Interface Tour

A guided overview of the CADit interface, including the 2D and 3D panels, toolbars, context menu, and navigation bar.

Split-screen Layout

CADit uses a split-screen layout with two main panels:

  • 2D panel (left): The canvas where you draw and edit shapes
  • 3D panel (right): A real-time preview of your design as a 3D model

Both panels update together. When you draw or modify shapes in the 2D panel, the 3D panel reflects those changes immediately.

Each panel has a fullscreen toggle button in its corner. Click to expand that panel to full width, or click again to return to split view.

2D Panel

The 2D panel is your primary workspace for creating and editing shapes. The canvas supports:

  • Drawing with pen, brush, and shape tools
  • Selecting and transforming shapes
  • Adding text and importing images
  • Zooming (scroll wheel) and panning (middle-click or spacebar + drag)

The 2D toolbar runs along the top of this panel.

3D Panel

The 3D panel shows your design as a 3D object. Shapes drawn on the 2D canvas automatically extrude into 3D forms.

Use this panel to:

  • Preview your design from any angle
  • Apply 3D modifications like height adjustments, sculpting, and twisting
  • Add 3D primitives and stamps

The 3D toolbar runs along the top of this panel. You can rotate the view by clicking and dragging, and zoom with the scroll wheel.

2D Toolbar

The 2D toolbar contains tools for drawing and editing on the canvas. Tools are organized into categories:

CategoryToolsPurpose
SelectSelect/TransformSelect, move, rotate, and resize shapes
Pen toolsDraw, Line, BrushDraw freeform shapes and paths
EraserEraserRemove parts of shapes
Shape toolsStar, Circle, Arc, Rectangle, Triangle, Polygon, HeartCreate geometric primitives
TextTextAdd text to your design
ImagesAdd, Trace, SVGImport images to trace over

Select a tool by clicking its icon. Some tool buttons open submenus with related tools.

3D toolbar

The 3D toolbar contains tools for modifying the 3D representation of your design:

ToolPurpose
SelectSelect shapes in the 3D view
MoveMove objects along the any axis
RotateRotate selected objects in 3D space
HeightAdjust the extrusion height of shapes
SculptAdd surface detail by raising or lowering areas
TwistApply a twisting effect along the extrusion axis
RevolveCreate 3D objects by revolving 2D shapes around an axis
StampAdd decorative stamps to surfaces
PlaneSelect a face to create a workspace
PrimitivesAdd 3D shapes (sphere, torus, cone)

Context menu

When you select one or more shapes using the Transform tool, a context menu appears at the bottom of the screen. This menu provides quick access to common actions:

ActionDescription
ColorChange the color of selected shapes
HoleToggle shapes as holes (holes cut through other shapes)
DuplicateCreate a copy of selected shapes
DeleteRemove selected shapes
AlignAlign multiple shapes (left, right, top, bottom, center)
UnionCombine multiple shapes into one
CutSubtract one shape from another

The available actions depend on your selection. For example, Align and Union require two or more shapes selected.

The navigation bar at the top of the application provides access to file operations and settings:

  • File menu: Create new designs, open existing designs, import files, and save files
  • Undo/Redo: Move forward or backward one step
  • Properties: Access the properties dropdown menu

The navigation bar also shows the current design name and provides access to export options.

Next steps

Now that you know where things are, try creating your first design. Select a shape tool from the 2D toolbar, draw on the canvas, and watch the 3D preview update in real time.