Help centre · Getting started

Saving and projects

How your work is saved in the browser or in the cloud, what happens offline or in a conflict, version history, project files and deleting.

Stori3D saves as you work. Where it saves depends on whether you're signed in: without an account your project lives in this browser, and with one it lives in the cloud and opens on any device. Ctrl (⌘ on a Mac) shortcuts are written as Ctrl below.

Work in the browser

You can model without an account. Your scene autosaves in this browser, and the app bar says Saved in this browser. You can turn this off under Settings → Editor → Autosave.

Work kept only in the browser has limits. Another browser or device can't see it, and clearing your browser's data removes it. To keep it safe, sign in and save it to the cloud, or download a project file (see below).

Save to the cloud

Click Sign in in the app bar and sign in with Google or an email address and password. Then:

File → New project makes a new project in the cloud from the start.
File → Save to cloud puts the scene you're working on into the cloud. The Projects panel has the same button.
Ctrl+S saves straight away.

Once a project is in the cloud, it saves about three seconds after each change, when you switch to another tab, and when you come back online. The app bar shows where things are: Saved to cloud, Unsaved changes…, Saving to cloud… or Couldn't save to cloud · will retry.

Open your projects from the Projects panel or File → Cloud projects…. Each project's menu has Open, Rename, Move to (between your own space and a team) and Delete.

Work offline

If your connection drops, carry on. The app bar shows Offline · will sync when back online, and your changes go up when you're connected again.

Resolve a conflict

The open project is watched. If someone saves it elsewhere (a teammate, or you on another device) and you have no unsaved changes, your copy reloads with their changes and a note says who made them.

If you do have unsaved changes, saving pauses and Stori3D asks which version to keep:

Keep this device's version replaces the cloud copy with yours.
Load cloud version discards the changes on this device.

Nothing is overwritten without asking. If you're not sure, save a named version first (below).

Use version history

Open File → Version history… on a cloud project.

Automatic versions are taken every half hour while you work, and the latest 30 are kept.
Named versions are kept until you delete them. Type a name under Name this version, such as "Sent to client", and click Save version. Name one before big changes or when you send drawings out.
Restore puts a version back. The current state is kept as a version first, so you can change your mind.
The delete button next to a version removes it.

Save a project file

A project file holds the whole project in one .stori3d.json file, for a backup or to send to someone.

File → Download project file… saves one to your computer. When you're not signed in, Ctrl+S does this too.
File → Open project file… (Ctrl+O) opens one.

Opening a file disconnects the scene from any cloud project you had open, so it can't overwrite it. Save it to the cloud afterwards if you want to keep it there. More in Project files.

Delete a project

In the Projects panel, open the project's menu and choose Delete. The project is removed from the cloud for good, along with its versions and comments, and its view-only link stops working. In a team, it's removed for everyone in the team. If it's the project you have open, the scene stays on this device.

Deleting can't be undone, so download a project file first if you might need it again.

To show a project to someone without an account, use File → Share view-only link…. See Sharing and review.

Still stuck? Contact us, or ask in the app: Help → Contact support.