Getting started with the 3D builder

Opening the builder

From the 3D calculators page in your dashboard you can either click Build Calculator to create a new calculator or open an existing one. Both open the same builder. The difference is that an existing calculator has every step unlocked from the start, while a new calculator unlocks steps one by one as you complete them.

The layout

The builder has three areas.

Left panel. The settings for the step you are on. This is where you do all the editing.
Live preview. The right-hand side shows your calculator exactly as visitors will see it. It updates after every saved step.
Step bar and footer. Under the left panel sit the six step buttons and the Exit and Save, Back and Next buttons.

The header has a Back to Calculator link that returns you to the calculators list.

The six steps

Step	Purpose
Options	The basics: name, domain, language, storage type, measurement system, what visitors can see and do, and the call-to-action link
Units	The storage unit sizes the calculator can recommend
Categories	How the item catalog is grouped for visitors
Presets	Ready-made item bundles such as “2 Bedrooms” that give visitors a fast estimate
Design	Fonts, text, logo, colours and button styling
Confirm	A readiness check, the embed code and the Publish button

How saving works

Next checks the current step for errors and, if everything is valid, saves it and opens the following step. If a field is invalid, the error appears under that field and nothing is saved until you fix it.
Back moves to the previous step without saving. Changes you made stay on screen and will be saved the next time you press Next or click another step.
Clicking a step button works the same as Next when the current step has unsaved changes: it saves first, then switches.
A step button that is greyed out has not been reached yet. On a new calculator you must press Next on each step to unlock the following one.
While a save is in progress the Next button reads Saving… and the other buttons are disabled for a moment.

Your calculator is created the first time you press Next on the Options step. Until then nothing is stored, and the live preview shows a placeholder.

Leaving the builder

Both Exit and Save and Back to Calculator take you back to the calculators list. What happens first depends on the state of your calculator.

You have not reached the Confirm step yet. A dialog titled “Some steps are still missing” lists the steps you have not completed. Choose Stay to keep working, or Exit and use defaults to let the builder save your current changes and fill every remaining step with its defaults so the calculator works right away. A progress list shows each step being completed. You can reopen the calculator later to change any of those defaults.

You have reached Confirm and have unsaved changes. A dialog titled “Unsaved changes” offers Cancel, Discard changes or Save and exit. Save and exit saves every step with pending changes in order. If one of them has an error, the builder jumps to that step so you can fix it.

Nothing is pending. You leave immediately.

Closing the browser tab shows the browser’s own “leave page” warning when there are unsaved changes or unfinished steps. If you leave anyway, unsaved edits are lost and an unfinished calculator stays unfinished. Reopen it from the dashboard and press Next through the remaining steps to complete it.

The live preview

The preview is a real copy of your calculator, so you can click through it as a visitor would. It refreshes after each saved step. If it fails to load, use the Try again button in the preview area.

Editing an existing calculator

Open the calculator from the dashboard. All six steps are unlocked, so you can jump straight to the one you want. Make your change and press Next, or click any other step, to save it.