.
7. Press Escape to stop drawing.

CAD Input

While drawing, type precise values using CAD-style input:

Quick Angle Presets

Wall Types

Wall Options Panel

Wall Floating Toolbar

Curved Walls

Curved walls create arc-shaped wall segments. Click Curved Wall in the BUILD menu to activate.

How to Draw

1. Click to set the wall's start point.
2. Move and click to set the end point. A straight wall preview appears.
3. After placement, a green bend handle appears at the midpoint.
4. Drag the bend handle perpendicular to the wall to create an arc. Drag left or right to curve in either direction.
5. Release to set the curvature. The wall updates in both 2D (curved outline with hatching) and 3D (extruded curved mesh).

Doors & Windows

Placing a Door

1. Press Shift+D or click Door in BUILD → Openings.
2. Hover over an existing wall — the opening preview follows the cursor along the wall.
3. Click to place the door. It is automatically cut into the wall.

Placing a Window

1. Press Shift+W or click Window in BUILD → Openings.
2. Hover over a wall to see the window preview.
3. Click to place the window.

Opening Frame

Press O to place a raw opening/frame — a cutout without a door or window insert. Press O again to cycle between Door, Window, and Frame types.

Floors & Ceilings

Floor

1. Click Floor in the BUILD menu.
2. Click to place corner points defining the floor boundary.
3. Press Enter to confirm and create the floor slab.

Ceiling

Works identically to Floor — click Ceiling and define boundary points. The ceiling is placed at wall-top height.

Floor Options

Roofs

1. Press Shift+R or click Roof in BUILD.
2. Click to define the roof boundary polygon.
3. Define the ridge line by clicking ridge points.
4. Drag corners or ridge points to adjust shape, pitch, and overhang.

Roof Options

Staircases

Press Shift+S or click Stairs in BUILD.

Staircase Types

Options

Click canvas to place. Press F to flip direction after placement.

Columns

Press Shift+C or click Column in BUILD. Click canvas to place.

Beams

Press Shift+B or click Beam in BUILD. Draw between two points (similar to walls).

Foundations

Press Shift+F or click Foundation in BUILD. Draw between two points.

Topography

Click Topography in BUILD → Surface. Creates a terrain surface that can be sculpted by adjusting point elevations.

2D Drawing Tools

Lines

Basic Shapes

Arrows & Symbols

Drawing Options

3D Shapes

Click any shape from the SHAPES menu, then click on the canvas to place it.

After placement, use the Properties panel (Space) to adjust dimensions, position, rotation, material, and colour.

2D / 3D View Modes

2D Mode

• Orthographic top-down camera — plan view
• Wall outlines with hatching for type identification
• Automatic dimension labels on walls
• Rulers on top and left edges
• Grid visible, no skybox or shadows

3D Mode

• ArcRotate perspective camera with orbit, pan, zoom
• Skybox, environment lighting, shadows
• Materials and textures visible
• Transform gizmos for move/rotate/scale

Switching

Camera Controls

3D Mode

2D Mode

Preset Views (3D Mode)

View Cube

Open the VIEWS panel to access the interactive 3D view cube. Click any face (Top, Front, Back, Left, Right, Bottom) or corner (NW, NE, SW, SE) to snap to that viewpoint. Navigation arrows rotate the camera incrementally.

Capture Tools

Camera settings: Distance, View Height (mm), and Zoom level.

Selection

Multi-Selection

With multiple walls selected (Shift+Click), the properties panel shows: total wall count, combined length, combined surface area, and average length.

Context Menu

Right-click a selected element for: Edit Properties, Duplicate, Isolate, Change Material, Divide Walls at Intersections, and Delete.

Transform Tools

Properties Panel

Select any element and press Space (or right-click → Edit Properties) to open the Properties panel.

Wall Properties

• Wall type, Length, Height, Thickness, Angle
• Start / End point coordinates
• Base elevation, Level name
• Material: Red Brick, Beige Brick, White Brick, Grey Brick, Concrete, Plaster, Stone, Wood Panels
• Randomise / Reset Material buttons

Door / Window Properties

• Width, Height, Position offset along wall
• Sill height (windows), Swing direction (doors)

Other Elements

Floor, Ceiling, Roof, Staircase, Beam, Foundation, Column, and 3D shapes each display their relevant dimensions, material, position, and rotation fields.

Layers

Layers organise building elements into groups that can be shown, hidden, or locked independently.

Default Layers

Layer Operations

Undo / Redo

• Maximum 100 history entries
• Tracks create, delete, and modify actions
• During wall drawing, Ctrl+Z/Y undoes/redoes pending wall segments

Measurements

Automatic Wall Dimensions

In 2D mode, dimension lines auto-display on walls. Toggle with D.

Area Measurement

1. Open MEASURE menu → click Area.
2. Click corner points to define a polygon.
3. With 3+ points, press Enter to calculate and display the area.

Dimension Settings

Annotations

Save & Load

Saving

Project Database

Open with Ctrl+O or Ctrl+Shift+P. Lists all saved projects with thumbnails. Save with project name, type, and company. Load, duplicate, or delete projects. Primary: IndexedDB, fallback: localStorage.

Auto-Save

• Enabled by default — every 5 minutes
• Interval configurable (1–30 min) in Settings
• Quota exceeded → 50% oldest saves auto-cleared

Export (PDF / DXF / 3D)

Access via Share & Export dropdown or Ctrl+E.

PDF Export

DXF / CAD Export

AutoCAD-compatible DXF format for use in other CAD software.

3D Model Export

OBJ or GLB files for rendering, visualisation, or BIM workflows.

Multi-Story Levels

Walls and staircases support level-based placement for multi-story buildings.

1. Select Level Preset in Wall or Stairs options.
2. Choose a floor — elevation is set automatically.
3. For custom, type elevation in mm (-5,000 to 50,000).
4. Draw walls or place stairs at that elevation.
5. Switch to 3D (Tab) to see all levels stacked.

Materials

Wall Materials

Red Brick, Beige Brick, White Brick, Grey Brick, Concrete, Plaster, Stone, Wood Panels

Surface Materials (Topography)

Concrete, Wood, Steel, Glass, Stone, Ceramic Tile, Grass, Soil/Earth

Material Tools

Grid & Snapping

Grid

• G to toggle grid visibility
• Grid shown in both 2D and 3D modes
• Spacing configurable in Settings

Snap Targets

• Grid intersections
• Wall endpoints and midpoints
• T-junction intersection points
• Perpendicular snap

Snap Tolerance: 100–2,000 mm (default 500 mm). A dark green disc appears at valid snap points.

Ortho Mode

Toggle in Settings → Drawing. Constrains to 0°/90°/180°/270°. Hold Shift for temporary orthogonal constraint.

Settings

Open via the gear icon in the header bar.

General

Display

Drawing

Lighting & Environment

Auto-Save

Actions

Analysis Tools

Open the ANALYZE menu from the left sidebar.

Keyboard Shortcuts — Complete Reference

Building Tools

View & Display

Editing

File Operations

CAD Input (Wall Drawing)

Miscellaneous

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I draw a room quickly?

Press W, click four corners to make a rectangle, then press Escape. Make sure Continuous Mode is on (default) so walls chain automatically.

How do I switch between 2D and 3D?

Press Tab to toggle, or click the "2D" / "3D" buttons on the floating toolbar.

How do I add a door or window to a wall?

Press Shift+D for door or Shift+W for window. Hover over any existing wall and click to place.

How do I change a wall's material?

Click the wall to select it, press Space to open properties, then choose from the Material dropdown (Red Brick, Concrete, Plaster, etc.).

How do I create a curved wall?

Click Curved Wall in the BUILD menu, draw a straight wall, then drag the green bend handle at the midpoint to curve it.

How do I design a multi-story building?

In the Wall or Stairs options panel, select a Level Preset (Ground, 1st, 2nd, etc.). Draw walls at each level, then switch to 3D to see them stacked.

How do I export to PDF?

Click Share & Export in the header → PDF Export. Configure title block, select plan views, choose paper size and scale, then export.

Where are my projects saved?

Projects are saved to your browser's IndexedDB storage (local to your machine). For portable backups, use Ctrl+Shift+S to download a JSON file.

How do I undo a mistake?

Press Ctrl+Z to undo or Ctrl+Y to redo. Up to 100 history steps are stored.

Can I use precise measurements?

Yes — while drawing walls, press L to type an exact length and A for angle. Press Enter to apply.

How do I change the default wall height?

Open Settings (gear icon) → General → Default Wall Height. Change to your desired value in mm.

How do I create a roof?

Press Shift+R, click to define the roof boundary, then define the ridge line. Adjust pitch, overhang, and material in the options panel.

How do I measure a room's area?

Open MEASURE menu → Area. Click corner points of the boundary, then press Enter. The area is calculated and displayed.

How do I use layers?

Click the Layers button on the floating toolbar. Create layers, toggle visibility/lock, and set the active layer. New objects are placed on the active layer.