Gardenly3D User Guide

A tour of the main areas of the Gardenly3D editor — top bar, canvas, side panels, and status bar.

How to create a new project and open an existing one from the project list in Gardenly3D.

Pan, zoom, choose standard or saved views, place an orbit center and use Navigation help in the current canvas menus.

How to switch between metric and imperial units for display and input.

Create a new garden project: set the name, choose metric or imperial units, set the canvas width and depth, the grid size, display precision, and optionally seed a starter lawn.

How drawings are saved automatically to the cloud and how to reopen them.

Open a keyboard-searchable palette with Cmd+K (or Ctrl+K) to find and run any editor action by name, plus context actions for the current selection.

Move between project sections from the Sections menu — Design, Analysis, Presentation, Terrain, Survey, Goals, Tasks, Cost, Documents, and Client — and switch the Design canvas between the 2D plan and 3D views.

How to submit a support or feedback ticket and follow the conversation from the Support & Feedback dialog in Gardenly3D.

Show, hide, or lock every object in a drawing by its surface class — lawn, paving, water, trees, walls — without touching the layer structure.

Use the canvas Style, Display, Filters and Panels menus to control the drawing appearance and visual aids.

The most important keyboard shortcuts for everyday use in Gardenly3D.

Capture the current camera, mode, panel state, and visibility settings for layers, surface classes, and tags as a named view, then restore them together.

The Add Objects panel — where it appears and its tabs for placing draw shapes, hardscape, plants, 3D models, lights, and water objects.

Every control in the top bar — the Sections menu, the 2D/3D view toggle, undo/redo, clipboard, adjust menu, style controls, format painter, command search, screenshot/capture, import, and export.

The right-side Inspector panel — what it shows when nothing is selected versus when an object is selected.

What a double-click does on each kind of object in 3D and in 2D: open the Structure editor, Reshape, component editing, a wizard or a group.

Add an image or PDF as a scaled reference behind your drawing.

Use a PDF page as a scaled drawing reference.

Insert an image with a defined size as a drawing object.

Convert selected image contours into drawing paths.

Import a vector drawing, choose its layers and set its real-world scale.

Add a photo along a canvas edge for 3D presentation.

Choose and change the page displayed by a PDF underlay.

Download rendered drawing pages as PNG or JPEG.

Deskew a photographed flat plan before setting its scale.

Build a PDF from selected drawing pages and available summaries.

Tune how the image region becomes a usable path.

Export supported drawing geometry with explicit units and scope.

Limit new traces to a selected part of the source image.

Prepare drawing pages and open your browser’s print dialog.

Refine the mask for a selected traced path.

Set the project’s units, site, drawing defaults and display preferences.

Control the grid, rulers, canvas colors and reference display.

Configure snapping and drawing defaults for the current project.

Set the site’s location and north once for the project.

Configure manual lighting without confusing it with site analysis.

Set 3D editing defaults and manual sunlight controls.

Manage account information, company details and account-wide access.

Review your plan and use the available billing controls.

Choose your interface language separately from project formatting.

Apply account branding to supported reports and print views.

Identify collaborators shown on drawing-page rows and understand what presence does and does not tell you.

Understand the presence warning when another collaborator opens the same drawing or page.

Understand the notice when another window or collaborator deletes selected objects, a layer or a group.

Use another browser window for a second view of the same project, and respond to live updates without confusing them with separate copies.

A dedicated workspace for capturing site observations — photos, existing trees, soil notes, obstacles, and the site boundary — before you start the design.

Drop on-site photos onto the survey canvas at the exact spot they were taken, with heading direction and field of view.

Show survey record kinds through Display and use Selected for individual visibility and locking.

Draw a survey area with a continuous stroke, then inspect the resulting record.

Define and track design objectives in the Goals module. Capture intents and constraints with importance, review status, theme, and linked drawing objects.

Link goals to specific drawing entities. Clicking a linked entity in the goal navigates the canvas to that object — ideal for design reviews and client walkthroughs.

Select, move, resize, and rotate objects on the canvas with the Select tool.

Trace the boundary of any space enclosed by surrounding shapes into a new closed area with a single click.

Draw a straight line using endpoints, length and angle, or relative offsets.

Draw multi-segment paths by clicking to add points, with freeform drawing and shape presets.

Draw rectangles, rounded rectangles, circles, and ellipses for beds, patios, and structures.

Draw arcs as open curved paths and rings as closed donut shapes for borders, surrounds, and curved edges.

Draw closed multi-point shapes by clicking to add vertices, with freeform drawing and shape presets — ideal for planting beds, lawns, and hardscape zones.

Draw and refine curves using placed points, handles and a closed-path option.

Draw several connected curve segments with the Curve tool and refine their joins.

Sketch organic shapes and borders by drawing freehand, with optional smoothing and auto-close.

Draw a closed lawn area with precise canvas, cursor, or sidebar point entry and include its measured area in Surface Takeoff reports.

Draw equilateral polygons with any number of sides — triangles, pentagons, hexagons, octagons, and more.

Place text labels on your plan as auto-width text or fixed-width wrapping boxes.

Reshape polylines, curve paths, and freehand paths by editing their individual nodes, handles, and segments.

How to control the three style axes on any shape: Semantic Class (the design intent), Outline (the contour line), and Fill (the color or texture).

Zoom the canvas with the scroll wheel, keyboard shortcuts, the Zoom Window tool, and the status-bar zoom menu.

Measure distances and angles on your plan, including multi-segment paths, without placing a permanent annotation.

Mirror selected objects in place, left-to-right or top-to-bottom, from the Left Toolbar.

Break a path or entity at the point you click, splitting it into separate parts for editing.

Draw the footprint for a hardscape or planting wizard using the Wizard Shape panel's presets and dimension fields.

Insert images on the canvas as editable drawing objects — choose a file, drag and drop, or paste from the clipboard.

Annotate measured distances, angles, radii, coordinates, and chain lengths on your plan.

Label plants and features with leader arrows and add callout shapes that hold text.

Add text note boxes for specifications and legends, or sticky notes for informal design comments.

Add a scale bar and north arrow so readers can gauge distance and orientation on your plan.

Set the start and end arrowhead styles for lines, leaders, and dimensions.

Move a selection from a chosen base point or place a copy while keeping the original.

Rotate objects by dragging or entering an exact angle. Scale objects by factor or to an exact size.

Reflect selected objects across an axis or create a parallel outline beside a path.

Repeat selected objects in rows and columns, along a direction or around a center.

Remove part of an outline or extend an end to a boundary, with an optional overhang.

Round a supported sharp corner with an arc or replace it with a straight bevel.

Copy a selection along a path or align existing objects to a supported line or curve.

Copy the style axis settings (contour, fill, photoreal material) and text/arrow styles from one entity and apply them to others with a single click.

Align selected drawing objects, distribute their centers or make the gaps between them equal.

Merge closed outlines, subtract one from another or keep their overlap.

Convert a supported shape to editable curves or connect two open paths.

Remove the current editable selection and use Undo when you need to restore it.

One-click shortcut that copies the style of the selected object and switches straight into paint-onto-targets mode.

Review traced paths, simplify their outlines and remove unwanted fragments before adding them to the drawing.

Curve a straight outline or bend a straight 3D object with a drag, an angle or an inside radius.

Resize the two ends of a supported 3D object independently.

The 22 plant profiles that control how a plant is drawn in 2D and rendered in 3D.

Find and study plants, insert them into the drawing, list the plants in your garden with catalog prices, see the whole planting through the year, plan care and compare plants.

Choose a species or generic plant form, place repeated instances, and use typed coordinates or the Inspector for precision.

Create parametric hedges along a drawn path — configure plant spacing, trim style, height profile, and visual properties.

Fill a closed polygon boundary with a procedurally distributed mix of plant species — choose a planting style, species mix, distribution algorithm, and visual properties.

Adjust a plant’s physical dimensions and open Edit style to control its plan symbol, editor symbol and photorealistic appearance.

Choose a hardscape wizard, prepare its shape or path, and edit the resulting object or its members.

Create decks with custom board layout, border, accent strips, elevation, and wood style using the Deck Wizard.

Create patios with tiled surfaces, pattern layouts (grid, running bond, herringbone), border bands, and accent tiles using the Patio Wizard.

Create walkways by drawing a guide path, setting width and end caps, then configuring the surface color or material and border.

Place stepping stones along a drawn path, choosing stone shape (geometric or organic), size, material, spacing, and orientation using the Stepping Stone Wizard.

Add garden edging bands along a drawn path or around an existing region. Configure width, height, offset mode, corner treatment, and segmentation.

Create fences by drawing a path and choosing a style preset (picket, horizontal slats, privacy screen), then setting height, post spacing, gates, and wood finish.

Create garden walls along a drawn guide path. Choose wall type (garden wall, retaining wall, seat wall, privacy wall, raised planter), set dimensions, cap and pillars, and materials.

Place a privacy screen at a chosen point, then configure its panels, style and finish.

Design swimming pools with configurable depth profiles (constant or shallow-to-deep), coping, surround, and accessories.

Design garden ponds with a configurable edge band, fountain jets, and decorative features including wildlife and water plants.

Design pergolas with configurable post height, beam direction, slat layout, and wood finish.

Design a louvered pergola with motorised-style rotating roof slats. Configure height, posts, beams, louver angle, and wood finish.

Place a hexagonal, octagonal, or round gazebo by clicking to set its center, then configure shape, size, roof, and wood finish.

Design open-sided pavilions with a hip, gable, or flat roof, a configurable post grid, and a wood finish.

Design covered patios that attach to a wall or stand free, with configurable roof, posts, railing, and wood finish.

Design carports with configurable roof style, post positions, and materials.

Design cabanas with configurable walls, roof, and wood finish.

Design outdoor kitchens by configuring counter layout, appliances, and optional cover structure.

Place garden arbors by configuring dimensions, arch style, and wood finish.

Place trellises by configuring panel dimensions, grid pattern, mounting type, and wood finish.

Create a shade sail from a rectangular outline and configure its posts and sail settings.

Add buildings — sheds, houses, garages, and other structures — with configurable footprint shape, walls, roof, openings, and surface materials.

Build a custom structure from built-in parts or saved components in the Structure editor.

Edit the members of a wizard object, choose whether identical members follow, and finish with Done or Cancel.

Dock compatible connection points and review attached or stale joints in the Structure editor.

Per-entity hatch pattern editor — pick a pattern, set foreground colour, opacity, rotation, and tile size, or fall back to the class default.

Project-wide hatch defaults — pick a regional convention and override per-class hatch patterns for the whole drawing.

Launch the shared hardscape wizards from the 3D Add panel using compatible prepared shapes, paths or placement points.

Build a flight of steps along a drawn line, with a typed total rise for steps up to a deck, patio or raised bed.

Change member parameters, choose the scope of repeated-member edits, and insert built-in or reusable components.

Duplicate structure members or repeat them with grid and circular arrays.

Use the Structure editor to change members of wizard objects.

Overview of the Water tab in the Add Objects panel — irrigation, drainage, and water-feature objects you place on your plan.

Lay out a complete irrigation plan from the Water tab — from water source through pipes and valves to sprinkler heads.

Place sprinkler heads and set their fixture style, spray radius, and arc — and check coverage on the plan.

Draw a dripline as a dedicated path object and record emitter spacing, flow per emitter, zone, and installation in the Inspector.

Lay out a site drainage plan from the Water tab — from drain inlets and catch basins through drain pipes to an outlet.

Place valves to split an irrigation plan into independently controlled zones, connect them with pipes, and document the controller.

Place a valve manifold object to represent several zone valves grouped in one box, and set its valve count and box type.

Add a pond with the Pond wizard and give it an optional fountain — separate from the Water tab's irrigation and drainage objects.

Place the water supply entry point for an irrigation plan — a tap or pump — and set its source type and fixture style in the Inspector.

Place a backflow preventer object on the irrigation supply line and set its type and size in the Inspector.

Place a pressure regulator on the irrigation supply line and record its input pressure, output pressure, and flow rate in the Inspector.

Place a filter object on the irrigation supply line and set its type, mesh, and flow capacity in the Inspector.

Place hose bib points to document outdoor outlets for hand-watering, and set their fixture style in the Inspector.

Place drain inlets from the Water tab, set the inlet type to Point Drain or Grate Drain, and choose a grate fixture style.

Place catch basins from the Water tab — below-grade collection points where multiple drain pipes meet before routing to an outlet.

Add a channel drain from the Water tab — a linear, surface-level grated drain with a configurable width, drawn as a path.

Draw drain pipes from the Water tab, set the diameter, and configure burial and slope to carry water between inlets, basins, and outlets.

Place the discharge point for a drainage network from the Water tab, and set its type to soakaway, boundary outfall, or storm sewer.

Place a cleanout riser object on a drainage network to document maintenance access, and set its access type in the Inspector.

Place a downspout connection object where a roof downpipe ties into the site drainage, and set its diameter in the Inspector.

Use the Burial section in the Inspector to set whether a pipe sits on the surface, is inset, or is buried — and at what depth.

Overview of the six light fixture types you can place from the Lights tab: path light, spotlight, area light, string lights, LED strip, and sunlight.

Adjust the shared sun or place a separate directional light and use its own Inspector.

Place an omnidirectional fixture and set its style, elevation, reach, brightness and color.

Aim a directed cone of light at trees, walls, and features, then shape the beam with Horizontal and Vertical angle sliders and Edge Softness.

Wash a wall or large surface with soft, spread illumination from a flat rectangular source sized with Width and Height.

Two path-based light types: String Lights (festoon, fairy, or Edison bulbs strung with sag) and LED Strip (a continuous LED ribbon), each with its own Inspector controls.

Document your lighting system's electrical infrastructure: transformers, cable runs, junction boxes, and lighting controllers.

Build a layered garden lighting scheme — path marking, accent uplighting, and ambient wash — then evaluate it in the photoreal 3D view.

Place a transformer symbol to document the low-voltage power supply for your garden lighting circuit, with capacity, voltage, and notes.

Draw cable routes that document how low-voltage power runs between the transformer, junction boxes, and fixtures.

Mark distribution points on the lighting plan where cables branch or connect, so installers can read the circuit from your drawing.

Mark a controller, timer, or relay on the lighting plan to document how the scheme is switched, scheduled, or automated.

Place library models or import your own model files for use in the drawing and 3D view.

Import a supported model file, check its orientation and scale, and add it at the chosen position.

Choose a published system model from the shared media chooser.

Organize objects into named layers, then control each layer's visibility, lock state, transparency, and stacking order.

Add, switch, rename, reorder, duplicate and resize pages within a drawing.

Keep objects together, nest groups and open a group to edit its contents.

Align, distribute and size selected objects with the Align menu.

Move overlapping drawing objects forward or backward in their drawing order.

Protect objects from ordinary selection and editing, then unlock them from the Outliner or layer controls.

Reverse recorded editing commands and reapply undone commands.

Use the Outliner for groups and objects, and Combined objects for 3D stacking relationships.

Restore deleted drawings, pages and objects during the 30-day retention period.

Show the drawing grid and turn on Grid Snap so clicks and drags lock to evenly spaced intervals.

Snap drawing and editing to geometric points on existing objects — endpoints, midpoints, centers, intersections, and more.

Read canvas coordinates from the top and left rulers, and click a ruler to drop a construction guide line for alignment.

Press K to measure distance and angle between clicked points, then click any value to type an exact measurement.

Open the Calculations popover from the status bar to read radius, contour, area, and volume totals for the current selection.

Search, preview and apply the available catalog materials to the correct object or editing field.

Understand the difference between an object, its surface classification and its visible fill or material.

Classify a shape with a surface preset, inspect its appearance and manage class overrides.

Choose a material for the intended shape, face or member and adjust its appearance and pattern layout.

Open the dedicated appearance editor for supported Meadow, Water, Glass and Mirror surfaces.

Insert an image, adjust it, set its real-world size and choose flat or upright placement.

Move, turn or size a material pattern or photo on a supported face or fill.

Give a drawing shape height, then edit its faces or combine it with other 3D objects.

Shape a supported surface with points whose heights and influence you can edit precisely.

Adjust supported profile settings or choose an edge treatment for an extrusion.

Raise, lower, smooth or flatten part of a supported surface with a controlled brush.

Choose how one object builds, cuts, overlaps or follows another object.

Inspect the active stack relationship and change its available placement and offset settings.

Change a live stack relationship without confusing it with editing or merging the source objects.

Give selected faces their own appearance and position a pattern or photo without changing the object shape.

Choose an initial surface form, then refine a supported face with Volume Points or Sculpt.

Use the Stack tools to add, cut, follow a face or remove a relationship.

Build a reusable library of mesh assets: create new assets, import 3D files, promote an existing entity, drop linked instances into a drawing, and reimport from the original source to update every instance.

Turn the current selection with the visible rotation ring and an optional exact angle.

Use enabled snap targets and visible feedback to place or edit objects in the 3D view.

Choose a transform mode, coordinate frame and axis constraint beside the current selection.

Create a form from a profile along a path or around an axis.

Create a 3D form that connects two or more closed profile shapes.

Build a form from an outline, edit the needed faces and combine objects only when the task calls for it.

Set a separate fill for the named faces of a supported object, copy a fill to its other faces or remove face overrides.

The Mesh Asset Library stores reusable 3D model assets at the account level. Import GLB, OBJ, or STL files, then drag them onto any drawing as linked instances that stay in sync when the asset is updated.

Edit the faces, edges and points of one 3D object, with shared tools and precise input.

Create a ready-made 3D form or a flat starting face, then edit it in Reshape.

Use a face, workplane or supported object as the reference for trimming, splitting or extending 3D geometry.

Create a ground surface, shape proposed changes and inspect the result with terrain analysis.

Import terrain, check source coordinates and elevation quality, and export the intended surface.

Create a flat or shaped starting terrain, then refine it with terrain tools.

Choose points, brush strokes or grading objects, then inspect the proposed terrain.

Inspect terrain profiles, regions, slope, runoff and cut/fill comparisons.

Show terrain contours and choose their elevation interval.

Constrain terrain along a line and optionally retain a height difference between its sides.

Create a terrain level change along a line and choose its upper side.

Shape a surface with point heights, influence radii and editable cross-section curves.

Open point editing from a supported surface and choose the correct height interpretation.

Edit X and Y cross-section curves for a volume point and optionally link the axes.

Shape terrain or a supported surface with Add, Dig, Smooth and Flatten brushes.

Edit a selected surface layer’s height, edge profile and top shape, and understand preset replacement.

Review drawing costs, additional items, price tiers and the warnings that affect a cost summary.

Maintain account-wide price entries, labor rates and customer price tiers.

Understand which measurements feed cost rows and how member quantities differ from priced totals.

Copy a product’s specifications and chosen variant onto a supported drawing object.

Maintain product options, nursery sizes and variant CSV data in Product Catalog.

Choose company details, cost presentation and optional plant columns for generated reports.

Export selected price tiers with explicit rate units, then safely preview any reimport.

Manage project tasks and decisions: create, organize, link and complete work, and keep a clear record of important project choices.

Schedule the project on a Gantt timeline: set task dates by dragging bars, connect dependent tasks with arrows, and place milestones from the Gantt toolbar.

View project tasks on a monthly calendar by due date. Navigate months, open tasks from their date cell, and see unscheduled tasks in a separate list.

Link planning tasks to specific drawing entities. Linked entities appear as chips in the task — clicking a chip pans the canvas to the entity.

Record pending project choices, the outcome and reason, who decided and when, and revisit a choice without confusing it with a task.

Retired reference to colour-grading controls that are not exposed by the current Photo and HQ export dialogs.

Set presentation sun position and warmth with the Light tab, and adjust Sun strength in the Photo style controls.

Set weather presets, cloud cover, precipitation, snow depth, fog, temperature, drought and wind in the presentation controls.

Use the Year slider to preview seasonal plant appearance and combine it with presentation lighting and weather.

Capture and arrange design views, add slide text and timing, then present them or export a PDF or image sequence.

Plan and preview a drone flight using waypoints, camera settings and timing, then save the flight or export a silent video.

Export the current Photo view as a PNG or JPEG at 1K, 2K or 4K, choosing Ultra or Fast quality.

Restyle the exact view you have framed as a photorealistic, painted, sketched or illustrated image. Every image is checked automatically against your design, and the panel tells you whether the layout matches.

Copy a full-window or drawing-area screenshot, save a Design View, or capture a slideshow slide from the camera menu.

Open Section Cut, position the section line, and adjust soil layers and drawing appearance in the presentation controls.

Edit the active section’s soil-layer colours, depths and visibility, and distinguish them from the project soil profile.

Control the live presentation sky through sun, cloud and weather settings, with separate seasonal appearance.

Export a planned drone flight at a selected quality, resolution and frame rate, then save the finished silent video.

Find the presentation tabs and control the modeled lights and water features on the active page.

Choose the photorealistic view or an available section cut, then use the controls supported by that view.

The Document Center is the hub for all project deliverables — generate reports, manage design views and presentations, share links with clients, and track discussions. Open it from the Sections menu.

Generate a shareable link so clients can view selected deliverables in a browser without a Gardenly3D account. One link per selection, optional PIN protection, optional expiry, optional comments.

Allow clients to leave pin comments on shared design views. Manage all comments across all share links from the Discussions tab in the Document Center.

Record the client's contact information and your designer or firm identity for the active project. These details appear on client-facing reports and PDF exports. Open it from the Sections menu.

Configure design checks, review issues and record intentional exceptions.

Start with the shipped rule packs, then inspect the rules and thresholds for your project.

Define a supported geometric relationship between subject and reference classes.

Read supported clearance and overlap warnings while moving objects.

Use saved automations, visual steps and Lua scripts for repeatable editing tasks.

Find saved project automations or start from a template.

Adjust parameters, run or preview an automation and inspect output and run history.

Use Visual or Code alongside the canvas, with shared run controls and output.

Build supported automation steps visually and inspect the resulting program.

Write Lua automations with API completions, parameter annotations and error feedback.

Use the action log as an authoring reference and preview automation changes before keeping them.

Run an automation in response to supported project events, with optional matching rules.

Look up supported scripting methods and Lua guidance while editing an automation.

Understand execution budgets, feature restrictions and errors in Lua automations.

An index of the keyboard, mouse, and trackpad shortcut reference articles in Gardenly3D. Shortcuts are workspace-scoped — different shortcuts are active depending on the active workspace.

Complete keyboard shortcut reference grouped by workspace: Global, 2D Editor, 3D Editor, Node Editing, and Mesh Editing.

Complete mouse interaction map for 2D and 3D views: click, drag, right-click, middle-click, scroll, and special drag interactions.

Complete trackpad gesture reference: two-finger pan, pinch-to-zoom, two-finger tap, and swipe gestures for both 2D and 3D views.

The status bar at the bottom of the canvas: save indicator, page switcher, tool hints, selection count, measurements, cursor position, terrain info, zoom level, and more.

Study sampled direct sun and line of sight using the drawn design, site location and selected settings.