Reference index
Every control in the app, in one alphabetical list. Each name links to the section of the reference that covers it in full; the line beneath is the same summary the in-app help overlay shows when you hover the control.
Looking for a control by where it lives rather than by name? The sidebar follows the app’s own layout, surface by surface.
A
A measurementMeasuring
One measurement you have taken: the distance, and under it either what stopped it at each end or, for a point to point, its separate X, Y and Z distances. Click the row to highlight its line in the 3D view - the line, its ends and its number change colour, which is how you tell several measurements apart. Click it again to turn the highlight off.
About raw materialsRaw materials and cut lists
A short explanation of how raw materials work: why a piece's weight and cost follow its size, and how to make a material the standard sizes don't include.
AccountSaving, accounts and billing
Sign in or out and manage your subscription.
Add a pieceThe custom-object editor
Click Build to fuse a part into your object, or Ghost to add it as a see-through reference guide.
Add a rectangle or circleRaw materials and cut lists
Add a cutout of that kind in a free spot on the piece, ready to size and move. A piece can hold up to 64.
Add a shapeThe custom-object editor
Click a basic shape - box, cylinder, sphere and so on - to drop it into your object as a new building block.
Add AC cableWiring and plumbing
Start drawing a mains (AC) cable run, then click points around the van to lay the route.
Add an optionSelecting, moving and resizing
Add another option to this group and open the editor on it, to give it its own colour or texture.
Add cold pipeWiring and plumbing
Start drawing a cold-water pipe run around the van.
Add DC cableWiring and plumbing
Start drawing a battery (DC) cable run around the van.
Add hot pipeWiring and plumbing
Start drawing a hot-water pipe run around the van.
Add primitiveThe custom-object editor
Open the panel of things to add: the basic shapes, and catalogue components or this design's other custom objects to build with.
Add stateGrouping and van states
Save a new arrangement for this group, then move its items to pose it.
Add to designRaw materials and cut lists
Place the piece in your van at the starting size the preview shows, with its weight and cost. Resize it afterwards like any object - only its cut size changes, never its thickness or cross-section.
Add to design / ApplyObjects and the catalogue
Place a person of this height and pose in your van, or change the selected person to it. A person counts in no total: it adds nothing to the bill of materials or the weight.
Added weightBill of materials and weight
The total weight you have added to the van: every placed object, wiring and plumbing run and opening, less anything hidden. Expand it to see how that weight splits between the front and rear axles. It is added weight only, not the van itself: what your van can carry is on its VIN plate or in its handbook.
Added weightOpenings
The opening's estimated weight. Enter your real window or vent's weight to override it.
AlignSelecting, moving and resizing
Line the selection up with another object in three clicks: a face, edge or corner of the selection's box, the object to line up with, then a face, edge or corner of its box. For a group or several objects, first click the one to line up by; the rest move with it. The selection slides, never turns, and only as far as the pair needs - two faces make them flush, two edges line them up along a side, two corners put them together.
Animate state changesThe 3D view
When you switch between states, move the furniture to its new place smoothly instead of jumping there, and fade in or out anything the state shows or hides. On unless you turn it off, and remembered on this device.
AppearancesSelecting, moving and resizing
The van's Exterior, Walls and Floor, then every finish group, each with its options - the colours or textures it can be switched between. Click a swatch to switch it; add options with + and change them with Edit.
Auto-rotateThe 3D view
Slowly turn the camera around your van on its own. Grabbing the view stops it.
Auto-rotate speedThe 3D view
How fast the turntable spins, shown as seconds per full turn.
Axis guide linesThe 3D view
Show alignment guide lines through an item while you drag it, to help line things up.
B
BackSelecting, moving and resizing
Undo the last Align pick and choose it again. Esc does the same.
Back to editingThe custom-object editor
Swap out of the finished-object preview and back to the separate shapes, so you can pick and change them again.
Base massThe van
The empty van's kerb weight. On a box van it starts as an estimate - the weight of the van the cab comes from, plus an allowance for the box panels - so set your own if you know it.
Base massThe van
The empty van's kerb weight - the starting point your added components build on for the laden total.
Box heightThe van
The box's outside height, from the underside of the body to the top of the box.
Box lengthThe van
How far the box runs back from the cab, measured outside. The box starts right behind the cab.
Box widthThe van
The box's outside width. It can be wider than the cab: the front wheels stay the cab's and the rear wheels sit under the box.
Build pieceThe custom-object editor
One shape in your object. Click to select and edit it; double-click a group to rename it. The base piece (first in the list) is what the others add to or subtract from.
C
Cabin modelThe van
The van whose cab sits at the front. The cab's shape, the front wheels, the seats and the load-floor height all come from it.
Cabin sizeThe van
Which of that model's cabs to use. Some models have a taller cab on their high-roof versions, so each entry says which body sizes it comes on.
Cable / pipe specWiring and plumbing
The cable gauge or pipe diameter - sets the weight and cost per metre.
CancelSelecting, moving and resizing
Stop aligning without moving anything.
CancelThe custom-object editor
Discard this object and return to your van without saving it.
CancelOpenings
Leave the draw mode without cutting an opening, or press Escape.
CancelWiring and plumbing
Discard the run you're drawing without adding it.
CancelSaving, accounts and billing
Discard the new name and go back to the save options.
CancelRaw materials and cut lists
Leave without changing the piece. Everything drawn since you started is discarded.
CatalogueObjects and the catalogue
Browse the categories and click any item to drop it into your van.
Catalogue itemsObjects and the catalogue
Every item in the chosen category. Click one to drop it into your van.
CategoriesObjects and the catalogue
Filter the catalogue to one category - furniture, appliances, electrical, and so on.
CategoryThe custom-object editor
The catalogue category this object is filed under, so it appears alongside similar components.
Centre in widthSelecting, moving and resizing
Slide the selection sideways until its middle sits on the line down the middle of the van. It does not move forwards, backwards, up or down, and several objects move together, keeping their layout.
ChamferThe custom-object editor
Bevel the shape's edges by this amount. Chamfer and rounding can't both be on - setting one clears the other.
Change personObjects and the catalogue
Choose this person's height and pose. Their feet stay where they are.
Change vanThe van
Start a new design on a different base van. Your current design is cleared (with a save prompt for Pro).
Clear allMeasuring
Remove every measurement you have taken, without leaving the tool.
Click into groupsThe 3D view
Let a click in the 3D view step inside a group you already have selected, so you can pick out one part of it. Off by default: without it, clicking in the 3D view always selects the whole group, and the way to a single part is to expand the group in the Object List and click its row.
CloseThe custom-object editor
Close the add panel. ＋ Add primitive opens it again.
Close catalogueObjects and the catalogue
Close the component catalogue and return to your van.
ColourSelecting, moving and resizing
Paint the item this colour.
ColourWiring and plumbing
Give this run a custom colour.
Combine modeThe custom-object editor
How this piece affects the ones before it - Add joins it on, Sub (subtract) carves it away, Int (intersect) keeps only the overlap.
ConfigureGrouping and van states
Choose which saved state each group takes in this van state.
Confirm deleteObjects and the catalogue
Permanently remove this object from your library. Copies already placed in your designs are unaffected.
Corner radiusOpenings
Round the corners of the opening. Drag the slider or type an exact radius - up to half the opening's shorter side.
Corner radiusRaw materials and cut lists
Rounds a rectangle's corners, up to half its shorter side. While drawing, each corner can be rounded on its own.
CostBill of materials and weight
The item's cost, added to your running total. Override it if you know the real price.
CostThe custom-object editor
This object's cost, added to your running total once you place it.
CostWiring and plumbing
Override this run's cost - a rate per metre or a fixed total. Reset returns it to the spec.
Custom box vanThe van
Build on the cab of a van we model, with a box of your own size behind it - for Luton and box-body conversions. Choose the cab, then set the box and the wheelbase.
Custom colourSelecting, moving and resizing
Pick any colour by shade, hue or hex code.
Cut into inner shellSelecting, moving and resizing
Let the object into the space between the van's inner lining and its bodywork - the way a real build notches a bed into the wall for a few extra centimetres, or drops a locker under the floor. The lining is cut away where the object sits, and the object is trimmed to the outer bodywork instead, so it still can't poke out through the side of the van. Ticking this turns on Trim to van interior (scribe) as well. Its size, weight and cost are unchanged - except on a raw material, which weighs only the part that is left and costs the board that part is cut from.
Cut into overlapping objectsSelecting, moving and resizing
Carve this object's shape out of anything it overlaps - e.g. a sink cut into a countertop so the bowl reads open, not sealed.
Cut listRaw materials and cut lists
Every raw-material piece in the design, grouped by material, with what each material costs and one row per size to cut: how many, at what size, and what they weigh. Click the heading to open or fold it. In the editor, selecting a piece highlights its row, and clicking a row selects that piece - click again for the next one of that size. It says what to cut, not how many sheets to buy.
CutoutRaw materials and cut lists
One shape cut out of the piece, with its size. Press it to show its numbers - or, while drawing, to select it. A warning sign means it is not being cut, and opening it says why.
Cutout positionRaw materials and cut lists
Where the cutout's centre sits, measured from the middle of the piece rather than a corner. A cutout may run over the edge on purpose - that is how a notch is made.
Cutout sizeRaw materials and cut lists
A rectangle's width and length, or a circle's diameter - the size a hole saw is sold by. Type a value, or step it 10 mm at a time.
D
Default colourSelecting, moving and resizing
Use the item's standard finish.
Default colourWiring and plumbing
Draw the run in its type's standard colour.
DeleteObjects and the catalogue
Remove this custom object from the catalogue. Disabled while a copy is still placed in your van.
DeleteThe custom-object editor
Delete the selected piece, group or ghost from the object.
DeleteSelecting, moving and resizing
Remove the selected item from your van.
Delete from libraryObjects and the catalogue
Remove this object from your library. Copies already placed in your designs are unaffected.
Delete groupSelecting, moving and resizing
Remove this finish group and its options. Its objects keep the colour they have now, and are painted on their own again.
Delete optionSelecting, moving and resizing
Remove the option showing, and switch the group to the next one. A group keeps at least one option.
Delete pointWiring and plumbing
Remove the selected point from this run.
Delete routeWiring and plumbing
Remove this whole run from your van.
Delete stateGrouping and van states
Remove the group's currently-selected saved arrangement.
Delete van stateGrouping and van states
Remove the active van state. “Base” can't be deleted.
Design nameSaving, accounts and billing
Type a name for this design. It defaults to the auto-assigned name, but you can change it.
DoneSelecting, moving and resizing
Close the option editor.
DoneSelecting, moving and resizing
Close the Inspector and clear the selection.
DoneMeasuring
Leave the measuring tool, or press Escape. Your measurements are cleared with it - they are a question about the design, not part of it.
DoneWiring and plumbing
Finish editing and deselect the run.
DoneRaw materials and cut lists
Cut the shapes into the piece, as one step you can undo. Unavailable while a cutout can't be cut - the message above it says which.
DoneThe van
Close this panel and return to the Inspector.
DoneGrouping and van states
Close the configure panel.
Draw shapesRaw materials and cut lists
Switch to a flat view of this sheet and draw its cutouts by dragging on it. Nothing changes in your design until you press Done. It reads Edit shapes once the piece has cutouts.
Drive layoutThe van
Which wheels the cab's van drives, where it is sold more than one way. It sets the load-floor height and the starting weight, because a rear- or all-wheel-drive van's floor sits higher.
DuplicateThe custom-object editor
Make a copy of the selected shape, ghost or group.
DuplicateSelecting, moving and resizing
Make a copy of the selected item.
E
EditObjects and the catalogue
Re-open this custom object in the editor to change its shape or size.
EditSelecting, moving and resizing
Change the colour or texture of the option showing in this group. Every object in the group changes with it.
Edit van dimensionsThe van
Open the van's overall measurements (width, height, length, wheelbase…) to resize the base van.
Edit Van DimensionsThe van
The van's own measurements - its outside size, its wheelbase and weight, how thick the inner shell is built out, and the wheel arches. The van updates behind the panel as you change them.
Email me about VanCADSaving, accounts and billing
When on, we email you a roundup of what shipped, about once a month, plus the occasional note about your own build - like a design that is waiting for you. Untick to stop them, and every email has a one-click unsubscribe too. It may already be on if you left the box ticked when you created your account. It does not affect emails like a password reset.
Exit Fly modeThe 3D view
Go back to Orbit, where dragging circles the camera around your van.
Exit FocusThe 3D view
Switch Focus off and bring the whole design back into view. Esc and the Focus button on the strip do the same.
Exit the highlighted viewWiring and plumbing
Put this system's runs back to Dim and bring the rest of the design back into view. The Systems menu's view filter does the same.
Expand / collapseObjects and the catalogue
Show or hide a group's items in the list.
Expand groupThe custom-object editor
Show or hide a group's members in the list.
F
FeedbackGetting started
Report a bug or suggest a feature, and read our replies to what you sent. Signed-in users only.
Field of viewThe 3D view
Widen the view to take in more of the van from where the camera stands, or narrow it to see less with less distortion. Orbit and Fly each keep their own setting, and the mark on the track is the starting value. Greyed out in orthographic.
FinishWiring and plumbing
Complete the run and add it to your van - needs at least two points.
Finish groupSelecting, moving and resizing
Which finish group this object is painted with. Objects in a group always share one colour or texture, and switch together between the group's options.
Finish groupSelecting, moving and resizing
Put this object, or every selected object, in that group, painting it in the group's option showing - or None, to paint it on its own. Double-click the group this object is in to rename it. An object is in one group at most.
Finish optionSelecting, moving and resizing
One of the colours or textures this group can wear. Click to paint every object in the group with it.
FitRaw materials and cut lists
Zoom back out so the whole piece fits.
Fixed by the materialRaw materials and cut lists
A sheet's thickness, or a batten's or extrusion's cross-section, is the size it is sold in, so it is locked. Only the cut size - the length, and a sheet's width - can change, and the weight and cost follow it.
FocusThe 3D view
Fade everything except what is selected, so you can reach and adjust it in a busy build. Clicks pass through the faded objects to what is behind them. Press again, press Esc, or pick something else in the Object List to leave. Greyed out with nothing selected.
From catalogueThe custom-object editor
Add an existing catalogue component as a building block - combine or subtract it like any other shape.
From this designThe custom-object editor
Reuse another of this design's custom objects as a building block.
Front axleBill of materials and weight
The added weight the front axle is carrying, taking each object at the centre of its box. A minus means weight behind the rear axle is lifting it.
G
GenerateOpenings
Cut the opening and add it to your van, or press Enter. Enabled once the rectangle fits the surface.
Glass tintOpenings
How dark the glass is - fully clear at 0%, near-black at 100%.
Go to productBill of materials and weight
Open this item's product link in a new tab.
GroundThe 3D view
Choose the ground surface under your van - grass, tarmac and so on, or none.
GroupThe custom-object editor
Combine the selected pieces into a group that moves and rotates as one. Pieces grouped with a group join it.
GroupGrouping and van states
Combine the selected items into a group that moves, rotates and resizes as one.
GroupGrouping and van states
A group of items. Select it to move them as one, or expand it to reach a single member.
GroupGrouping and van states
Combine the selected items into a group that moves, rotates and resizes as one.
Group sizeGrouping and van states
Resize the whole group about its centre - type an overall X, Y or Z size, or scale it evenly with All.
Group stateGrouping and van states
A saved arrangement of this group - e.g. a bed folded away vs made up. Click one to switch to it; double-click to rename. “Base” is the default.
Group stateGrouping and van states
Pick the state this group uses in the van state you're configuring. “Base” leaves it in its default pose.
H
HeightObjects and the catalogue
How tall the person is, from 0.90 m to 2.10 m. Drag the slider, or type it - in centimetres, or in feet and inches with imperial units. The figure's proportions follow: below about 1.5 m it has a child's.
HeightMeasuring
Click a surface for the clear space above or below it, named at each end in the list - a worktop below and the roof above, say. It runs away from the face you clicked and never through the object itself.
HeightOpenings
The opening's height. Type an exact size, or use the steppers - it resizes about the centre.
HeightThe van
The van's overall exterior height.
Held at roof heightSelecting, moving and resizing
This object is mounted on the van's roof, so its height is the roof's and cannot be changed here. Move it along the roof with X and Z, or by dragging.
HelpGetting started
Dim the editor and hover any control to see what it does - a quick way to learn a button you don't recognise.
HomeThe 3D view
Reset the camera to the view the design opened at. While drawing an opening or a shape, it recentres on what you are drawing instead.
I
In this designRaw materials and cut lists
A material this design already uses, with how many pieces of it are placed. Press it to place another piece of the same material.
Infinite groundThe 3D view
Extend the ground out to the horizon instead of a small pad.
Inner shellBill of materials and weight
What lining the van out weighs: insulation, battens, the boards on the walls and ceiling, and the floor with its covering. It counts as added weight because you added it, and it loads both axles from the middle of the living area. The starting figure comes from your van's size - set your own in Edit Van Dimensions, or 0 if the van came lined. The information button beside the heading says more.
Inner shell endsThe van
How thick the lining is at the bulkhead and the rear doors. One setting covers both ends.
Inner shell floorThe van
How thick your floor build-up is - insulation plus the boards you walk on, above the van's own metal floor.
Inner shell roofThe van
How thick your ceiling build-up is - insulation plus the boards, below the van's own roof.
Inner shell wallsThe van
How thick your side lining is - insulation plus the panelling, between the bodywork and the living space.
InspectorSelecting, moving and resizing
Fine-tune the selected item - its position, size, rotation, appearance and more.
K
Keep itObjects and the catalogue
Cancel the delete and keep this object in your library.
L
LanguageThe toolbar
Choose the language VanCAD is shown in. Your designs are not changed: the names you type stay as you wrote them. On a narrow window this moves into the Settings menu.
Left sideOpenings
Draw an opening in the left wall.
LengthMeasuring
Click a surface for the clear front-to-back space out of it, named at each end in the list - the bulkhead ahead and the rear doors behind, say. It runs away from the face you clicked and never through the object itself.
LengthThe van
The van's overall exterior length.
LicensesSaving, accounts and billing
Open the open-source and asset acknowledgements.
Light / DarkThe toolbar
Switch the toolbar, menus and panels between the dark theme and a light one. The 3D view keeps its own ground and sky, which you set under Visuals. Your choice is remembered on this device.
Link / SeparateRaw materials and cut lists
Round all four corners together with one slider, or separately with one each.
Link analytics to my accountSaving, accounts and billing
When on, anonymous usage analytics are linked to your account so we can support you better. Turn it off to keep them un-linked; anonymous collection continues either way.
Linked cornersOpenings
Linked rounds all four corners together. Switch to Separate for a slider per corner.
LoadSaving, accounts and billing
Open one of your saved designs. (Subscriber feature.)
Log in / Sign upSaving, accounts and billing
Sign in to an existing account, or create one.
M
Made with a toolObjects and the catalogue
A card for something VanCAD makes with a tool rather than a component you place - a window, for instance, which is cut into the shell with the Openings tool. Press it and VanCAD explains the tool and offers to show you where it is.
Manage subscriptionSaving, accounts and billing
Open the billing portal to update or cancel your VanCAD Pro subscription.
MaterialRaw materials and cut lists
What the piece is made of. Its density sets the weight, so the weight and cost below change as you choose.
MeasureThe custom-object editor
Measure the straight-line distance between two points on your object, and the gap along each axis. Click two points - they snap to nearby corners, edges and face centres. Escape leaves.
MeasureRaw materials and cut lists
Tap two points on the drawing to measure between them. They snap to the piece's corners, then its edges. Press again to stop.
Metric / ImperialThe toolbar
Switch every measurement between metric and imperial. Display only - your design is unchanged.
Mirror in widthSelecting, moving and resizing
Move the selection to the same spot on the other side of the van. It only moves: it never turns, so a cabinet facing across the van will face the far wall afterwards - press Turn around to face it back. Several objects move together as one piece, just like a group, so a worktop stays exactly on its cupboard; Turn around then faces the whole run back into the van. The object itself is not flipped, so a handed part such as a door hinge stays on the same side of it.
MoreThe toolbar
Everything the toolbar is too narrow to show. Controls move in here from the right of the bar as the window narrows, and back out as it widens; on a phone or tablet almost everything lives here.
MoreThe 3D view
The view controls the strip along the bottom of the 3D view is too narrow to show. They move in here from the strip as the window narrows, and back out as it widens.
More optionsThe custom-object editor
Extra actions that don't fit on the bar - and, when authoring tools are on, exporting or importing the object's definition.
Move togetherThe custom-object editor
Nudge every selected piece together along this axis, without grouping them.
Multi-selectThe custom-object editor
Turn on to pick several pieces by clicking each, then Group them or edit them together.
Multi-selectObjects and the catalogue
Turn on to pick several objects at once by clicking each - then Group them together.
My libraryObjects and the catalogue
Your saved custom objects - reuse them in any design.
N
NameThe custom-object editor
Name your object - this becomes its label in the catalogue and your bill of materials.
New custom objectObjects and the catalogue
Build your own object from simple shapes in the custom-object editor, then place it like any component.
New design nameSaving, accounts and billing
Type a name for the new copy.
New groupSelecting, moving and resizing
Make a new finish group with this object, or every selected object, in it. Its colour becomes the group's first option; double-click the new chip to name it, like Cushions or Worktops.
New sheet, batten or extrusionRaw materials and cut lists
Start a piece of your own: choose what it is made of and its thickness, cross-section or profile, and see what it will weigh and cost before you add it.
New van stateGrouping and van states
Save the current arrangement as a new van state you can return to.
No textureSelecting, moving and resizing
Use a plain colour instead of a material texture.
O
ObjectObjects and the catalogue
One object in your van. Click to select and edit it; double-click to rename it.
Object ListObjects and the catalogue
Every item in your van. Select one to edit, rename, or group it.
Object stateGrouping and van states
This object comes with more than one form - e.g. a pop-top closed vs raised. Click one to switch to it; the object keeps its size and place.
On the axlesBill of materials and weight
What this object puts on each axle, taken at the centre of its box and worked out from where it sits between the axles. A hidden object keeps its figures but is not counted.
OpacitySelecting, moving and resizing
Make this see-through so you can look past it. Nothing about it changes but how it is drawn.
Open the sliding doorThe van
Show the door open, which cuts the doorway out of that wall - so you can plan around the real entryway rather than a flat wall. Enable that side's wall to see it.
Opening typeOpenings
A fixed, sliding, or awning glazed window - or an open hole for a vent or fan to sit over.
Orbit / FlyThe 3D view
Orbit circles the camera around your van; Fly turns on the spot and scrolls you forwards and back. On a trackpad, two fingers slide the view and a pinch zooms - two-finger click and drag to slide it in both directions at once.
Override / Use the material's valuesRaw materials and cut lists
A raw material's weight and cost are worked out from what it is made of and its size. Override unlocks them so you can type your own - the cost is the one worth setting, to what your supplier charges. Use the material's values puts the worked-out figures back.
P
PagesSelecting, moving and resizing
Switch between Transform (position, rotation, size), Bill of materials (weight and cost), and Appearance.
PaintThe 3D view
Switch the van's bodywork between a shiny clear-coat and a flat matte finish.
Panel pagesThe custom-object editor
Switch this panel between the selected piece's position and size, and its colour and texture.
Passenger seatingThe van
One passenger seat, or a two-person bench.
Per metre or totalWiring and plumbing
Enter the override as a rate per metre (scales with length) or a fixed total.
Perspective / OrthographicThe 3D view
Perspective looks realistic - distant things shrink. Orthographic removes that distortion so parallel lines stay parallel, which is best for lining things up.
PlaceObjects and the catalogue
Drop this component into your van - it lands on the floor, ready to move into position.
Place a copyObjects and the catalogue
Drop a copy of this saved object into your design. Later edits to the library original won't change this copy.
Point to pointMeasuring
Click two points for the straight-line distance between them, plus the separate X, Y and Z distances - usually the more useful pair of numbers. Each point snaps to a nearby corner, edge or face centre, and the marker turns amber when it has.
PoseObjects and the catalogue
How the person stands, sits or reaches, with a picture of the chosen pose. Seated sits as on a seat with the feet on the floor, for headroom over a bench; Showering has a hand on the back of the head, for elbow room; Kneeling, Arms out and Arms forward check the space around a bed, a wardrobe or a cupboard.
PositionSelecting, moving and resizing
The item's position along this axis. Type a value, or nudge it with − / +.
PositionThe custom-object editor
The shape's position along this axis. Type a value, or nudge it with − / +.
PositionThe custom-object editor
Where the selected shape sits - drag one of the straight coloured arrows in 3D to slide it along that axis, or use the steppers below.
PositionSelecting, moving and resizing
Where the selected item sits. In the scene, drag one of the straight coloured arrows to slide it along that axis, or drag the grey ball in the middle to drop it onto whatever is under your pointer. Below, type an exact position or nudge it with − / +.
PositionOpenings
Where the opening sits on the surface, measured from the corner of the usable area. Type an exact position, or use the steppers.
PriceOpenings
The opening's price (0 by default). Enter your real component's price.
PrivacySaving, accounts and billing
Open the VanCAD Privacy Policy in a new tab.
Q
Quick PositionSelecting, moving and resizing
One-click placements for what is selected: mirror it to the other side of the van, turn it around, centre it across the van, or align it with another object. Each one is a step you can undo. Greyed out with nothing selected.
R
Raw MaterialsRaw materials and cut lists
Build from sheets, lengths of timber and aluminium extrusion rather than finished components. Each piece is cut to the size you need, and its weight and cost follow that size. The count is how many materials the section places in one press: the standard sizes plus the ones this design already uses.
Rear axleBill of materials and weight
The added weight the rear axle is carrying, taking each object at the centre of its box. It can be more than the total when weight sits behind the axle, which lifts the front.
Rear doorsOpenings
Draw an opening in the rear doors.
Record how I use VanCADSaving, accounts and billing
When on, we record what you click and what is on screen so we can see where the app gets in the way. Typing is never recorded, and nothing is stored on your device.
Rectangle / CircleRaw materials and cut lists
Which shape a drag on bare board draws.
RedoThe toolbar
Redo an action you just undid. Keyboard: Ctrl+Shift+Z or Ctrl+Y (Cmd on a Mac).
Reference figureThe custom-object editor
Stand a person about 1.75 m tall beside your object, so you can judge how big it really is. A view aid only - it never becomes part of the object.
Reference ghostThe custom-object editor
A see-through guide shape that helps you position pieces - it isn't part of the finished object.
Reference only (ghost)Selecting, moving and resizing
Keep this object for where it is rather than as part of the build: it draws see-through and leaves the bill of materials, the cut list and the totals. You can still select it, snap to it and measure against it, and it never cuts into other objects. Useful for placing a catalogue item as a guide, then building the real one from raw materials around it.
RemoveMeasuring
Take this measurement off the list, and its line out of the 3D view.
RemoveRaw materials and cut lists
Take the cutout out of the piece. When a resize has left cutouts that no longer fit, the Remove beside that warning drops all of them at once.
Remove from groupThe custom-object editor
Lift this one piece out of its group, leaving the rest grouped.
Remove from groupGrouping and van states
Take this item out of its group, leaving the rest grouped.
RenameSelecting, moving and resizing
Give the option showing a name of its own, shown on a showroom listing when a visitor points at its swatch. Clear it to go back to the texture's or colour's own name.
Rename groupSelecting, moving and resizing
Rename the finish group you are editing - Cushions, Worktops. Two groups cannot share a name.
ReorderThe custom-object editor
Move the selected piece one place up or down the list - the order changes how the shapes combine.
Request New ItemObjects and the catalogue
Ask us to add something the catalogue does not have. It appears under any search, and opens the feedback form with your search already written into it - edit it and send. Every request is read.
ResetOpenings
Put this figure back to its default - the estimated weight, or a price of 0.
ResetWiring and plumbing
Revert this figure to the catalogue spec.
Reset rotationSelecting, moving and resizing
Return the item to square - clears all rotation.
Reset sizeSelecting, moving and resizing
Return the item to its original dimensions.
RetryObjects and the catalogue
Try loading your library again.
Right sideOpenings
Draw an opening in the right wall.
RoofOpenings
Draw an opening in the roof - e.g. an open hole for a roof fan to sit over.
RotationSelecting, moving and resizing
Turn the item around this axis by an exact angle. Type degrees, or step with − / +.
RotationThe custom-object editor
Turn the shape around this axis. Type an angle, or step with − / +.
RotationThe custom-object editor
Which way the selected shape faces - drag one of the curved coloured arcs in 3D to turn it, or use the steppers below.
RotationSelecting, moving and resizing
Which way the selected item faces. In the scene, drag one of the curved coloured arcs to turn it about that axis - each drag turns it by whole rotate steps; hold Shift for a free angle. Below, type an exact angle or step it with − / +.
RoundThe custom-object editor
Round the shape's edges by this radius. Rounding and chamfer can't both be on - setting one clears the other.
Route viewWiring and plumbing
Dim, show, or hide this system's runs in the 3D view. Display only - it doesn't change your design.
S
SaveThe custom-object editor
Open the save card to name your object, set its weight and cost, and spin its catalogue picture - then Save adds it to your catalogue (or saves your changes when editing one) and returns you to your van.
SaveSaving, accounts and billing
Save this design to the cloud under its current name.
SaveSaving, accounts and billing
Save your design to the cloud, ready on any device you log in on. (Subscriber feature.)
Save as newSaving, accounts and billing
Save a copy under a new name and carry on editing the copy. The original design keeps what you last saved to it.
Save copySaving, accounts and billing
Save the copy under the name above and switch to it.
Save to my libraryObjects and the catalogue
Save this custom object to your personal library so you can reuse it in any design. (VanCAD Pro.)
SearchObjects and the catalogue
Find a component as you type. It matches names first, then a set of backup words for each component - so "kitchen" finds the hob, the sink and the fridge, and anything found that way is listed separately under "You might be looking for...".
Select allThe custom-object editor
Select every piece and ghost at once - handy for texturing or moving them together.
Session pausedGetting started
Your free session has ended. The design is held for you and stays here to look at, but it can't be edited - subscribe to keep editing it, or start a new build.
Session timerGetting started
How much editing time is left in your free design session. It counts down only while you are designing, so it stops when you leave the editor, run a tutorial, or step away.
Set by the personObjects and the catalogue
A person is the size of their height and pose, so their width, height and depth are locked. Press Change to choose another height or pose.
SettingsThe toolbar
How the app looks and how it writes a number: the light or dark theme, metric or imperial, the currency your costs are shown in, and the scene around your van.
ShapeRaw materials and cut lists
Holes and notches cut out of a sheet. Add a rectangle or a circle and set its size and position here, or draw them on the piece with Draw shapes. The cut size stays the whole board, while the weight and cost count only what is left.
Shaping a sheetRaw materials and cut lists
Drag on bare board to draw a cutout, drag a cutout to move it, or drag its handles to resize it. Shapes snap to 10 mm - hold Alt for fine control. Green means the piece takes the cutout, red means it doesn't. Undo steps back through your drawing, Enter is Done and Esc is Cancel.
Shelf gapThe van
The clearance left above the cab glazing before the over-cab shelf.
Shell finishThe van
Set the colour and material of the van's inner ply lining, its floor and its outer bodywork.
Shell finishThe van
Choose the material and colour of the van's inner walls, its inner floor and its outer bodywork. The van updates behind the panel as you pick.
Shell massThe van
What lining the van out weighs - insulation, battens, boards and floor covering. It counts as added weight, because you added it. The starting figure is an estimate from your van's size; edit it to your own build, or set it to 0 if your van came lined.
Show / hideObjects and the catalogue
Hide this object in the 3D view without deleting it - it stays in your design and its weight still counts.
Show / hide shell partsThe van
Show or hide each part of the van's outer shell - roof, walls, floor and so on - to see or reach inside.
Show resultThe custom-object editor
Switch between editing the separate shapes and previewing them fused into the finished object. Toggle back to keep building.
Sign outSaving, accounts and billing
Sign out of your account on this device.
SizeSelecting, moving and resizing
This dimension of the item. Type a value, or step with − / +.
SizeThe custom-object editor
This dimension of the shape. Type a value, or step with − / +.
SizeThe custom-object editor
The selected shape's dimensions - drag the small square just past an arrow's tip in 3D to push that side in or out, or set them exactly below.
SizeSelecting, moving and resizing
The selected item's dimensions. In the scene, drag the small square just past an arrow's tip to push that side of the item in or out - the opposite side stays where it is. Below, type an exact size or step it with − / +.
SkyThe 3D view
Choose the sky and backdrop behind your van.
Sliding side doorThe van
Choose the side your van's sliding door is on. Demo vans are built around one side, so this is set while designing your own.
Snap to object surfacesSelecting, moving and resizing
While dragging, snap the item flush against other objects' surfaces.
Snap to van surfacesSelecting, moving and resizing
While dragging, snap the item flush against the van's walls, floor and surfaces.
SourceBill of materials and weight
Note where to buy the real component - a shop name or a link. If it's a web address, “Go To Product” opens it.
Standard sizeRaw materials and cut lists
A material at a size it is commonly sold in, such as 18 mm plywood or a 50 x 25 mm softwood batten. Press it to place a piece straight away. Searching the catalogue finds these from any category.
Steering sideThe van
Put the driving position on the left or right - moves the cab controls and seat to that side.
Step sizeThe custom-object editor
How far each − / + press nudges the value.
Step sizeSelecting, moving and resizing
How far each − / + press nudges the value.
Subscribe to VanCAD ProObjects and the catalogue
Saving and reusing custom objects across designs is part of VanCAD Pro.
SystemWiring and plumbing
Switch this run between electrical cabling and water piping.
SystemsWiring and plumbing
Everything that runs through the van: wiring and water. Show, dim or hide each system's runs, and start drawing a new one.
T
TermsSaving, accounts and billing
Open the VanCAD Terms of Service in a new tab.
TextureSelecting, moving and resizing
Wrap the item in this material - its look overrides the plain colour.
Texture categorySelecting, moving and resizing
Filter the textures by material - wood, metal, fabric and so on.
The piece, drawn flatRaw materials and cut lists
The piece as it is cut, with its overall size. Board edges come from the sheet, cut edges from your cutouts, and scribed edges are where the van trims it - measure those against the real van. The shaded area is waste. Drag to pan; scroll or pinch to zoom.
The toolbarThe toolbar
Your most-used design controls live along the top.
Thickness, cross-section or profileRaw materials and cut lists
The size the material is sold in, in millimetres. For a sheet or a batten, pick a common size or type your own; an extrusion is chosen from the profiles it is sold in. It stays fixed once the piece is placed.
Thumbnail angleThe custom-object editor
Turn the object to choose the angle its catalogue card shows - the picture above changes as you spin it.
Trim to van interior (scribe)Selecting, moving and resizing
Hide any part of the object that sticks out past the van's inner wall or into a wheel arch - the same job as scribing a panel to a curved surface and cutting it to fit, so a shelf or wall reads as fitting the corner exactly. On by default for anything you place, and it unticks itself if you move the object completely outside the van, so roof gear stays visible. On a group, a raw-material piece lying wholly outside the van is hidden and left off the bill. Its size, weight and cost are unchanged - except on a raw material, which weighs only the part that is left and costs the board that part is cut from. Clicks pass straight through the hidden part, so you can still select whatever it opens up a view of, like an item inside a trimmed cupboard.
Turn around (180°)Selecting, moving and resizing
Turn the selection half a turn, so it faces the opposite way. One object turns where it stands; several objects turn together as one piece about their middle, just as they would if you had grouped them, so the one on the left ends up on the right. Use it after Mirror in width to face a wall-mounted object back into the van. Pressed twice, it puts things back.
TypeWiring and plumbing
Choose AC or DC wire, or a hot or cold pipe.
U
UndoThe toolbar
Undo your last action. Keyboard: Ctrl+Z (Cmd+Z on a Mac).
Undo last pointWiring and plumbing
Remove the last point you placed while drawing this run.
UngroupThe custom-object editor
Split the selected group back into its individual pieces.
UngroupGrouping and van states
Break this group back into its individual items.
UngroupGrouping and van states
Break the selected group back into its individual objects.
UpdatesGetting started
What's new in VanCAD - recent changes and additions.
Upgrade to VanCAD ProSaving, accounts and billing
Subscribe to save and sync your designs across devices - the full launch feature set.
V
Van stateGrouping and van states
A saved layout of the whole van - every group posed at once. Click to switch to it; double-click to rename. “Base” is the default.
Van StatesGrouping and van states
Save and switch between arrangements of your movable furniture and fittings. The Van States button opens every state to switch between, with New, Configure and Delete.
ViewRaw materials and cut lists
Open a flat drawing of this piece, with its edges coloured by how each one is made. Sheets only - a batten is cut square at both ends.
VisualsThe 3D view
Presentation options - auto-rotate the camera and set the ground and sky around the van. In the van editor these sit in the Settings menu.
W
WaterWiring and plumbing
Show, dim or hide the design's water pipes. In the van editor this sits in the Systems menu, alongside the controls for drawing a new run.
WeightBill of materials and weight
The item's weight, added to your running total. Override it if you know the real figure.
WeightThe custom-object editor
This object's weight, added to your van's running total once you place it. Set the real figure if you know it.
WeightWiring and plumbing
Override this run's weight - a rate per metre or a fixed total. Reset returns it to the spec.
Weight mapBill of materials and weight
The van from above, front at the left. A grey marker on each axle shows the centre of that axle's added load, and the blue ring the centre of everything you have added. A marker off the centre line means that side of the van is carrying more; a dashed one is off the map. The van's own weight is not in it.
Wheel arch chamferThe van
The angled cut across the housing's top front and rear edges. Set it to 0 for a square-topped box.
Wheel arch depthThe van
How far each rear wheel housing reaches into the van from the bodywork.
Wheel arch heightThe van
How far the housing over each rear wheel stands above the van's own metal floor - not above your floor build-up, which covers it.
Wheel arch lengthThe van
How long each rear wheel housing is front to back, centred on the axle.
WheelbaseThe van
The gap between the front and rear axles. The front wheels stay under the cab; this moves the rear wheels along the box.
WheelbaseThe van
The gap between the front and rear axles - moves the rear wheels along the van.
Which part to finishThe van
Pick the part of the shell you are finishing - the inner walls, the inner floor or the outer bodywork. Only that part's options are shown.
WidthMeasuring
Click a surface for the clear side-to-side space out of it, named at each end in the list. It runs away from the face you clicked and never through the object itself, so clicking inside a cupboard measures the inside of the cupboard. Measured at the exact spot you clicked, so clicking the floor measures the floor.
WidthOpenings
The opening's width. Type an exact size, or use the steppers - it resizes about the centre.
WidthThe van
The van's overall exterior width.
WiringWiring and plumbing
Show, dim or hide the design's electrical cabling. In the van editor this sits in the Systems menu, alongside the controls for drawing a new run.
Y
Z
ZoomThe 3D view
Drag to move the camera nearer to or further from the middle of the view, or step with the minus and plus buttons. The scroll wheel still zooms past either end of the slider.
Zoom in / outRaw materials and cut lists
Magnify the drawing a step at a time. The labels stay the same size as the piece grows.