Publishing Designs
Share your designs with the CADit community by publishing to the Design Library with metadata, categories, and licensing.
Publishing designs
Publish your designs to the CADit Design Library to share them with the community. Published designs can be discovered by other users, remixed, and downloaded.
Requirements
Before publishing, you need:
- A CADit account (sign in or create one)
- A design with at least one preview image
- A name for your design (minimum 3 characters)
The upload wizard
Access the upload wizard from the top navigation bar by clicking Upload, or by selecting Publish from the menu in CADit Core.
The upload wizard guides you through four steps:
- Select Type - Choose what kind of content you are uploading
- Upload Content - Add your files and preview images
- Add Details - Enter metadata describing your design
- Review - Confirm everything before publishing
Design types
CADit supports several types of publishable content:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| CADit File | A .cadit design file created in the editor |
| CADit Script | TypeScript or JavaScript code that generates designs programmatically |
| GitHub Script | A script hosted in a GitHub repository (you can upload files or link an existing repo) |
Adding preview images
Every published design needs at least one preview image. This image appears in search results and on your design's page.
To add a preview image:
- In the Upload Content step, locate the Preview Images section
- Click to upload or drag an image onto the drop zone
- The first image becomes your primary preview
- Add additional images to show different angles or variations
Accepted formats: JPEG, PNG, WebP. Maximum file size: 20MB.
When publishing from CADit Core, the current canvas view is captured automatically as your primary image. You can replace this with a different image if preferred.
Design metadata
The Add Details step collects information about your design. This metadata helps users find and understand your design.
Name
The design name appears in search results and on your design's page. Choose a descriptive name that clearly indicates what the design is.
- Minimum: 3 characters
- Maximum: 100 characters
For GitHub Scripts, the name also determines your repository and npm package names (e.g., "My Script" becomes @cadit-app/my-script).
Description
Explain what your design is, how to use it, and any customization options. This field is optional but recommended.
- Maximum: 500 characters
- Newlines are converted to spaces in GitHub repository descriptions
A good description includes:
- What the design creates or does
- Key features or variations
- Printing tips or recommended settings
- Customization parameters (for scripts)
Category
Select a category that best describes your design:
| Category | Use for |
|---|---|
| Cookie Cutters | Cookie and biscuit cutter designs |
| Home & Decor | Household items, decorations, organizers |
| Tools & Utilities | Practical tools and functional items |
| Toys & Games | Toys, game pieces, puzzles |
| Art & Sculpture | Decorative art pieces and sculptures |
| Jewelry | Rings, pendants, earrings, accessories |
| Mechanical Parts | Gears, brackets, enclosures, structural parts |
| Educational | Learning aids, models, demonstrations |
| Other | Designs that do not fit other categories |
Selecting a category is optional but helps users browse designs.
License
Choose a license to define how others can use your design. Available licenses:
| License | Allows |
|---|---|
| CC0 1.0 (Public Domain) | Any use with no restrictions or attribution |
| CC BY 4.0 (Attribution) | Any use with credit to you |
| CC BY-SA 4.0 (Attribution-ShareAlike) | Any use with credit; derivatives must use same license |
| CC BY-NC 4.0 (Attribution-NonCommercial) | Non-commercial use with credit |
| CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 (Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike) | Non-commercial use with credit; derivatives must use same license |
| MIT License | Permissive open source license |
| Apache License 2.0 | Permissive license with patent rights |
| GNU GPL v3 | Copyleft license requiring source sharing |
| Proprietary / All Rights Reserved | No reuse without explicit permission |
If you do not select a license, users should assume they need permission to use your design.
Source URL
Link to the original source, your portfolio, or a related project page. This field is optional and provides context for your design.
Note: The source URL cannot be changed after the initial upload.
Public vs private designs
Control who can see your design with the visibility setting:
- Public: Visible to everyone in the Design Library, appears in search results
- Private: Only visible to you in your dashboard
Set visibility in the Add Details step using the Private Design toggle. Private designs are useful for work in progress or designs you want to save but not share publicly.
Note: GitHub Script designs created by forking or remixing are always public because they are hosted in public GitHub repositories.
Publishing from CADit Core
When working in CADit Core, you can publish directly without leaving the editor:
- Open the menu
- Select Publish to Library
- CADit captures a screenshot of your current design
- The upload wizard opens with your design and screenshot pre-loaded
- Complete the metadata steps and publish
For scripts (Code Mode), the script files are sent to the upload wizard automatically. Review the files in the wizard before publishing.
Updating a published design
After publishing, you can update your design:
- Make changes in CADit Core
- Select Publish to Library from the menu
- CADit detects you are the owner and offers to update
- Review your changes in the upload wizard
- Select a version bump type:
- Patch (1.0.0 to 1.0.1): Bug fixes and minor updates
- Minor (1.0.0 to 1.1.0): New features, backwards compatible
- Major (1.0.0 to 2.0.0): Breaking changes or major updates
- Confirm and publish the update
The wizard shows a comparison of what changed. You must modify at least one file to publish an update.
Forking designs
If you open someone else's design and make changes, you can publish your version as a fork:
- Open a design from the library
- Make your modifications
- Select Publish to Library
- CADit detects you are not the owner and creates a fork
- Enter a new name for your forked design
- Complete the metadata and publish
Forked designs link back to the original, giving credit to the original creator.
Note: You must make at least one change to the original before publishing a fork.
After publishing
Once published, your design:
- Appears in the Design Library for others to discover
- Shows on your public profile page
- Can be opened, customized, and remixed by other users
- Can be updated by you through the same upload wizard
View and manage your published designs from your dashboard at cadit.app/dashboard.
Tips
- Choose descriptive names that help users understand what the design creates
- Add multiple preview images to show different angles or customization options
- Write a description that explains how to use or customize the design
- Select an appropriate license so users know how they can use your work
- Test your design before publishing to ensure it works as expected
Related topics
- Browsing designs for finding and opening community designs
- Saving designs for local and cloud save options
- Code Mode for creating script-based designs