Tutorials DetailCraft help Troubleshooting and limits
What is not built yet
What this early DetailCraft build cannot do, and what to do instead today.
Written for DetailCraft 0.3. The same help is inside the app: press F1.
DetailCraft is an early build. This page lists what it does not do yet, so you can plan around it. Nothing here is a promise of a date.
Modeling
| Not yet | Instead, today |
|---|---|
| Moving members by dragging | Edit Start and End under Ends (x, y, z mm) in the Properties panel |
| Window (drag a box) selection; a select filter | ⇧Shift+click each part, or ⌘ACtrl+A for everything |
| Changing a property on several members at once | Change them one at a time in Properties |
| Move, mirror, rotate or array a selection | Copy and paste it at an offset, or Duplicate it (Copy, paste and duplicate) |
| Points off the grid while clicking | Place on the grid, then type the end coordinates |
| Elevations along numbered grid lines; saved views; work planes | Use 3D, or Add by grid |
| Holes drawn as real cuts in the 3D view | Holes show as dark plugs; they are real in every export |
| Rounded or angled copes, other cuts and fittings | Square copes on I-shapes only |
| Holes in angles and round tubes | None today |
| Imperial input | Type millimeters (25.4 per inch) |
| Editing or removing a custom profile | Add a corrected profile under a new name |
Connections
DetailCraft builds two connections: a flush or extended bolted end plate from a level, upright I-shape beam to an I-shape column flange, and a column base plate with four anchor rods.
| Not yet | Instead, today |
|---|---|
| Beam to column web | Turn the column 90° so the beam meets a flange, if that suits the design |
| Skewed or sloped beams | None today |
| Shear tabs, clip angles, splices, brace gussets, stiffeners | Detail them in other software, or add plates and holes by hand as loose parts |
| Connection design checks (strength) | Check connections with your engineer's calculations; DetailCraft only warns about edge distance and spacing |
| Slotted holes | Round holes only |
Rebar
| Not yet | Instead, today |
|---|---|
| Rebar in anything but rectangular pad footings | None today |
| Laps, development lengths | Check them yourself |
| Standard shape codes (ACI 315, BS 8666) | DetailCraft's own S, L and U codes; see Rebar reference |
| Metric bar sizes | US sizes #3 to #11 only |
Drawings and exports
| Not yet | Instead, today |
|---|---|
| Drawings on sheets other than A3; general-arrangement views on skewed grids | Drawings makes A3 plans, elevations and assembly drawings; scale the PDF to print on another size |
| Shop drawings of channels, angles and tubes | I-shapes and plates only |
| Weld symbols on drawings | The weld is written as text on the shop drawing |
| Editing a drawing in the app | Change the model and make the drawing again; mark up the PDF in a PDF app such as MarkupCraft |
| DWG or DXF export of drawings | PDF only |
| NC files for channels, angles and tubes | I-shapes and plates only |
| Bevels, markings and inner contours in NC files | None today |
| Bringing holes, bolts, connections, footings and rebar in from an IFC file | Import IFC brings in beams, columns, members, plates, grids and levels, and its report lists what it left out |
| Custom report layouts | The three CSV files |
Panels
| Not yet | Instead, today |
|---|---|
| Moving the reports at the bottom (Problems, Bill of materials, Bending schedule) | Only the Model and Properties panels move. See Arrange the panels |
| More than one panels window, or dragging a panel between the two windows | Use the panel's ⋯ menu to move it |
| Resizing a floating panel by touch | Use the ⋯ menu to dock it, or resize it with a mouse |
Working together and saving
| Not yet | Instead, today |
|---|---|
| Cloud saving and sync between computers | Save .detailcraft.json files and share them like any file. Cloud saving is not available yet |
| Several people in one model | One person per file |
| Desktop builds | Use DetailCraft in a browser; desktop builds are not available yet |
| Autosave or recovery after a closed tab | Save often with ⌘SCtrl+S |
Platforms
- DetailCraft is laid out for a desktop or laptop screen. On a tablet or phone, touch works for looking, selecting and placing, but the panels are crowded.
- Offline use needs DetailCraft saved for offline use first, with Save for offline in the app bar; once it reads Offline ready, everything in this build works with no connection. See Working offline.
If one of these gaps blocks your work, tell us through the support page; it helps us decide what to build next.