Your First Design

Create a simple 3D design in CADit by drawing shapes, adjusting height, combining objects, and exporting for 3D printing.

This tutorial walks you through creating a basic 3D design from scratch. You will draw shapes, adjust their height, combine them, add a hole, and export the result for 3D printing.

Start a new design

  1. Click New in the menu bar, or navigate directly to /new in your browser.
  2. A blank canvas appears with the 2D panel on the left and 3D panel on the right.

Draw a rectangle

  1. Select the Rectangle tool from the 2D toolbar.
  2. Click and drag diagonally on the canvas to create a rectangle.
  3. Release to complete the shape.

The rectangle appears in the 2D panel as a filled shape.

See the 3D preview

Look at the 3D panel on the right. Your rectangle has automatically extruded into a 3D block. CADit generates the 3D preview in real time as you draw.

You can rotate the 3D view by clicking and dragging in the 3D panel to see your shape from different angles.

Adjust the height

  1. Select the Height tool from the 3D toolbar (at the top of the 3D panel).
  2. Click on your shape in the 3D panel.
  3. Drag the height handle upward to increase the extrusion height.
  4. Release when you reach the desired height.

The shape now appears taller in the 3D preview.

Add a circle

  1. Switch back to the 2D panel.
  2. Select the Circle tool from the 2D toolbar.
  3. Click and drag on the canvas to create a circle that overlaps part of your rectangle.
  4. Release to complete the circle.

Both shapes now appear in the 3D preview, each with their own height.

Combine shapes with Union

  1. Select the Transform tool from the 2D toolbar.
  2. Click on the rectangle to select it.
  3. Hold Shift and click on the circle to add it to the selection.
  4. Open the context menu at the bottom of the screen.
  5. Click Union to merge the two shapes into one.

The shapes are now a single combined shape. In the 3D panel, they appear as one unified object.

Add a hole

  1. Select the Circle tool from the 2D toolbar.
  2. Draw a small circle inside the combined shape.
  3. Select the small circle using the Transform tool.
  4. Open the context menu at the bottom of the screen.
  5. Click Hole Material to mark the circle as a hole.

The circle now cuts through the shape. In the 3D preview, you can see the hole passes completely through the object.

Change the color

  1. Select your main shape using the Transform tool.
  2. Open the context menu at the bottom of the screen.
  3. Click the color picker.
  4. Select a new color from the palette.

The shape updates to display the new color in both the 2D canvas and 3D preview.

Export your design

  1. Click the menu button in the navigation bar.
  2. Select Export.
  3. Choose STL for 3D printing (or 3MF if your printer supports color).
  4. Save the file to your computer.

Your design is now ready for slicing and 3D printing.

Next steps

  • Experiment with other shape tools like Star, Triangle, and Freehand
  • Try the Sculpt and Twist tools in the 3D toolbar for more complex surfaces
  • Explore Doodle Mode for quick color-layered designs
  • Learn about Code Mode to create parametric designs with TypeScript