Showcase Builder Guide

The Design Showcase Builder is a professional environment for creating interactive 3D assembly instructions. This guide covers the end-to-end workflow from model upload to cloud persistence.

Interface & Controls

Mastering the 3D viewport is essential for creating smooth animations.

Rotate: Left-click and drag anywhere in the workspace.
Pan: Right-click and drag or use Shift + Click.
Zoom: Use the scroll wheel to get closer to specific assembly details.

Part Manipulation

Selecting Parts: Single-click a part to highlight it. Use Cmd/Ctrl + Click to select multiple parts.
Transforming: Hold the Alt key while dragging a selected part to explode it along the screen plane.
Precise Rotation: Use the Properties Panel on the right to rotate parts numerically along X, Y, or Z axes.

Creating Animation Steps

Animations are non-linear storyboards. Each step represents a "keyframe" of your assembly.

The "Capture" Workflow

Add a Base Step: Click the + icon in the left sidebar to create a new step entry.
Setup the Scene: Position your camera and explode parts to show internal components.
Capture Pose: Click the Save Step (camera icon) in the right panel. This locks in part positions and automatically extracts a high-quality WebP thumbnail for the step.
Annotate: Add key design callouts. Our Smart Connector Logic will automatically route leader lines from your 3D anchor points to the callout card using professional rectilinear paths (choosing optimal vertical/horizontal transitions based on camera angle).

Note: Use the Reset to Step button if you've moved pieces too far and want to return to the last saved state.

Technical Details: Database Sync

Lowinertia uses a two-stage save process to ensure your data is safe and versioned.

1. Local Staging

As you create steps, they are stored in the editor's memory. If you refresh the page without saving, you may lose progress.

2. Cloud Persistence

When you are ready to save your entire animation:

Click the Save Animation button in the top bar.
Auto-Sync Highlight: The button will pulse in blue whenever there are unsaved changes (parts moved, steps reordered, or titles edited). Saving clears this highlight immediately.
The system serializes your steps, camera poses, and annotations into a compact JSON document.
Performance Optimization: For large models, listing pages now only fetch metadata (titles and thumbnails), making the portfolio explorer extremely fast by avoiding heavy geometry data during initial load.
A unique Animation ID is generated, which you can copy and link to any project in your portfolio.

3. Linking to Projects

Once saved, navigate to your Project Editor, find the "3D Animation ID" field, and paste the ID. Your project will now feature the interactive 3D viewer instead of a static image.