NPPSC Builder Guide

3D Builder: build in your garage, arrange in your rig.

Plan usable space, make custom walls and cabinets, and compare layouts with finished items. Start with a small practice layout, then add the detail your build needs.

Open the 3D Builder Make your first layout All Builder Guide topics

Understand the two workspaces

Sign in with your own NPPSC account to create and save designs. Garage items and rig layouts are private to your account. You can open the tool from Builder Tools → Open Design Workspace or the link above. A project is not required to start.

Where each kind of work happens
Workspace	Use it for	What stays editable?
My garage	Build one custom component, such as a wall or cabinet, from its individual pieces.	The original construction, parts and supported parameters.
My rigs	Arrange finalized components inside a measured rig.	Placement, rotation and any permitted whole-item dimensions.
NPPSC catalog	Choose generic finished planning models to place in a rig.	Each model states its resizing and garage-customization policy.

Think of assembling a cabinet in your workshop and carrying the completed cabinet into your rig. Finalizing captures a version while keeping the editable garage original. Later garage edits leave already finalized versions and placed copies unchanged.

The 3D catalog contains generic planning models. Check their dimensions against your actual items. Generic Registry templates may have reviewed links to these models. A project item can capture a linked appearance for payload planning, while its actual dimensions and weight remain authoritative. Arranging a model in a rig does not add an installed component, cost or weight record to your project.

Finalized catalog models and workspace panels

Open Catalog & items to browse finished models or select an item already in your rig. Use Selected item for placement and permitted dimensions. On a wide screen, collapse either panel to its icon rail to give the drawing more room. On a phone, the panels open as drawers; Close returns to the drawing without discarding the form. Apply changes and Save when ready.

Search or browse catalog categories, then review the preview and sizing policy before placing a version. The first shared families are a generic water tank, base cabinet and equipment enclosure with handle. Generic appearances are planning aids, not verified product specifications. A registry association is an optional suggestion; check your real item.

The Weight & Payload Planner can use the same finalized catalog appearance. Each tool keeps its own measurements, placement and saved planning records. Placing a model in a rig does not create payload weight or copy a payload plan. Private garage originals are not offered to the payload planner.

Placed items keep the catalog version you reviewed. Publishing a newer version does not change an existing layout. Each family defines which dimensions may change and its supported range; fixed features retain their shape. For construction changes, use the garage when that catalog item permits customization, then finalize a new independent version.

Make your first layout

Open My rigs. Give the new workspace a recognizable name, such as “Practice layout,” and choose Inches or Millimetres.
Review the usable interior. The initial values are 192 inches long × 84 inches wide × 96 inches high. Replace them with your measurements, choose the front profile, and select Create workspace.
Expand Place finished item. Set Item source to NPPSC catalog, select a model and its version, then choose Place in rig.
Read the model's dimensions and policy in the preview. Acknowledge the review and choose Place this catalog version.
Use View / rotate and pan to inspect it. Switch Pointer action to Move whole item to drag the item across the floor plane. Switch back to View when you want to move the camera.
Choose Save in the toolbar. Wait for the saved confirmation.
Open Actions → Reopen saved version and confirm that your layout returns as expected. Save before trying this if you have pending edits.

You can return to My rigs with the toolbar's back button. The saved-workspace list appears there; opening a workspace gives the editor more room.

Set the usable interior

Enter the space you can actually build inside. The defaults are a starting point, so measure your rig before relying on a layout. Every new rig has an interior; a garage construction workspace can be blank.

Flat front: a rectangular interior. Front depth is inactive for this profile.
V-nose: a pointed front. Enter its front depth.
Rounded front: an adjustable curved front. The starting front depth is 24 inches. The curved outline is a planning approximation; adjust it to your measured space.

Total usable length includes the V-nose or rounded front. Front depth must be positive and less than half the total length for either shaped front. Maximum rig length is 60 feet / 720 inches / 18,288 mm; maximum width is 9.5 feet / 114 inches / 2,895.6 mm. These are planning limits and do not establish road legality.

Use Actions → Workspace settings to change the interior or display units later. Changing units preserves physical measurements. Changing the interior leaves placed items where they are; inspect clearance warnings afterward. Choose Apply workspace settings, then Save to retain the changes.

An older saved rig without an interior can still be opened. Review the default measurements in Workspace settings and apply the correct interior before saving or making a new copy.

View, select and move

Pointer action determines what dragging does. Begin in View to look around. Choose Move whole item in a rig, or Move whole object in the garage, when you want to move construction.

Camera controls in View mode
Action	Mouse	Touchscreen
Rotate the camera	Drag	One-finger drag
Pan the camera	Right-drag	Two-finger drag
Zoom	Scroll	Pinch

Rigs open in a perspective view. Fit scene returns to a framed perspective view of the layout. The garage also has a View menu for Perspective, Top, Front and Passenger side views. Model directions are X toward the front, Y toward the passenger side and Z upward.

For dependable selection, use Finished items in this rig or the garage's Scene hierarchy. Expand a hierarchy arrow to reach a child part. Single selection replaces the previous selection; choose Multiple deliberately when selecting several items. Check the selected names before editing or grouping.

In Move whole item mode, drag a visible part of a finished item to move it as one unit. To move a layout group, select that group in the hierarchy and drag one of its visible items. Grouping several finished items lets you arrange them together. Ungrouping that layout group keeps each finalized wall or cabinet intact.

In the garage, selecting an individual board allows individual-part edits. Select the wall or cabinet assembly when you want the whole component. Review the selected object's name before applying dimensions or placement. Use Apply properties in the garage or Apply placement and permitted dimensions in a rig to apply the form, then Save.

Measure surfaces uses two selected surface points. It measures model geometry, so confirm the underlying dimensions before treating the distance as a real-world measurement.

Quick placement, coordinates and grid

The selected name and quick actions sit beside the view. Rotate −90° / +90° turns about the selection's geometric center around the vertical Z axis. This is different from the numeric rotation field, which turns about the item's local origin. Numeric position describes that origin relative to its parent, not necessarily the center or bottom. Front and Passenger side camera names refer to vehicle axes, not an object's broad face.

Snap to floor moves the lowest transformed point of the selected item or group to Z = 0. It works with rotated components; simply typing Z = 0 need not put every model on the floor. Center selection explicitly brings a rig selection to the middle of the recorded interior and places its bottom on the floor. It does not prove that an oversized item fits.

The displayed grid is 500 mm per square (approximately 19.685 inches). It is a visual reference, separate from movement snapping. Garage and rig movement have a Snap control and increment, initially 0.5 inches / 12.7 mm. Disable Snap for free dragging. Numeric placement accepts exact values without forcing them to a snap increment. Switching display units preserves physical measurements.

Try a wall placement

Select the whole finalized wall in Finished items in this rig, or select its parent assembly in the garage hierarchy. Check the selected name.
Choose Move whole item/object and drag it clear of nearby items. Temporary staging outside a rig is permitted within finite system bounds.
Choose Rotate +90°. The center stays in place. Repeat or reverse if needed.
Use Snap to floor, then drag or enter exact origin coordinates. Apply the numeric form if you used it.
Review amber staging outlines and clearance warnings. Move the item into its intended usable space; Center selection is an explicit starting point if it is far away.
Save, wait for the saved confirmation, then reopen the saved version and check the result.

Build your own component in My garage

Return to the workspace list, choose My garage, enter a name and display units, and create a workspace for one component.
For a cabinet, expand Guided cabinet and choose Add parametric cabinet. Select the cabinet or one of its parts to use Guided cabinet controls. Review dimensions and the generated pieces as you make changes.
For a wall, open Construction tools and use Add wall frame. Select the wall assembly or an individual framing member according to what you want to change.
Use the hierarchy and selected-object controls for individual pieces, materials and other supported construction details. Expand the relevant panels when you need them.
If a cabinet or wall change presents a regeneration preview, review it and apply or cancel it before continuing.
Keep the intended component in one top-level assembly. If you built it from separate objects, select its pieces and use Group selection. Save the garage original.

The garage original remains available for later construction changes. Construction and clearance tools help you explore geometry; they do not validate structural strength, joints, supports, electrical installation or vehicle suitability.

Finalize a version and reuse it

Open the saved garage item. Save pending changes and finish or cancel any regeneration preview.
Choose Finalize saved version. Review the captured appearance and acknowledge what finalizing means.
If resizing is offered, review the permitted dimension ranges. Otherwise the finished version stays fixed-size. Confirm with Finalize this saved version.
Return to My rigs and open a layout. Expand Place finished item, choose My garage, select the item and the finalized version, and choose Place in rig.
Place or duplicate finished copies as needed, arrange them, and Save the rig.

Each placed copy refers to its captured finished version. You can move the completed wall or cabinet as a unit without exposing its boards for construction editing in the rig. Its appearance is retained. Reusing a model reduces repeated design data, while its visible geometry still contributes to scene complexity.

Change a finished item deliberately

For supported whole-item resizing, select the item in the rig and look for Approved dimensions. Stay within the displayed ranges, apply the change and Save. Some models are fixed-size, including catalog items whose policy does not permit resizing.

For construction changes, select the item and use Customize selected version in garage when its policy permits it. This creates an independent editable garage copy from the captured version. Open editable garage original opens the original, which may contain later work. Review which source you intend to edit.

Save and finalize your changed garage item to create a new finished version. Back in the rig, select the placed copy you intend to update, choose the source item and version under Place finished item, and use Review replacement for selected item. Review and confirm the preview. Only that selected copy adopts the replacement; other copies retain their versions. Save the rig afterward.

Finalized versions stay fixed when an original changes. A catalog model may allow an editable garage copy or may restrict customization. Review its policy before planning a modification.

Save, copy, history and recovery

The compact toolbar keeps Save, the size indicator and Actions available while you scroll. Save creates a version you can reopen. Wait for the confirmation before closing the page or refreshing it.

Rename: changes the workspace name while keeping its identity and history. Pending design edits remain in the editor until you Save.
Save a copy: creates an independent workspace containing your current edits and starting its own version history. Existing share links, recovery records and the original history stay with the original workspace.
Review saved versions: preview an earlier design before using it for editing. Saving afterward records a new version. The current workspace name is retained.
Review recovery copies: review an available unsaved recovery before using it for editing. Save the recovered work explicitly. Keep the original tab open if you are unsure whether a recent edit was recovered.
Reopen saved version: returns to the current saved design. Review the discard confirmation if you have pending edits.
Archive workspace: preserves its record and history. Use Show archived workspaces in the list to reopen and restore it. Archiving a rig revokes its share links.

If another tab has saved a newer version, preserve your work and follow the reopen/recovery guidance. Avoid editing the same workspace in several tabs at once.

Watch design size and clearance

The toolbar's percentage measures saved design data, rather than the physical dimensions of the rig. Open it or Actions to read size details and warnings. The safe limits are 900 KiB for a save request and 896 KiB for its design document. Rig scenes also have limits of 500 layout objects, including groups, and 5,000 expanded geometry parts. These limits apply to every account.

Use finalized reusable items in the rig and keep construction in the garage. Many copies still add geometry even when they share a model. If the tool reports a limit, keep the tab open, simplify the design or separate alternative layouts, and save a version that fits. A rejected save leaves the previous saved version available.

Clearance warnings identify geometry that needs review against your chosen interior. They can also occur after changing the interior or an item's dimensions. Temporary staging outside the usable interior is permitted and saved, with amber item outlines and named warnings. The finite staging boundary extends 60 feet around the supported maximum rig footprint: X from −60 to 120 feet, Y from −60 to 69.5 feet, and Z from −60 to 120 feet. This is maneuvering space, not extra usable rig space. Below-floor or outside items still need a deliberate review. A move beyond the hard boundary is rejected and the previous placement retained. Rig dimensions and data/geometry budgets are unchanged.

Review your first layout

Try a short exercise before a detailed build: place a catalog item, move it, save and reopen, then build and finalize a small garage cabinet and place it in the same rig. Inspect the layout from several angles in perspective view. Try the controls on the device you intend to use.

Keep a short note of your goal, the control you tried, what you expected and what happened. Include the page or panel name and your device/browser. A screenshot or short recording can help explain a point that was hard to select or understand. Keep unsaved work private unless you deliberately choose a sharing method.

If something is unclear

Dragging rotates the scene: switch Pointer action from View to Move whole item or Move whole object.
The wrong board moves: check the hierarchy selection and choose the parent assembly before moving the whole component.
An item is hard to select: choose it from the hierarchy instead of moving another item out of the way.
Finalizing is unavailable: Save, finish or cancel a regeneration preview, and check that the component is one top-level assembly.
A rig requests an interior: open Workspace settings, review its measurements, apply them and Save.
A dimension change was rejected: read the message and use the permitted values. Confirm which object is selected before retrying.
Controls or saving are unavailable: read the status near the toolbar, allow a pending operation to finish, and check whether the workspace is archived, a review is open or sign-in has expired. Preserve unsaved work and recovery guidance before refreshing.

For help, use NPPSC support and include the steps and message shown. You can return to the Builder Guide or open the 3D Builder.

Furniture catalog models

Catalog names start with the item type, followed by a useful description, such as Bed — With mattress or Sofa — Straight. The separate Generic planning model label explains its status. Search accepts the earlier names and words in any order. Renaming catalog labels does not replace saved model versions or change names you have given placed items.

The finalized catalog includes a bed platform, a bed with mattress and bedding, a backless bench, a straight sofa and a rectangular table. Each has a displayed resizing range; legs, tabletop/deck thickness and cushion details retain their characteristics within that range. The bed with mattress uses an overall envelope including its headboard and pillows. Choose the platform-only model for a bare bed frame.

These generic illustrations do not supply weight, structural ratings, passenger-seat approval or folding/conversion mechanisms. Measure the complete real item and enter its real planning weight. Furniture construction templates are not included in these catalog versions; their previews state the customization policy. A selected catalog version stays unchanged when other versions are published, and rig and payload planning values remain independent.

Find Registry components with a 3D model

A 3D model available badge identifies a reviewed link between a generic Registry component and a finalized catalog model. Preview opens a read-only model; sign in to view it.

When adding the component to a project build area, open Object shape settings. A single approved model is selected initially; you can choose Use ordinary object shape instead. Multiple linked models require your choice. Existing project components are not changed automatically: edit their Object shape settings to choose a model.

Enter the component’s actual installed length, width, height and weight in the project. Import the project into Weight & Payload. Individually placed components use the captured model when those measurements fit its resizing policy. Unknown dimensions, unsupported sizes and grouped placements keep the measured envelope; they never borrow measurements or weight from a generic model.

Project choices capture a specific finalized version. Publishing a newer catalog model does not replace that version. Saved payload appearances remain independent: you can select another model, clear it, or choose Use project appearance choice to deliberately use the project’s current selection. Later project or garage edits do not rewrite a saved appearance.