Multiple Models per File

A single .ads file can hold more than one model. Keep a family of related designs together — three sizes of the same bracket, a part and its packaging, a set of variations you are still choosing between — and switch between them from the Model Catalog. Each model is fully independent: editing one never touches another. (Model references, covered below, are the one deliberate exception.)

The title bar shows filename.ads — Model Name so the active model is always visible.

The Model Catalog

Click the model-catalog button in the workspace toolbar to open the catalog as an overlay. It lists every model in the file, newest first, and marks the active one ✓ current. Each row shows a live 3D thumbnail rendered from a consistent angle.

Select a model to see a larger interactive preview in the right pane, alongside its name, creation date, and current state:

• Drag to orbit the preview.
• Scroll to zoom.
• Double-click to reset to the default view.

Creating and Managing Models

All model management lives in the catalog. Select a model in the left pane and use the actions in the right pane, or the header buttons:

Action	What it does
New model	Creates a fresh, empty model (header button).
Make current	Switches to the selected model. Also works by double-clicking a row; disabled when the model is already current.
New from copy	Clones the selected model — including one that is not current — into an independent copy that becomes current.
Rename	Renames in place. Enter commits, Esc cancels.
Delete	Hides the model from your workspace (with a confirmation).
Save preview	Captures the current viewport as this row’s thumbnail, replacing the live render. Enabled only for the current model.
Remove thumbnail	Deletes a saved thumbnail and reverts the row to the live render.

You can also create a model from the Models menu with New Model.

The right-pane preview is always a live render. A saved preview replaces the live render only in that model’s row in the list — useful for pinning a representative angle for a model you switch to often.

Delete keeps your data but is not reversible in the app. Deleting hides the model from your workspace; the data stays on disk, but restoring it is not yet supported. Deleting the current model switches you to another; deleting the last model creates a fresh empty one automatically.

Moving Parts Between Models

To copy parts from one model into another:

1. Select the parts you want in the source model.
2. Models → Copy model parts.
3. Switch to the destination model.
4. Models → Paste model parts.

The pasted parts arrive as a full, independent copy — completely detached from the source. The transfer board stays loaded after a paste, so you can paste the same selection into another model without copying again. The menu item is disabled and labeled (transfer board empty) until you copy something.

To reuse a whole model as a linked component you can refresh from its source — rather than a detached copy — use a model reference instead.