Getting started

This page helps you install Terrafold, find your way around the window and work with your first model.

Install Terrafold

Downloads are listed on the Download page. The first public releases are coming soon; until then the page tells you what is available.

Each desktop package contains two programs: terrafold, the application, and terrafold-cli, a command-line tool for converting files and rendering images (see File formats).

The browser version

The web app at /app/ is the same application. It draws with WebGPU when your browser has it and falls back to WebGL2 otherwise. Some differences:

• It starts with the sample model every time. Add ?blank to the address to start with an empty model, or ?webgl to force WebGL2 if your graphics driver misbehaves.
• It does not keep preferences between visits, and it has no autosave or crash recovery.
• Save and Export download the file through your browser. File ▸ Exit is not available: close the tab instead.
• Extensions cannot be installed, and Camera ▸ Match New Photo cannot pick a photo yet.

Start from the command line

You can pass a file to open: terrafold house.tfo. Files in other supported formats open as a new, untitled model. terrafold --sample starts with the sample house.

The Welcome window

When Terrafold starts, the Welcome to Terrafold window offers:

• New model and Open a model…
• Templates: start a new model from a template you saved with File ▸ Save As Template.
• Recent files

Clear Show the Welcome window at startup to skip it. You can open it again with Help ▸ Welcome to Terrafold.

The window

From top to bottom, the window has a menu bar, the ribbon, the viewport with the tray on the right, and the status bar.

The ribbon

The ribbon groups commands in tabs: Home, Draw, Modify, Construct, Solids, Terrain, Garden, View & Camera, Render and Extensions. Hover a button to see its name, its shortcut and, when it is greyed out, why.

• Split buttons (such as the arcs) run the last variant you used; the arrow lists all variants.
• Context tabs appear at the right end of the tab strip while they apply: Group when a group or component is selected, Face for selected faces, Terrain tools, Plant, Garden element, Annotation, Section, Match Photo, and an options tab for the active tool (for example Move options). The options tab shows the tool's modifier keys as toggles and the Measurements box.
• Collapse the ribbon: double-click a tab, click the chevron at the right of the strip, or press Ctrl+F1 (View ▸ Toolbars ▸ Collapse Ribbon). Click a tab to show the ribbon over the viewport; it closes after you use a command. The pin keeps it open.
• Quick Access bar: the small buttons left of the tabs (Save, Undo, Redo). Right-click any ribbon command and choose Add to Quick Access bar to pin it there; right-click a pinned one to remove it.
• KeyTips: press and release Alt on its own. Letters appear on the tabs and buttons; type them to run a command without the mouse. Escape steps back. KeyTips are off on macOS.

If you prefer classic toolbars, choose Classic toolbars under Preferences ▸ General ▸ Toolbar style. You then show or hide the Getting Started and Sandbox toolbars in View ▸ Toolbars.

Menus

The menu bar has File, Edit, View, Camera, Draw, Tools, Window, Extensions and Help. Every command in the ribbon is also in a menu. Right-click in the viewport for a context menu that offers what fits the current selection.

The tray

The tray on the right holds the panels. Window ▸ Default Tray lists them: Entity Info, Tags, Materials, Components, Plants, Outliner, Scenes, Styles, Shadows, Fog, Environment, Match Photo, Soften Edges and Instructor. Window ▸ Show Tray hides or shows the whole tray.

• Entity Info shows and edits the properties of the selection.
• Instructor explains the active tool.
• Window ▸ New Tray… makes your own tray with the panels you choose, in your order. Window ▸ Manage Trays… switches, edits and deletes trays.

The status bar and the Measurements box

The left side of the status bar tells you what the active tool expects next. The right side is the Measurements box, which shows lengths and angles while you work and takes exact values. View ▸ Status Bar hides or shows it.

Light and dark themes

View ▸ Theme switches between Light, Dark and System.

Type exact values

While a tool runs, just type a value and press Enter. You don't need to click the Measurements box first. Backspace edits the value and Escape clears it.

You can usually type a value right after finishing an operation to change it. For example, draw a rectangle, then type 4m,3m to resize it.

The model's units are set in Window ▸ Model Info. New models take their units from Preferences ▸ Template.

Navigate

On a trackpad, pinch to zoom, drag with two fingers to orbit, and hold Shift while dragging with two fingers to pan.

More camera commands:

• Camera ▸ Standard Views: Top, Bottom, Front, Back, Left, Right and Iso.
• Camera ▸ Previous and Camera ▸ Next step through earlier views.
• Camera ▸ Zoom Window zooms to a rectangle you drag.
• Camera ▸ Perspective, Parallel Projection and Two-Point Perspective set the projection. Camera ▸ Field of View changes the lens.
• Camera ▸ Position Camera, Walk and Look Around let you move through the model at eye height.

Select

Press Space for the Select tool (Tools ▸ Select).

• Click an entity to select it. Shift+click adds or removes, Ctrl+click adds.
• Drag from left to right to select what lies fully inside the rectangle. Drag from right to left to select anything the rectangle touches.
• Double-click a face to select it with its edges. Triple-click to select everything connected.
• Double-click a group or component to edit its contents.
• Tools ▸ Lasso selects with a freehand loop.
• Edit ▸ Select All (Ctrl+A), Select None (Ctrl+T) and Invert Selection (Ctrl+Shift+I) work on the whole model.

Right-click a selection for more ways to select, such as Connected Faces, All Connected, All on Same Tag and All with Same Material.

Undo

Edit ▸ Undo (Ctrl+Z) and Edit ▸ Redo (Ctrl+Y) step through your changes. Everything you do in Terrafold, including changes made by extensions and scripts, can be undone.

Save your work

Terrafold saves models as .tfo files.

• File ▸ Save (Ctrl+S) and File ▸ Save As… (Ctrl+Shift+S) save the model. File ▸ Save a Copy As… writes a copy and keeps the current file open.
• File ▸ Revert reopens the last saved version.
• File ▸ Recent Files lists the models you opened recently.
• When you save over a file, the previous version is kept next to it as <name>.backup.tfo. You can turn this off in Preferences.

Models from earlier versions of Terrafold with the .3dc extension still open. Save them as .tfo to keep working on them.

Autosave and recovery

While a model has unsaved changes, Terrafold saves a recovery copy every two minutes (you can change the interval in Preferences). If Terrafold does not close normally, it asks Recover unsaved work? the next time it starts. Choose Recover to open the saved copies, Discard to delete them, or Later to decide next time.

Get help

• Window ▸ Default Tray ▸ Instructor explains the active tool.
• Help ▸ Knowledge Center opens this documentation in your web browser.
• Help ▸ Check for Update opens the Download page.
• Help ▸ About Terrafold shows the version.