Airclip Viewer 3D: measure, subtract, export.

In Airclip Viewer 3D you measure distances, areas and roof pitches right on the 3D model, subtract windows and dormers, export your drawing to DXF and share the model with clients and colleagues. The steps follow our tutorial; under each image you will find where that moment is in the video. The screenshots show the German interface.

1. Open and navigate

Open your project in Airclip Cloud. Near the bottom of the project page you will find the model thumbnail: click it and the model loads. The icon at the bottom right switches to full screen, which is the better workspace for measuring.

Try it on a window: double-click it, zoom in, rotate around it and adjust the framing with the right mouse button. Before you draw, pick a view in which the points you want to set are clearly visible.

2. Measure a distance

1. Choose the ruler in the toolbar at the bottom. The arrow to its left takes you back to selecting and navigating.
2. Click the first point on the model, then the second.
3. Hover over the line to see its values. Select it to keep them visible.

A side view shows best which part is horizontal and which vertical. If the label covers the detail you need, draw the line the other way round: the order of the points decides which side the number appears on.

To remove a line you no longer need, select it and use the bin or press Delete. Ctrl+Z undoes the last step.

3. Measure and refine an area

1. Choose the area tool to the right of the ruler and place the corner points around the roof surface.
2. Return to Select. Double-click next to a corner and zoom in.
3. Drag the point exactly onto the edge or corner. Repeat for every corner.
4. Rotate the model and check the points from another side. A point can look right on screen and still sit on the wrong surface.

The selected area shows its size and its inclination to the horizontal, which on a roof is the roof pitch. The viewer fits a plane through all points for this. If they do not all lie on the same surface, you get an average plane, so for a meaningful roof angle keep all points on the same roof surface.

You can change the shape at any time without starting again:

• Move a point: select the area and drag the point.
• Add a point: pull a new point out of an edge (video at 5:53).
• Remove one point: drag it onto a neighbouring point (from 6:29).
• Undo: the curved arrow or Ctrl+Z.
• Delete the whole area: select it and use the bin.

4. Organise and draw on planes

Open the side panel at the top right (shown in the image under section 5). It lists all lines and areas. Click an entry to see where it is in the model; double-click its name to rename it, for example to “Roof south” or “Walkway”.

For usable areas you work with a plane:

1. Choose + Neue Ebene definieren (define a new plane).
2. Place three points on the roof surface, as the viewer prompts you.
3. Check the new plane and select its entry, such as Ebene 1.
4. Now draw: every new point lands on that plane, whatever detail of the model lies behind the click.

Click Modell to draw on the model itself again, or click the plane to continue there.

5. Subtract windows and dormers

1. Create and select the roof plane as in section 4.
2. Draw the outer edge of the roof as an area.
3. On the same plane, trace a window or dormer.
4. The side panel shows it as a Negativ-Fläche (negative area) with a crossed box, and the main area shrinks by its size.
5. Return to Select and adjust the points. If you enlarge the deduction, the total goes down with it.

Identical windows do not need drawing one by one: select the finished deduction, press Ctrl+C, move to the next spot and left-click to place it. Then align each copy with its window.

6. Export to DXF

The button sits at the bottom of the side panel, at the bottom right of the image under section 5.

1. Review lines, areas and deductions once more, adjust points and name the important entries.
2. Open the side panel.
3. Click DXF-Datei exportieren (export DXF file) at the bottom.
4. Open the file in a program that reads 3D DXF.

What is exported are your drawn lines and areas, in their position in space. The textured model itself is not part of it; for that there are the formats for your planning software (see Export & software). After importing, a quick comparison pays off: does a known distance match, and is the drawing the right way round?

7. Share and save

Click teilen (share) at the top, choose the right row and click Link kopieren (copy link) next to it. What the recipient can do:

Your own project link saves automatically. At the top you see it saving, then gespeichert (saved): drawings, changes, names and deletions. If nothing appears there, you have opened a link without saving.

To show your logo above the model for your clients, read Company logo in the viewer.

8. All controls at a glance