Saving Designs

Save your CADit designs to the cloud, locally in your browser, or download as files for backup and transfer.

Saving designs

CADit provides three ways to save your work: cloud save, local save, and file download. Each method serves different needs depending on whether you want cross-device access, offline storage, or portable backups.

Auto-save

CADit automatically saves your work to your browser's local storage every 10 minutes. Auto-saves are labeled with timestamps (e.g., "AutoSave-14:30 28/01/2024") and appear in your Local Designs panel.

CADit keeps the 5 most recent auto-saves and removes older ones automatically.

Auto-save protects against browser crashes and accidental closures, but does not replace manual saves. For important work, save to the cloud or download a backup file.

Save to cloud

Cloud saving stores your design on CADit's servers. Cloud-saved designs:

  • Can be accessed from any device where you log in
  • Appear in your My Designs dashboard
  • Can be set as public or private
  • Sync automatically when you save

Requirements: You must be logged in to save to the cloud.

To save to cloud:

  1. Open the menu
  2. Select Save, or press Ctrl+S (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+S (Mac)
  3. If prompted, enter a name for your design
  4. Your design uploads and syncs to your account

Cloud-saved designs appear in your dashboard at cadit.app/dashboard. You can open, edit, or delete them from there.

Save locally

Local saving stores your design in your browser's storage using IndexedDB. This works without an account but has limitations:

  • Designs are tied to the specific browser and device you used
  • Clearing browser data removes locally saved designs
  • Designs cannot be accessed from other devices or browsers

To save locally:

  1. Open the menu
  2. Select Save Locally or Save to Gallery
  3. Enter a name for your design
  4. The design saves to your browser's local storage

To access local designs:

  1. Open the menu
  2. Select Open Local Design or Gallery
  3. Browse your saved designs
  4. Click a design to open it

Local saves are useful for quick work sessions when you do not need cloud access. For designs you want to keep long-term, save to the cloud or download as a file.

Download as file

Downloading creates a .cadit file on your computer. Use this for:

  • Backups: Keep copies of important designs outside the browser
  • Transfers: Move designs between devices or share with others
  • Archiving: Store designs offline for long-term keeping

To download your design:

  1. Open the menu
  2. Select Download or Export CADit File
  3. Choose a location on your computer and save

The file saves with a .cadit extension (e.g., MyDesign.cadit).

To open a downloaded file:

  1. Open the menu
  2. Select Open CADit File
  3. Navigate to your .cadit file and select it
  4. The design opens in the editor

You can also open .cadit files by dragging them onto the CADit canvas.

Download all designs

You can export all your locally saved designs at once as a ZIP archive. This is useful for creating complete backups.

To download all designs:

  1. Open the menu
  2. Select Download All Designs
  3. Save the ZIP file to your computer

The ZIP file contains:

  • A sketches folder with all your .cadit files
  • An images folder with thumbnails of each design
  • An index.html file for browsing your designs offline

Choosing a save method

MethodBest forRequires loginCross-device access
Cloud savePrimary storage, collaborationYesYes
Local saveQuick sessions, offline workNoNo
File downloadBackups, transfers, archivingNoVia file sharing

For most users, cloud save is the recommended primary method. Supplement with periodic file downloads for backups of important work.

Tips

  • Save frequently using Ctrl+S (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+S (Mac)
  • Download a backup before making major changes to a design
  • If working without an account, download your design as a file before closing the browser
  • Check your Local Designs periodically and clean up old auto-saves you no longer need