Generate early design options with Free Drawing
The Free Drawing function in Carbon Designer 3D automatically creates a building model based on your freehand floor plan. It helps you move from concept to feasibility in minutes and supports rapid early-stage carbon assessment.
This functionality is available exclusively for Power Pack users.
How it works
Free Drawing follows the same five steps as the standard Carbon Designer 3D process.
Step 1: Create a design
You can create a new design from scratch or compare up to four existing designs.
To start fresh, click Create a design and provide:
Design name — give your design a clear, descriptive title.
Reference building — select the most appropriate reference building.
Building type — choose the relevant building type.
Calculation period — define the timeframe for the analysis.
Click Next to continue.
Step 2: Select the scope
Define the scope of your analysis:
Scope — choose the building parts or elements to include.
Building structure — select the main structural system for your design.
You can optionally include piling length (visual only), secant piling walls, or soil stabilization for more comprehensive analysis.
Step 3: Select the shape
At this step, choose how you want to define your building’s shape.
Select Free Drawing as your method.
Define your building floors
At this step, choose how you want to define your building’s shape.
Select Free Drawing as your method.
Generate your geometry
Draw the 2D geometry of the ground floor.
Use guiding lines for drawing assistance.
Ensure the start and end points connect to close the shape.
Floor shapes can be adjusted later.
Generate the 3D model
Click Generate 3D model to create your building based on your drawn floor plan.
Click once on the model to edit a single floor.
Double-click the model to adjust all floors simultaneously.
Select one floor to change the dimensions of a single floor.
Double click to to change the dimensions of all floors.
Step 4: Generate the geometry
Once the geometry is generated:
Click Calculate areas to define building dimensions.
Review and, if needed, adjust the building structure.
Apply Carbon Designer 3D templates (if available).
Click Submit to calculate your design.
Calculate Areas
Step 5: Continue to detailed analysis
After generating the model, you can:
Perform an early-phase life-cycle assessment (LCA).
Calculate material quantities and embodied carbon.
Create design variations by adjusting assemblies or materials.
Why use it
Early-stage design decisions have the greatest influence on embodied carbon outcomes.
Using Free Drawing in Carbon Designer 3D allows you to:
Accelerate early-phase design with instantly generated, rule-compliant forms.
Explore multiple options quickly to identify feasible, low-carbon concepts.
Reduce manual modeling time in the pre-design phase.
Start sustainability assessments immediately by linking design geometry to LCA results.
Availability
The Free Drawing function is available exclusively for Power Pack users.
To access it, open Carbon Designer 3D, navigate to Step 3: Select the shape, and select Free Drawing.
Frequently asked questions
What is Free Drawing in Carbon Designer 3D?
Free Drawing automatically generates a 3D building model from a 2D floor plan you draw manually. It allows you to move quickly from a concept sketch to a feasible model that can be analyzed for embodied carbon performance.
How does Free Drawing improve early design workflows?
It simplifies the concept design process by automating geometry creation. You can test multiple building forms, calculate early embodied carbon, and iterate rapidly without relying on external modeling tools.
Can I modify Free Drawn forms?
Yes. After generating the 3D model:
Click once to edit a single floor.
Double-click to adjust all floors at once.
This flexibility helps refine the model before calculation.
Does the Free Drawn model adapt to local regulations?
Not directly. The generated model follows the reference building region defined in your Carbon Designer 3D project. This ensures results reflect local datasets, typologies, and carbon factors available in One Click LCA’s global database.
How does this support sustainability certifications?
Using Free Drawing during concept design helps identify carbon-efficient options early. These results support alignment with LEED, BREEAM, DGNB, and Level(s) certification frameworks by integrating early life-cycle assessment insights into design decisions.