VanLogic – Detailed Help

Everything about choosing your vehicle, build methods, collision checks, weight and more – explained step by step.

For everyone who needs more than the short in-app help. Everything is explained step by step – without jargon, with examples.

1. What is VanLogic about?

VanLogic helps you plan your camper van build – and most importantly: keep weight under control.

That's the key difference from other planning tools: in VanLogic, you don't manually enter a weight for your furniture piece. Instead, you simply tell the app:

The app then automatically calculates the weight. This matters because the weight immediately affects three things that are critical in a van:

Other PC programs (there is currently no other app) only help with space planning – where does what fit. VanLogic can do that too, but additionally it calculates live in the background whether your van will still be roadworthy and safe.

Remember this one sentence: Shape + dimensions + material + build type → weight is automatically calculated → immediately feeds into axle load, center of gravity and payload.

2. Step 1: Set up your vehicle

Before you plan anything, you need your vehicle. You can:

You can change these values at any time later (e.g. when you know your actual kerb weight from a weighbridge – you should definitely enter this once you know it, because otherwise the app works with an estimated value).

The app needs the Overall Length for the legal payload check. If you leave the field empty when entering a vehicle manually, the app estimates it from the load area length.

3. Layout Templates – Starting with a Ready-Made Plan

VanLogic comes with ready-made layout templates: complete floor plan designs you can load with a single tap and immediately customise. Instead of starting from scratch, you get flooring, insulation, wall cladding and a well-arranged furniture layout in your vehicle right away – and all weights are calculated automatically as usual.

Good to know: Each template is planned for the shortest van in its size category. Flooring, insulation and wall cladding adapt automatically to your vehicle. Kitchen, seating, WC and cabinets keep their size – in a longer van you have more space in between. Kitchen worktops sit at 90 cm, in vans without standing height (roof under 1.6 m) at 75 cm. Upper cabinets hang just below the roof (bottom edge at most 1.65 m), at least 55 cm above the worktop – if there is no room for that, they are left out. Anything that would reach above your roof moves down or is shortened. Beds keep their real length and sit over the wheel arch; a cross bed runs from wall to wall (mattress at most 2 m). In long vans there is space behind the bed up to the rear door. Under a roof lower than 1.6 m the bed is lowered until there are 76 cm of sitting height above the mattress – as far as the space below allows.

Where do I find the templates?

In the planning view: tap the Menu (three dots, top right) → "Load template". A selection dialog opens showing all templates compatible with your vehicle.

Tip: If you are starting the app fresh and have just configured your vehicle, the template offer is shown directly on the vehicle selection screen – so you can get started straight away without switching to the planning menu first.

What does a template contain?

Every template includes at least:

The size and weight of the flooring, insulation and cladding are cut precisely to your vehicle on loading – you immediately see realistic weight values.

Visibility note: Wall cladding is hidden by default after loading – flooring and insulation, on the other hand, are visible. The cladding is present in the plan and counted in the weight – but not shown, so the planning view stays clear and you can see the furniture layout directly. You can show or hide it at any time via the object list (layer icon, top right).

Template overview

All 8 templates are Pro templates – recognisable by the lock icon on the template card. There are no free templates anymore. You can try all of them without restriction and without a time limit, for free, in the Test Environment (see Chapter 4).

Small van (up to approx. 2,800 mm load area):

Medium van (from approx. 2,800 mm):

Large van (from approx. 3,400 mm):

XL van (from approx. 4,000 mm):

Which templates are shown to me?

Not all templates fit every van. The app only shows templates that are suitable for your vehicle. Templates designed for a larger van are automatically hidden – they would cause collisions in your van without adjustments.

Which size category your van falls into depends on the load area length you configured in Step 1:

If fewer templates are shown than expected, this is due to the automatic filtering – the app shows a note with the number of available templates.

Loading a template – what exactly happens

Once you confirm a template:

  1. Flooring, insulation and cladding are adjusted to your exact load area dimensions.
  2. Furniture keeps its size and is placed so that it fits in your vehicle. If the template card shows "Width may be too narrow – adjustments possible", your van is narrower than planned – it may get tight, and you correct that by hand afterwards.

After loading you can change, move, delete or add anything. The template is just a starting point, not a fixed plan.

Important: Save your existing plan first

⚠️ If you have already been working on a project, the template replaces your current plan. "Undo" brings it back together with the vehicle data – as long as the app stays open. It is only safe for good with a backup.

The app shows a warning before the template is loaded. You then have the option to first export your plan as a .vanlogic file – this saves it. You can read it back in (import) with Pro (see Chapter 13 for more).

If you haven't planned anything yet (empty plan), no warning appears – the template is loaded immediately.

Pro objects in templates: moving yes, editing with Pro

All templates contain assemblies and/or objects with Pro materials. Without an active Pro you can freely move all objects – just like your own. The object editor (double-tap) is locked for Pro elements though: dimensions, material and build type can only be changed once Pro is active. In the selection dialog you can identify these objects by the small 🔒 symbol next to the action buttons.

4. Try Everything Free – The Test Environment

VanLogic has a test environment: a special mode where you can try all Pro features without a time limit – free, without any form of payment.

In the test environment you can do everything Pro users can: create assemblies, use the 3D preview, use all construction types and materials, check axle loads and tipping risk, load layout templates – everything.

The only difference: Your plan in the test environment is not permanently saved. As soon as you close the app, it's gone. That's the deliberate restriction: try for free, keep with Pro.

How do I access the test environment?

Three ways:

  1. Menu (three dots, top right) → "Test Environment" – you can choose to start with an empty plan or a copy of your real plan.
  2. Pro info card: When a feature normally requires Pro, an info sheet appears. There you'll find the "Try Test Environment" button.
  3. After vehicle selection: A hint about the test environment is shown on the vehicle selection page.

What can I do in the test environment?

Everything Pro users can do – specifically:

Collision checking – hollow spaces are recognised too

VanLogic doesn't just check whether two objects roughly overlap – the collision check recognises real hollow spaces. If, for example, a battery or a tank sits under a bed that stands on support posts, the app checks precisely whether the equipment actually sits in the free space underneath, or whether it genuinely collides with a solid part (even thin 80×80 mm posts count as a real obstacle if they're in the way).

What this means for you: you can place equipment, storage and tanks the way it's actually done in real van builds – under beds, inside benches, in raised platforms – without constantly getting unnecessary collision warnings. This level of detail in collision checking is a distinguishing feature of VanLogic compared to other van-planning apps, which usually only check rough overlaps (or don't take weight and collisions into account at all).

What remains restricted: Importing a .vanlogic file, PDF export, and the materials report – these actions require Pro because they enable permanently keeping the plan. Exporting as a .vanlogic file and sharing (blueprint, stats card) are always free.

What does "temporary storage" mean?

As long as the app is running, your test plan is fully intact – you can add objects, move them, load templates and adjust everything. The plan also survives if you briefly send the app to the background.

But: As soon as you fully close the app (swipe it away in multitasking), the plan is gone. It is deliberately not saved in the app.

A yellow banner at the bottom edge reminds you throughout the entire session: "Test environment – your plan will not be saved."

Back to my real plan

In the banner on the right you'll find the link "Back to my plan". A tap on it immediately brings you back to your real project – the test plan remains untouched in memory until you close the app.

If you leave the test environment with a plan that represents some effort, the app briefly asks: "Discard plan?" – so you don't accidentally lose hours of work.

Permanently adopt the plan

If you've built a plan in the test environment that you like and want to keep: get Pro. After the purchase, the app asks directly: "Adopt your test plan as a starting point?" – with a tap on "Yes, adopt" your test plan becomes your real plan and is permanently saved.

In the browser: web app and Studio

In the browser you always plan in Test Mode until you unlock it – but there it is saved and timed: all features are free, you get 30 minutes per plan, and the clock only runs while you work. When the time is up, the plan stays locked – start a new plan and keep testing as often as you like. The PDF report, material list and import come after unlocking; export always works.

You unlock the browser with your Pro purchase from the app: Menu › Unlock web app shows a code. In the browser you enter it under Unlock browser (in the Studio: File › Unlock browser). Your current plan from the app can come along. One purchase unlocks up to 3 browsers (more in chapter 21).

If you already had a plan in the web app before the change, it stays editable for another 30 days; after that it is locked like any test plan. You can always download it.

5. Step 2: Enter the fixed vehicle structure

Before planning furniture, it's worth first entering the fixed, unchangeable parts of your vehicle. These are things that are simply there and can't be planned around:

The app places the wheel arches over the rear axle (wheelbase minus "Front overhang"); their size follows your vehicle's tyres.

You add these elements via "+ Object" → "Vehicle structure". They have no weight of their own (they belong to the vehicle, which is already accounted for), but they block space: furniture you place there later will be highlighted (red border) if it collides with the structure (Pro feature – indicated by the lock icon).

Why enter structure first? If you know where the wheel arches and sliding door are, you automatically plan your furniture to avoid blocking them – saving corrections later.

6. Step 3: Add furniture and objects

Now comes the actual planning. Via "+ Object" you have three options:

a) Custom build

For everything you build yourself or have built: cabinets, beds, benches, shelves, worktops. Here you define:

Freeform: A new custom build is already a "Freeform" – otherwise tap it under the shape. Then tap "Edit outline". In the "Draw freeform" screen you pick a starting shape, drag points into place or move a tapped edge by its double arrow. You type lengths into the "Edge 1 …" list; the angles stay. "Add point" puts a point in the middle of the selected edge, "Delete point" removes the selected point. 3 to 16 points and edges of at least 20 mm are allowed. "Done" applies the outline. If a front or a wall cutout would be lost, the app first shows what will be removed. Width and length in the editor stretch the whole outline. The two arrows at the top of the bar undo or redo a step while the screen is open.

Wall lean (Pro): The list also has a "Lean" field in degrees for each edge. A + angle (e.g. +12°) tilts the wall inward at the top, as for a cabinet against the sloping van wall. A − angle (e.g. −10°) tilts it outward at the top, i.e. sets it back at the bottom, as for a seat box with room for your heels. Below it you see how far the top edge moves ("top 85 mm inward"). −45° to +45° in 0.5° steps are allowed.

Below the drawing the Oblique view shows the whole body, leaning walls in orange with edge number and angle. If you select a leaning edge, the oblique view shows at that edge, with a dimension, how far the top edge moves.

Width and length then show the outer dimensions across bottom and lid. If you change the height, the angle stays. If the lean no longer fits afterwards, the slider stops and the reason flashes briefly. Fronts and wall cutouts are only possible on vertical edges – leaning ones are greyed out there. With Single Panel the lean has no effect. Weight, plan, 3D and collision use the leaning walls.

Round corners (Pro): Tap a point in the drawing. Below it, e.g. "Corner 3" appears with the "Radius" field in mm, 0 = sharp. The largest allowed radius is shown under the field ("max. …"). The point and the edge lengths stay at the imagined sharp corner. With lean, a radius only works between edges with the same lean. Fronts and wall cutouts only sit on the straight part; an edge that is all arc is greyed out there. Weight, plan, 3D and collision use the round shape.

Shape from behind or from the side (Pro): At the top of the screen, under "View", pick "Rear View" or "Side View". Then you draw the shape as you see the furniture from behind or from the left – e.g. a bench with backrest as an L, or a platform with a step. The floor is at the bottom; above the drawing it says where you are looking from (after rotating e.g. "Seen from the left"). The shape runs through the whole "Depth", which you enter in the field below; the oblique view shows it with its depth.

In the editor, width, length and height remain the dimensions of the furniture. From behind, width and height stretch the shape and the length is the depth. From the side, length and height stretch the shape and the width is the depth. Under "Edit outline" the view is shown too.

Open Box, Frame (closed) and Slanted Box exist only in the top view – you draw a roof slope directly into the shape. If you tap a greyed-out build type, the reason flashes up briefly. There is no "Lean" field here, but round corners work. With Single Panel the panel stands upright, e.g. as a partition wall in the shape of the van; the depth results from quantity × thickness. Fronts and wall cutouts only exist on vertical edges. Weight, plan, 3D and collision use the real shape.

b) Component

For ready-made parts with a fixed weight: fridge, heater, battery, water tank, solar panel. "+ Object" → "Select Component" opens the catalogue: components in 14 categories, with weight and size from the data sheet. Tap a category to open or close it, or search for a name at the top. Entries with a lock are Pro.

Then you see the component as a card with top view, weight and size. The rotate button turns it in 90° steps. "Adjust" opens the details: size and shape for the picture only ("Catalogue size" resets them), "Own weight" (Pro) if your device weighs differently, and the "Colour".

"Do not place in plan": for things without a fixed place – cables, screws, glue, insulation. They are not drawn but count towards payload and axle load. The weight comes from "Consumption × quantity" (e.g. cable by cross-section and metres, insulation by thickness and m²) or from the "Total weight". Cables, small parts and insulation already start this way.

Tanks and boilers also have the "Fill level" slider (0–100 %). An empty 100-litre fresh water tank weighs only a few kilos, a full one over 100 kg – so you can play through the start of the trip (full) and the drive home (empty), including axle load and centre of gravity. Moving the slider is Pro (lock icon).

Additional settings (apply to both custom build and component):

"Rests on" – calculate mounting height automatically: Every object has a mounting height – how high its bottom edge is above the vehicle floor (Z position). You can enter it directly, or use "Rests on" to select another object as support: the app then automatically sets the height to the top edge of the selected object. If the support is changed later, you need to update manually (no automatic update).

Example: Cool box rests on storage box (height 400 mm) → select "rests on: storage box" → mounting height automatically set to 400 mm.

The list shows the supports in groups: On the roof, In the load area and Rear. If you put something on a roof object – e.g. a roof box on the roof rack – it stays outside on the roof. The field then shows how high the support sits above the roof and how far everything sticks out in total ("Roof + 13 cm · total 53 cm"). 3D, rear view, centre of gravity and tipping risk use this height.

The list also offers two areas outside the load area: "Underfloor (below the floor)" hangs the object below the load floor – its top sits at the floor, its height is limited to the load floor height minus 150 mm ground clearance. "Rear outside (behind the rear door)" places it behind the vehicle, for example a rear carrier; the "Distance behind the rear door" slider moves it up to 1.5 m back. Both count fully towards axle load and are free.

Rotation: Every object can be rotated in 4 steps: 0°, 90°, 180°, 270°. This is a horizontal rotation around the vertical axis, clockwise. The top-left corner (X/Y) stays where it is and width and length swap – so the object swings around that corner. 2D plan, 3D view, centre of gravity and PDF all show it in the same place. There is no tilt rotation (no "laying on its side"). All objects always stand with their height vertical. What this means for doors and vertical panels is explained in detail in Chapter 17. For components the 3D view also turns the front: at 0° it faces the aisle, at the rear it faces backwards.

Note on components: The shape and size of a component are for the picture only. The weight is the catalogue value – or your own weight (Pro). The app does not calculate anything from the dimensions of a component.

c) Assembly template (Pro)

Instead of building a group from scratch, you can choose directly from a ready-made assembly from the library. You'll find this option in the menu under "Choose assembly template". More on this in Chapter 10.

7. Build types in detail – and how weight is calculated

This is the core of the app, so it's explained in detail here. For "Custom build" you choose a build type. For each build type, imagine how much material is actually used – because that's exactly how the weight is determined: used material volume × material density = weight. With the L-shape and freeform, every build type uses the real footprint area and the real perimeter, not width × length. With a shape drawn from behind or from the side, it uses the drawn shape over the whole depth – for a box with a wall on every edge and the two end walls at the ends.

🔒 Pro note: Solid Block, Closed Box and Single Panel are available in the free version too. Open Box, Frame (open), Frame (closed), Frame + Panelling and Slanted Box are Pro functions (indicated by the lock icon in the selection dialog).

In the 2D plan the construction is indicated – lines and marks on the outline; in Focus it is shown in detail with wall thickness, cavity and framing. What the marks mean is explained by the planner help ("Help") under "Display"; in the settings, under "Plan display", you can switch to "Simple" (block only). On small units the dotted line and the arrow are left out when there is no room for them in the plan.

Solid Block

The piece of furniture is completely filled with material from top to bottom – no hollow space. Imagine a solid block of wood. Weight = the complete volume (width × length × height) × material density. This naturally gives the highest weight of all build types – only use this when the part is genuinely completely solid (e.g. a solid wood step or a small storage block).

Tip: Solid Block is also suitable for vertical panels like doors or partition walls – more about this in Chapter 17.

Closed Box

A box with all six sides (bottom, lid, four walls) – like a closed crate or equipment housing that's enclosed all around. Weight = only the material of the walls (area of all 6 sides × your set wall thickness) × density. Considerably lighter than solid block, because inside is air.

Open Box (Pro)

Like the closed box, but without a lid – e.g. an open compartment, a crate without a lid or a base cabinet with the worktop on top. If a cabinet is open at the front, take a Closed Box and leave out the front wall ("Leaving out panels" below). Weight = material of bottom + four walls (one surface less than the closed box) × wall thickness × density.

With freeform only in the top view.

Frame (open) (Pro)

What it is: Just four corner posts, connected top and bottom by a crossbar. In between – along the middle of each side – there's nothing at all, just air. The 3D preview shows exactly this: a see-through frame you can look straight through from the side. Picture it as: scaffolding, or the bare leg frame of a stool before the seat is attached. Weight = density × the volume of the four corner posts plus the upper and lower crossbars (not perimeter × wall thickness like the other build types – an open frame has no continuous wall). The strut thickness is automatically suggested from the object's dimensions (exactly as in the 3D model), but can be adjusted manually with its own "Strut Thickness" slider – real stud frames are often slimmer than the automatic suggestion (e.g. 30×30mm instead of the 55mm often suggested for larger pieces). There's still no general wall-thickness slider here (an open frame has no continuous wall). This is the lightest build type. What you build with it: a slim shelf frame without a back panel (add the actual shelves via "shelf count"), an open bracket/mount for a bike or a crate, a support frame under a worktop that you can see through from the side.

Only available for the rectangle.

Frame (closed) (Pro)

What it is: A solid perimeter frame made of four continuous walls, but without a floor and without a lid – storage space inside, open at the top and bottom. Picture it as: a crate base or a raised-bed planter box without a bottom – closed all the way around, but open top and bottom. Unlike the open frame, you can NOT see through the sides. Weight = perimeter × height × your set wall thickness × density – exactly like closed/open box, just without a floor and without a lid. Unlike the open frame, this one has a normal wall-thickness slider you can set manually. What you build with it: the side panels of a bed frame (the frame that carries the slats), a crate base as a bed sub-structure with storage underneath, a perimeter plinth/base frame under a cabinet or kitchen unit.

With freeform only in the top view.

Easy to mix up: Both are called "Frame" but mean very different constructions. Open = thin struts only at the corners, air in between, very light, no wall-thickness slider – like scaffolding. Closed = solid continuous walls all around, noticeably heavier, with a wall-thickness slider – like a crate base. A bed frame with solid side panels is almost always closed, not an open frame.

Frame + Panelling (Pro)

What it is: A slim stud frame – the same thin struts as the open frame – gets panelled all around with a thin outer skin: floor, lid and all four sides are present, just thin instead of solid. Picture it as: a stud-and-panel wall like drywall construction – or how most van conversion builders actually build furniture: a light wooden frame, panelled on the outside with 4–6mm plywood. Weight = density × (volume of the stud frame, strut thickness automatically suggested like the open frame, but likewise adjustable with the "Strut Thickness" slider, plus area of all outer sides × your set skin thickness). You set the skin thickness with its own slider (typically 3–8mm thin plywood) – independent of the strut thickness of the frame. You can also choose a separate material for the skin (e.g. lightweight plywood for the skin while the frame itself is made of sturdier battens) – without an explicit choice, your main material is simply used. What you build with it: the real standard build method for most self-built furniture in a van – cabinets, benches, kitchen units with a wooden stud frame and thin panelling, when "Closed Box" (full wall thickness everywhere) is too heavy for you and "Frame (open)" (no outer skin, not enclosed) doesn't fit.

Single Panel

A lying surface – a flat board or tabletop spread flat. With Pro also several panels of the same size stacked (quantity). Weight = base area (width × length) × wall thickness (= thickness of one panel) × quantity × density. Typical for tabletops, shelf boards, floor panels or a lying solar panel on the roof.

Note: "Single Panel" calculates the area seen from above (width × length). For a vertically standing panel (e.g. a door) this is wrong – please use Solid Block instead (see Chapter 17), or a freeform drawn from behind or from the side: then the panel stands upright, and the depth results from quantity × thickness (Chapter 6).

You set the wall thickness per panel (3–40 mm) and the quantity. The height results from them – quantity × wall thickness – and is only displayed: what is drawn is what is weighed. From two pieces on, lines divide the block, dashed in the rear view in Focus and in 3D with X-ray.

There used to be a separate build type "Custom" for this. Such objects now open as a Single Panel with the same quantity – the weight stays the same. A panel from older plans that is higher than 40 mm is converted by the editor into a Solid Block with the same dimensions when opened.

Slanted Box (Pro)

Like the closed box, but with a sloped top – useful for cabinets under a sloping roof so they don't hit the ceiling at the top. You additionally specify how deep the slope runs from the top ("roof depth"). Weight = material of all (now sloped) sides, including the sloped back wall, × density.

With freeform only in the top view.

Additional shelves

Regardless of which build type (except solid block and single panel): you can specify additional shelves. These are insert shelves – extra horizontal boards inside the furniture piece, e.g. in a cabinet.

For each shelf the app adds one extra board exactly as large as the base plan of the furniture piece (width × length). As soon as at least one shelf is set, a separate "Material thickness (shelves)" slider appears – the shelf thickness can then be set independently of the main object's wall/strut thickness (e.g. thinner 12mm shelves in a cabinet built from 18mm plywood). By default the main object's material is simply used, but you can optionally choose a separate material for the shelves too (e.g. lighter plywood for shelves in a solid-wood cabinet). So for example if you build a cabinet from 18mm plywood, enter 2 shelves, and set their material thickness to 12mm, the app adds 2 × (width × length × 12 mm) plywood (or your chosen shelf material) to the total weight. This is a good approximation, even if the actual shelves are sometimes slightly differently dimensioned. With a shape drawn from behind or from the side, the shelves lie horizontally, as wide as the shape at their height and as deep as the furniture.

Additional drawers and doors/flaps

Two more additive elements, available for Closed Box, Open Box, Frame + Panelling, and Slanted Box – hidden for the other build types (Solid Block, Frame open and closed, Single Panel), since those either have no cavity or no meaningful front face.

You plan drawers, doors/flaps and the large side-hinged door in the object editor under "Fronts", for the rectangle, the L-shape and freeform. In the sketch you pick the edges that carry a front and set drawers and doors/flaps per edge – e.g. on both long edges of an L-shaped kitchen. The cylinder has no fronts. With a shape drawn from behind or from the side, fronts only sit on vertical edges: as wide as the depth, as high as the edge. The two end walls have no front.

Drawers: For each drawer the app adds its own small box (front, floor, two sides, back wall, at your set wall thickness) – like a real, inserted drawer. The more drawers you enter, the finer the interior height is divided; the weight of the fronts/sides stays roughly the same, only the floors (each drawer needs its own) add up proportionally. For the floor, at most a realistic single-drawer width of 900mm is used, not the full furniture width – important if you e.g. model an entire, several-metre-long kitchen run as a single object: the app still calculates with plausible, individual drawer dimensions instead of unrealistically large floors.

Doors/flaps: Every door is a front panel. If the same edge also has drawers, the door only covers the height next to them.

Doors side by side: With two or more doors/flaps on an edge you can switch on "Doors side by side". The doors then share the width, with the hinges on the outside – left and right. That is how you build a cabinet holding a fridge, gas bottle or sink; drawers don't fit there. The weight stays the same.

Front instead of wall: Where a front sits, the app weighs the front instead of the wall behind it – as far as the front covers the wall.

Free version: max. 1 drawer and 1 door/flap per edge, more with Pro. In the 3D view, drawers and doors show on every front as dividing lines with small handle markers – the number of lines always matches the count you set. The small sketch in the editor shows the unit from the side, seen from the left as in the plan. The legend below it explains what you see.

Large side-hinged door and dedicated door material

For a single, large, side-opening door – for example the door of a built-in WC cubicle – the small, stacked door display above isn't enough. As soon as you've set at least one door on an edge, an additional "Large side-hinged door" switch appears. Turning it on replaces the display with a single, full-height door with a selectable hinge side (left/right) – the display of the individual small doors/drawers disappears (a large cabin door is always the sole front). The drawer counter is completely hidden and reset to 0 in that case – as long as the large door is active, there are no more small drawers, and they no longer contribute to the weight either. In the 2D preview you'll see a symbolic hinge/swing indicator; in the 3D view the door is actually shown opening sideways, including the swing arc. "Left" means left as you stand facing the front.

Independent of the large door, you can choose a separate material and material thickness for the visible front – just like for the shelves. You find both under "Fronts" → "Material", once per piece of furniture for all fronts. This slider applies jointly to doors AND drawers (small stacked or large): in practice, fronts are usually made from the same panel material so a piece of furniture looks uniform, no matter whether there's a door or a drawer behind it. This is realistic, because in practice a front is often made from a different (usually thinner) material than the rest of the piece of furniture, e.g. a 12 mm plywood front on a cabinet made of 18 mm multiplex. By default, without making a separate choice, your main material is still used at the previous thickness – no weight change to existing plans until you actively use the new slider/material picker.

For the drawer box itself – i.e. the sides, floor and back wall behind the front, not the front itself – there is a separate, independent "Material/material thickness (drawer box)" slider. This is realistic, because in practice a drawer box is often made from simpler, thinner material than the visible front, e.g. an 8 mm plywood box behind a 15 mm solid-wood front. Here too: without a separate choice, the box continues to use your main material at the previous wall thickness.

Leaving out panels (Pro)

Not every unit has all sides: a shelf is open at the front, a cabinet against the van wall needs no back wall, above the wheel arch the bottom is missing. In the object editor, tap "Panels". In the "Plan panels" screen you choose what is not built: "Bottom", "Top" and each wall – you tap the wall in the sketch. Below the entry it then says what is missing.

The entry exists for Closed Box, Open Box, Frame (closed), Frame + Panelling and Slanted Box – each with the panels that build type has. With Frame + Panelling only the panelling is missing, the struts stay. With the cylinder the shell stays; you can leave out the bottom and top. With a shape drawn from behind or from the side, these are the edges of the shape and the two end walls.

Weight, material report, plan, 3D and collision all work without the panel. In the plan the edge there is thin, the inner line open. Without a top the inside is open upwards – a vehicle part such as a pillar may then rise up through the unit.

A front on a left-out wall has no effect: in "Plan fronts" the edge is grey; the front stays saved and comes back with the wall. The same goes for a wall cutout there – it is listed with "Inactive – wall left out". If you add a point to a left-out wall, both halves stay left out.

Cutouts (Pro)

This means whatever you saw back out of the finished piece: the notch for the wheel arch, the recess for the B-pillar, the hole for a cable feed-through.

Picture it like this: an invisible block you push into the furniture. Wherever it meets material, that material disappears; wherever it runs through a cavity, nothing happens. On a closed box the same block therefore removes the floor, the lid and the walls it passes through – on a solid block its full volume. With leaning walls the block takes exactly the material it hits. Weight, panelling, collision check and 3D use the slanted wall.

For each cutout you decide whether it sits in the footprint (top view – for anything coming from below or above: wheel arch, floor rail, roof slope) or in a wall (side view – for anything lateral: B-pillar, cable feed-through), whether it is rectangular or round, and over which height range or depth into the object it acts. For a 215 mm high wheel arch that means "Custom range", 0 to 215. You tap the wall in the sketch in "Plan cutout" or pick it alongside. The sketch is oriented as in the plan: driver's cab at the top, rear at the bottom. With freeform this works on every edge, including angled ones – but not on leaning ones (greyed out there). At a round corner a wall cutout only reaches to the start of the arc; in the wall view the arc is grey.

Shape from behind or from the side: In the footprint the furniture is a rectangle seen from above (width × length); thin lines show where the shape has a step or a bend – as in the plan. "Top only" and "Bottom only" go through the first panel at the spot of the cutout, so on a bench through the seat; below it says from where to where. There is a wall on every vertical edge of the shape: as wide as the shape is deep and as high as the edge. "Offset Y" counts from its lower edge; which way "Offset X" runs is shown under the drawing. The line "Removes" names the walls hit with the number of their edge, and the end wall at one end of the depth. The suggestion from the collision warning sets the cutout in the footprint, as with the rectangle.

Weight = the material hit is deducted. Below the drawing it says what actually disappears ("Removes: bottom panel, Back") and how many kg that saves. If it says "no material – that area is hollow anyway", the cutout runs through air and changes nothing.

The switch "Panel the cut faces" lays panels onto the cut edges – the notch becomes a neatly closed box. Expect the piece to get heavier rather than lighter: you removed material and added some back across the whole cut surface. For a wheel arch recess that is usual, for a floor rail it is unnecessary.

Not available on groups – there each individual part gets its own cutout. Wall cutouts are additionally unavailable on Single Panel. On Frame (open) and Frame + Panelling the cutout also cuts through the struts it hits.

In the 2D plan a cutout is a hole where it is open in that view: in the top view when it goes all the way through or is cut from above, in the rear view when it reaches the back. If material lies in front of it – such as the lid over a cutout from below – it appears as a tinted area with a dashed edge. On furniture without a lid the interior is open: a hole there, tinted under the wall. This applies equally to "Construction", "Simple" and Focus. If a wall leans outward at the top, the top view shows the part of the cutout in the overhang dashed, out to the dotted line. The rear view shows it at the slanted outline.

The quick route: when the app reports a collision, tap the warning – the detail dialog holds the button "Add/edit cutout", which pre-fills position and dimensions from the actual overlap – also on rotated furniture. As soon as the obstacle is clear, the warning disappears by itself. If a rectangle, L-shape or freeform reaches into the roof taper, the dialog offers "Lean wall" (Pro). It opens "Draw freeform" with the edge facing the vehicle wall and the angle needed. Nothing is applied until "Done". A rectangle or L-shape becomes a freeform with the same outline. With a shape drawn from behind or from the side there is no "Lean wall" – there you draw the slope into the shape. Practical examples in chapter 17.

A simple rule of thumb: Solid Block = filled block. Closed Box = crate with lid. Open Box = crate without lid. Frame (open) = only thin struts, everything in between is air. Frame (closed) = solid walls, but without a floor or lid. Panel = a lying board; with a quantity, several of the same size stacked. The less material is actually used, the lighter it's calculated – and that's how it is in reality too.

8. Moving, rotating, zooming and editing objects

Dimension inspector

As soon as an object is selected, a small dimension inspector appears to the left of the vehicle. There you can see the exact position of the object (X/Y/Z) and enter it directly. This is especially helpful when an object is very small and hard to move precisely with a finger – here you can simply enter the value directly.

Reference/distance – align an object exactly to another

As soon as an object is selected, you'll find the round, orange "Align" button at the bottom of the dimension inspector. It opens a bar that lets you align your object exactly to another one – ideal when two pieces of furniture should sit flush against each other or keep an exact distance.

Locked objects (🔒) and roof-mounted objects can't be moved via this bar – their position stays protected.

Deselecting

To deselect an object, tap the "Deselect" button at the bottom right (appears when an object is selected). The object stays in position but is deselected.

Zooming and panning

The "Focus" button (fullscreen icon) in the toolbar automatically zooms so your vehicle fits optimally on the screen. Only then can you:

To reset the zoom, tap the button at the bottom right (visible during zoom mode).

In the normal plan the construction is indicated: marks for hollow, lid and frame, plus sloped roof and cutouts. Focus shows it in detail, with the real wall thickness and framing. Shelves, drawers and doors appear there in the rear view; in the top view they are hidden under the lid. What the lines and symbols mean is explained by the help in the planner ("Help") under "Display". In the settings, under "Plan display", you choose between "Construction" and "Simple". The front edge – the side the unit opens towards – is shown as a thicker line in the normal plan as well. In Focus, the selected unit also carries labels for the clear inside size (not for the L-shape and freeform), the size of each cutout (more than three: just the count), the number of shelves and, with a sloped roof, the height of the low side. A shape drawn from behind appears in the rear view just as you drew it; you see a shape drawn from the side that way in the sketch in the editor. From above and edge-on it is a block with thin lines at steps and bends.

Pro objects: moving allowed, editing locked

Objects with Pro features – e.g. assemblies, Pro build types or custom materials – can be selected and freely moved even without an active Pro. Double-tapping shows a notice: editing (dimensions, material, build type) requires Pro. In the selection dialog you can identify these objects by the small 🔒 symbol next to the action buttons.

Rear and underfloor in the plan

Objects in the "Rear outside" area are not shown in the top view – there is no room for them there. "Underfloor" objects lie dashed below everything else; if you tap the spot, the furniture above wins, so pick the underfloor part via "Select". When you select a rear part, the plan switches to the rear view. There, rear and underfloor parts are dashed, and there is room above the roof and below the floor to tap and drag. If an underfloor part lies in the area of a wheel, the yellow banner warns "Underfloor: lies in the wheel area – please check".

9. The selection dialog ("Select")

When multiple furniture pieces are stacked on top of each other or one is hidden behind another, the "Select" button helps. It opens a list of all objects – separated into "Furniture & objects" and "Vehicle structure".

For each object in the list you see three small icons:

Tap on the name of an object in the list to select it and automatically bring it to the front so you can edit it.

In this dialog you'll also find the blue button "Combine into one piece of furniture" – which leads directly to the next, bigger topic:

10. Groups – combining multiple parts into one piece of furniture

🔒 Pro feature: Creating groups is a Pro feature. Free users see the button in the selection dialog, but tapping it shows the Pro upgrade option.

What is a group?

Imagine you're building a wardrobe from two parts: the body (open box, since the door sits in front of the opening) and a door (a slim solid block – more about this in Chapter 17). Until now you had to manage these as two separate objects in the list. With a group you can combine them into one single entry – with a shared name, shared total weight and shared center of gravity. The individual material composition for the material list/inspection report is still preserved.

Important: A group doesn't change the calculation – it's purely for overview. The total weight of a group is exactly the sum of the weights of its parts, before and after.

How do you create a group? Step by step

  1. Open the selection dialog via the "Select" button.
  2. Tap the blue button "Combine into one piece of furniture". A brief window explains what will happen.
  3. You're now in selection mode: before each object (except vehicle structure – which can't be grouped) a checkbox appears.
  4. Select at least 2 objects that belong together (e.g. cabinet body + door).
  5. Tap again on the (now lower) button "Combine into one piece of furniture (count)".
  6. A small window asks for a name for the new group – pre-filled with the name of the heaviest selected part. You can change the name or simply confirm.
  7. Done – the individual objects have now become one combined entry.

Building a brand-new group from scratch

If you want to build a group without first placing individual objects in the plan, use the "Create assembly" entry in the add dialog (right above "Choose assembly template"). This opens a dedicated full-screen editor where you add parts one by one with "+ Add part" – the same arranging, rotating, scaling, and reference/distance tools from the normal group editor are available there. Once you have at least 2 parts, tap "Done".

A dialog then asks what should happen with the finished group – you can pick both options at once:

You can also delete your own templates there (trash icon next to the entry) – this only removes the template itself, groups already inserted into your plan stay unchanged.

How do you recognise a group in the plan?

In the top and rear view, a group still shows the actual outlines of all individual parts (not a merged single shape) – so for "bed platform + slat base" you really see both shapes. Additionally a small badge with ☑️ symbol and the group name is stuck in the top left, making it clear: these belong together.

Editing a group

Double tap on the group like any other object. A dedicated editor opens with:

Dissolving a group

At the very bottom of the group editor you'll find the button "Dissolve group". This turns all parts back into individual, independent objects in your list – the total weight stays exactly the same, it's just split up again. This is useful if you change your mind or want to move a part separately again.

Rotating a group by 90°

At the top of the group editor you'll find the rotate button (icon with a degree value, e.g. "90°"). Each tap rotates the whole group by another quarter turn (0°→90°→180°→270°→0°) – all its parts keep their arrangement relative to each other, only the orientation in space changes. The total weight stays unchanged. The rotation is correctly reflected in the 2D view, collision checking, PDF export, and the 3D view.

Scaling a group (overall size)

Right below the rotate button you'll find a single slider for the group's overall size, with a minus/plus button on either side for 5% steps. The slider shows the current size as a percentage (e.g. "120%") and covers a range of 50–200% – so the group can grow to at most double its size or shrink to half, additionally limited to your current vehicle's dimensions (the group can never grow larger than the load area). There are deliberately no separate sliders for width, length, and height anymore – all three axes always grow or shrink together in the same ratio, so the parts keep their proportions to each other exactly (scaling axes independently could otherwise cause previously matching parts to no longer fit together, e.g. a round part next to a rectangular one). While you drag the slider, you see the change immediately in the view behind it.

While scaling, each part's weight is recalculated: solid or panel-based parts get heavier or lighter, but the wall thickness always stays the same (a 15mm panel stays 15mm no matter how big the cabinet gets). Fixed-weight devices (fridge, toilet, tank, battery) scale normally along with everything else by default – only their weight always stays the real catalog value, no matter their drawn size. If you'd rather a specific device kept its true real-world size (only its position then shifts as the group grows), the part editor has a "Keep size when scaling" toggle (only visible for fixed-weight devices) – turn it on and a small lock icon appears next to the device's name in the parts list. Footprint cutouts grow with their part, also when a template is inserted. That way, for example, the hole in the worktop stays under the sink. A wall lean grows along too. When scaling, its angle stays the same. When a template is inserted, only width and length are stretched and the height stays – so the angle changes slightly. A radius grows along when scaling. When a template is inserted it stays in mm, at most as large as the corner allows. A shape drawn from behind or from the side stretches as with the sliders in the editor; with Single Panel the depth stays (quantity × thickness).

Group at the rear: If a group stands in the "Rear outside" area – for example a rear carrier with bikes –, the group editor also has the "Distance behind the rear door" slider.

Pre-built Assembly Templates

🔒 Pro feature: The assembly library is only available in Pro.

Instead of building a group from scratch, you can choose from 31 pre-built furniture assemblies – taken from the VanLogic build templates plus some built specially, e.g. the L-shaped kitchen.

You'll find them in the menu under "Choose assembly template". The library is divided into three categories:

Each template already shows you the scaled dimensions for your van – the assembly is proportionally adjusted to your load area's width and length when inserted. The height remains unchanged (ceiling height is vehicle-specific). Exception: the kitchen worktop sits at 90 cm, in vans without standing height (roof under 1.6 m) at 75 cm. Upper cabinets in the kitchens and in Office / Workbench hang just below the roof (bottom edge at most 1.65 m), at least 55 cm above the worktop or desk – if there is no room for that, they are left out. Shower + WC and Children's / Bunk Bed only fit vehicles with a high roof (from 1.83 m inside). Beds keep their real size: long beds and the kids' bed stay as they are, a cross bed runs from wall to wall (mattress at most 2 m). If a bed doesn't fit your vehicle, it doesn't appear in the selection.

Important: Pre-built assemblies count as Pro objects. If you don't renew your Pro subscription later, they remain visible and included in calculations – but you won't be able to edit them until Pro is active again.

11. Understanding weight, axle load and center of gravity

At the bottom of the screen you permanently see a panel with the most important values:

The rule of thumb: Heavy things (water tank, battery) as low and as centrally as possible. Light things (wardrobe contents, bedding) can be higher or further back. Every piece of furniture counts with the center of its real shape – so for a bench with backrest drawn from behind, a little closer to the backrest.

What counts: Objects below the floor (underfloor), behind the rear door (rear outside) and components that are not drawn in the plan count fully towards weight and axle load. Anything behind the rear axle – such as a rear carrier – loads the rear axle more than its own weight and relieves the front axle.

Values are color-coded (green = fine, yellow/red = problem). Simply move objects until all values are back in the green zone – this happens in real time, you don't need to recalculate anything.

12. The 3D preview

The view switcher takes you from the 2D top/rear view to the 3D view. There you see your vehicle with all built-in furniture and devices in three dimensions.

The vehicle has the shape of your model (a Ducato looks different from a Crafter), the wheels sit on the axles the app also uses for the axle load, and the load floor is at its real height. Below the floor you see the frame with two longitudinal members – underfloor parts hang visibly between them. The camera goes slightly below the horizontal, so you can look at them from below. Components show their real look (fridge, battery, bikes …), groups the outlines of their individual parts.

🔒 Pro feature: In the free version the 3D view shows a fixed example project (a converted Ford Transit) that you can rotate. With Pro you see your own project there.

Realistic or X-ray: see through furniture

Above the 3D view you can switch between two view modes:

A unit with a left-out panel (chapter 7) is shown hollow in Realistic too – you can look in through the opening.

Exploding groups: pulling parts apart

If your plan contains at least one group (see chapter 10), a selector bar with all the groups in your project appears below (scroll sideways if there are more than fit on screen – an arrow shows when more follow).

3D construction view straight from the object editor

While editing a piece of furniture (or a group), you'll find a 3D icon on the small preview sketch, or in the header of the group editor. Tapping it opens a focused 3D view of just that one object:

Like the 3D preview, this focused view is a Pro feature.

Labels: name furniture directly in 3D

The "Labels" button in the bottom-right corner of the 3D view gives every piece of furniture a small number right on the object. A list of all objects with number, name, dimensions and weight appears at the bottom – tap it or pull it up to open it. Each numbered object gets its own colour – the number and the list entry share it.

Tap a number, an object or a list entry to keep only that object in colour – all others turn light grey – and show its details right there. They stay until you tap something else; tapping empty space clears the selection. Flat objects such as flooring or insulation have no number; they are shown in grey in the list.

The numbers run from front to back, then from left to right. "Top-level objects" and "Assembly parts" switch the numbers for single pieces of furniture and for assemblies on and off. In the exploded view (see above), the individual parts of the assembly then get a number too.

Figure: size comparison with a person

"Figure" at the bottom left puts a person in the van. The slider sets the height (160–200 cm). Tap "Place figure" and then the floor where it should stand. So you see at once whether standing height, aisle and bed length fit.

In the browser (web app) there are also "View standing" and "View sitting": you then look into the van through the figure's eyes – drag to look around, "Back to overview" ends it.

13. Saving, exporting, importing

Your project is automatically saved on your device – you don't need to save manually.

If you want to additionally back up, transfer to another device or share your project, export it as a file (extension .vanlogic) – this works without Pro too. 🔒 Reading it back in (import) is a Pro feature. On import the app automatically checks whether the file is compatible with your app version.

14. Material and inspection report

🔒 Pro feature

The app can generate two different reports at the push of a button. You'll find them in the menu under "PDF Export" (for the inspection/expert report as PDF) and "Material list" (for the material report as PDF or CSV):

Material report (PDF or CSV)

The material report lists all used materials grouped by category (e.g. wood, metal, insulation materials). For each material you see:

With freeform, the part shows "Cut to outline", with round corners also e.g. "4 × arc r = 120 mm". With a shape drawn from behind or from the side it says "End walls cut to outline" – the panels along the depth and the shelves are rectangles.

Left-out panels (chapter 7) are not counted – neither in the area nor in the number of parts. If a unit has neither a bottom nor a top, "Cut to outline" is not shown.

With groups, every individual part with its own material is automatically listed again – the group summary only affects the overview in the plan, not the material report.

The report is available as PDF (for printing or forwarding) and as CSV (for spreadsheet programs like Excel, e.g. for creating a shopping list).

Inspection/expert report (PDF)

This report is designed to be presented at an official vehicle inspection (MOT, DEKRA, expert) as proof. It contains:

Note: This report is an aid and does not replace an official calculation by an expert. However it can serve as a basis and talking point.

Tank scenarios: The report calculates empty, half and full exactly like the app – including tanks in groups and below the floor. In the build plan image the rear view shows rear and underfloor parts dashed; the top view does not show the rear.

15. Creating custom materials, components and categories

🔒 Pro feature

The stored materials and components aren't enough for you? You can create your own – indicated by the small lock icon for free users.

Creating a custom material (for "Custom build")

Open the "+" in the material selection of a custom build object to create a new material (or tap the pencil icon on an existing custom material to edit it). You define:

Creating a custom component (for ready-bought devices)

In "Select Component", tap the "+" in the header of a category – "New Component" opens. You set:

You edit existing custom components with the pencil icon.

Custom categories

For both materials and components you can additionally create custom categories to sort your own entries sensibly (e.g. a custom category "Custom builds special" or "Solar accessories"). This is done via the category dialog directly in the respective selection list – there you can create, rename or delete categories. If you delete a category, the materials/components in it are still retained, they're just no longer displayed as assigned to that category.

16. Undo / Redo

At the top of the toolbar you'll find two arrow icons:

If there's currently nothing to undo or redo, the respective icon is grayed out and can't be tapped. Once you make a new change after an "Undo", the ability to "Redo" is lost (this is normal behaviour, as you know from other programs).

Loading a template, import and deleting the project are one step each too – the vehicle data comes back with them, and with an import also your own materials, categories, language and units. The history lasts as long as the app stays open.

17. DIY builds – all situations, all furniture, step by step

This is the most important chapter for everyone who builds furniture themselves. Here you'll learn how to correctly model every typical van furniture piece in the app – with the right build types, the right positioning and when a group makes sense.

The basic principle: What do width, length and height mean?

Understand this once – never be confused again:

In VanLogic the three dimensions are clearly defined:

In the top view (seen from above) you always see: width × length (the floor plan – like a blueprint).

In the rear view (seen from behind) you see: width × height.

Most important: You can't tilt or lay any object on its side. All objects always stand upright. Height always points upward. This means:

This leads to an important trick for vertical panels:

The key trick: Vertical panels (door, wall, shelf side)

The problem: "Single Panel" always calculates as a lying surface (width × length as floor plan). This is correct for a shelf board or tabletop. For a standing door or side wall it's wrong – the panel would appear huge in the floor plan and have an incorrect weight.

The solution: Solid Block with very small length.

Imagine a cabinet door: 80 cm wide, 200 cm high, 2 cm thick (material thickness). This is how you enter it in VanLogic:

Field Value Explanation
Build type Solid Block Door is solid material all the way through
Width 80 cm Door width – correct
Length 2 cm Door thickness – that's the trick!
Height 200 cm Door height – correct

Why solid block? A door is solid material from one side to the other. The formula width × length × height gives: 80 × 2 × 200 = 32,000 cm³ – exactly the right volume, exactly the right weight. ✓

What do you see in the plan? - Top view: A wafer-thin 80 × 2 cm strip – correct, that's the footprint of the door from above. ✓ - Rear view: An 80 × 200 cm rectangle – the full door area. ✓ - 3D: A thin upright block – looks like a door. ✓

Use this trick for all vertical components:

Component Build type Length = Height =
Cabinet door Solid Block Door thickness (e.g. 2 cm) Door height (e.g. 200 cm)
Drawer front Solid Block Front thickness (e.g. 1.8 cm) Drawer height
Shelf side wall Solid Block Board thickness (e.g. 1.8 cm) Shelf height
Cabinet back panel Solid Block Back panel thickness (e.g. 0.8 cm) Cabinet depth → enter as "width"!
Partition wall (room divider) Solid Block Wall thickness (e.g. 1.2 cm) Wall height
Sliding door Solid Block Door thickness (e.g. 2 cm) Door height
Cladding panel Solid Block Panel thickness (e.g. 0.8 cm) Cladding height

Note on back panels: A back panel running along the vehicle width needs to be "rotated" mentally: its "width" in the app is the vehicle width, its "length" is the wall thickness, its "height" is the actual wall height. The principle is identical.

Which build type for which situation?

Quick overview for all situations in van conversion:

Situation Build type Note
Solid Block, step, spacer Solid Block
Vertical panel: door, wall, shelf side Solid Block Length = material thickness
Lying panel: shelf board, tabletop, seat surface Single Panel Wall thickness = material thickness
Closed Box / crate with lid Closed Box
Crate or compartment without lid, base cabinet under the worktop Open Box (Pro) "open" = no lid
Cabinet or shelf open at the front, without back wall or without bottom Closed Box with "Panels" (Pro) leave out a wall, the bottom or the top
Body with batten frame + thin cladding (save weight) Frame + Panelling (Pro) Frame structure carries the load, thin outer skin – most commonly used build type in real van conversions
Bed frame, crate base (solid sides) Frame (closed) (Pro) Solid walls, no floor/lid
Slim shelf frame, scaffolding (struts only) Frame (open) (Pro) Thin struts only
Cabinet under sloping roof Slanted Box (Pro) + enter roof depth
Several panels of the same size stacked Single Panel with quantity (Pro) Height = quantity × wall thickness
Panel with a shape: partition wall, cladding along the body Single Panel as freeform from behind or from the side (Pro) Depth = quantity × wall thickness

Furniture 1: Wardrobe

A wardrobe consists of body + door → group.

Part 1 – Cabinet body: - Build type: Closed Box — under "Panels" leave out the front wall (Pro), that's where the door goes - Width = 80 cm, Length = 60 cm, Height = 200 cm - Wall thickness = 18 mm (plywood thickness) - Mounting height = 0 (stands on the floor)

Part 2 – Door: - Build type: Solid Block — vertical panel, length = door thickness - Width = 80 cm, Length = 2 cm, Height = 200 cm - Mounting height = 0 - Positioning: directly in front of the body (body length = 60 cm → door position Y = 0, body starts at Y = 2 cm, or door at rear side of body at Y = 60 cm)

Even more realistic – "Large side-hinged door" directly on the body: A wardrobe door is exactly the use case for this feature – a large, side-swinging door. Under "Fronts", set "Doors/Flaps" to 1 on the body object and enable the "Large side-hinged door (e.g. WC cubicle)" switch (+ "Hinge side" left/right) – the app then shows a real swinging door with a swing arc in 3D, and Part 2 (separate solid-block door + group) is no longer needed at all.

Form group: Select both in the "Select" dialog → combine → name "Wardrobe"

Special case sliding door: Instead of in front of the body, position the door offset to the side (Width = 80 cm, Length = 2 cm, offset to the side on rail). For planning purposes it's sufficient to model the door in its final position.

Special case 2 doors: Create two doors, each half as wide (40 cm), positioned left and right respectively.

Simplified alternative (door directly on the object): Instead of a separate solid-block door + group, you can also set 1 door/flap directly on the body object (under "Fronts", available for Open Box/Closed Box/Frame + Panelling/Slanted Box) – no second part needed, the app automatically shows a front indication in 2D/3D and includes it in the weight. The group approach with its own door part remains useful if you want to position the door individually or offset it to the side, e.g. as a sliding door. The front then replaces the wall behind it – you don't need to leave it out.

Furniture 2: Wall cabinet (wall-mounted, elevated)

Like wardrobe, but with raised mounting height:

Part 1 – Body: - Closed Box without front wall (like furniture 1), e.g. Width = 60 cm, Length = 30 cm, Height = 40 cm - Mounting height = 150 cm (hanging 150 cm up, under the ceiling)

Part 2 – Door: - Solid Block, Width = 60 cm, Length = 2 cm, Height = 40 cm, same mounting height

Simpler – door as a flap directly on the object: Instead of a separate solid-block door part, you can also set 1 door/flap directly on the body object (under "Fronts") – no second part, no group step needed, the app automatically shows a front indication and includes it in the weight.

On the sloping van wall: Shape "Freeform", starting shape "Rectangle", and for the edge facing the wall "Lean", e.g. 12°. The top of the cabinet then follows the wall – at 40 cm height by 85 mm.

With a bend at the wall: If the van wall draws in at the top, draw the cabinet from behind: Shape "Freeform", "Edit outline", view "Rear View", starting shape "Rectangle". With "Add point" you make the side facing the wall follow the wall, even with several bends. The length of the cabinet is then the depth.

Important: The app can only show hanging cabinets as "floating in the air" objects – the wall material doesn't carry its own weight in your planning. This is correct: the hanging cabinet hangs on the vehicle wall, which isn't accounted for.

Furniture 3: Bed (closed frame + platform + slat base)

Part 1 – Bed frame: - Build type: Frame (closed) (Pro) — solid side panels, not an open frame (that would be too thin for a real bed frame, see chapter 7) - Width = 140 cm, Length = 200 cm, Height = 30 cm - Wall thickness = 44 mm (thickness of the wood beams)

Part 2 – Sleeping surface (bed platform): - Build type: Single Panel — lying board - Width = 140 cm, Length = 200 cm, Wall thickness = 18 mm - Mounting height = 30 cm (top edge of the frame) → or "rests on: bed frame"

Part 3 – Slat base (optional): - Build type: Frame (closed) (Pro) — the slat-base frame also has solid side rails, not an open structure - Same dimensions as sleeping surface, Height = 8 cm - Mounting height = 30 cm (rests on the platform or replaces it)

Group: All parts → "Bed"

Furniture 4: Bed with storage (bed with under-storage)

Many van beds have a storage box underneath:

Part 1 – Storage box: - Build type: Open Box (Pro) — open at top (the bed rests here) - Width = 140 cm, Length = 200 cm, Height = 40 cm

Part 2 – Sleeping surface: - Build type: Single Panel - Mounting height = 40 cm → "rests on: storage box"

Part 3 – optional: Bed frame (if bed frame in addition to storage box): - Frame (closed), Height = 5 cm, on the sleeping surface

Group: Storage box + sleeping surface → "Bed with storage"

Furniture 5: Kitchen unit (base cabinet + countertop)

Part 1 – Base cabinet: - Build type: Open Box (Pro) — no lid, the worktop lies on top; drawers/doors sit at the front - Width = 120 cm, Length = 60 cm, Height = 85 cm

Build lighter (most commonly used build type in real van conversions): Instead of open box, you can also build the base cabinet as Frame + Panelling (Pro) – a thin frame structure carries the load, a thin outer skin clads it, saving weight compared to a continuous wall thickness (formula/details see chapter 7).

Part 2 – Countertop: - Build type: Single Panel — lying board - Width = 124 cm (slightly wider, overhang), Length = 62 cm - Wall thickness = 38 mm (typical countertop thickness) - Mounting height = 85 cm → "rests on: base cabinet"

Group: "Kitchen unit"

Extension sink: A sink is a component (fixed weight from data sheet) – enter separately and add to kitchen unit group. For a sunk-in sink, give the worktop a footprint cutout the size of the sink.

Extension wall cabinet above kitchen: Like Furniture 2 (wall cabinet), create separately or add to kitchen unit group.

Drawers directly on the object: For a realistic kitchen base cabinet, set e.g. 2–3 drawers directly on the base cabinet object (under "Fronts") – the app automatically draws front lines and handles in 2D/3D and includes fronts/bottoms in the weight. No separate part per drawer is needed for this. For an L-shaped kitchen, select both front edges there. If a fridge or gas bottle stands in the cabinet or the sink hangs into it, use two doors instead of drawers and switch on "Doors side by side" (chapter 7).

Kitchen with an angled corner: shape "Freeform", starting shape "Chamfered corner", worktop with the same outline. Ready-made as the assembly template "Kitchen with angled corner" or "L-shaped kitchen" (chapter 10).

Furniture 6: Seating bench with storage

Part 1 – Storage box: - Build type: Open Box (Pro) — open at top - Width = 120 cm, Length = 50 cm, Height = 45 cm

Part 2 – Seat surface: - Build type: Single Panel - Width = 120 cm, Length = 50 cm, Wall thickness = 18 mm - Mounting height = 45 cm → "rests on: storage box"

Group: "Seating bench"

Note: Cushions → as component with fixed weight, or as solid block with density of foam/upholstery material.

Room for your heels: Shape "Freeform", the edge facing the aisle with "Lean" −10°. The box is narrower at the bottom and overhangs at the top.

With backrest in one piece: Shape "Freeform", view "Rear View", starting shape "L-Shape", the backrest on the wall side. Seat and backrest are one shape, the length of the bench is the depth. Build type e.g. Closed Box – there is storage under the seat, and for the collision check there is room above the seat.

Furniture 7: Shelving unit

Approach A – Simple (frame with shelves): - Build type: Frame (open) (Pro) - Width = 80 cm, Length = 30 cm, Height = 180 cm - Shelves: e.g. 3 (the app adds 3 × base area × wall thickness of wood) - Quick and practical; in 3D view you see the frame, the shelves are included in the calculation

Approach B – Exact (each part individually, group):

Side panels are vertical panels → Solid Block: - 2× Side wall: Build type Solid Block, Width = 1.8 cm, Length = 30 cm, Height = 180 cm — position left and right - 3× Shelf board: Build type Single Panel, Width = 76.4 cm (inner dimension), Length = 30 cm, Wall thickness = 18 mm — at heights 60 cm, 110 cm, 160 cm - Optional: Back panel: Solid Block, Width = 80 cm, Length = 0.6 cm, Height = 180 cm (thin back panel, e.g. 6 mm HDF)

All parts → Group "Shelving unit"

Approach C – Crate without front wall (Pro): build type Closed Box, Width = 80 cm, Length = 30 cm, Height = 180 cm, under "Panels" leave out the front wall, shelves e.g. 3. Sides, back wall, bottom and top are then one part – no group needed.

Furniture 8: Table (tabletop + legs)

Part 1 – Tabletop: - Build type: Single Panel - Width = 120 cm, Length = 60 cm, Wall thickness = 25 mm - Mounting height = 72 cm (table height)

Parts 2–5 – Table legs: 4 legs as solid block, thin! - Build type: Solid Block - Width = 6 cm, Length = 6 cm, Height = 72 cm - Position at each of the four corners

Group: "Table"

Folding table: A folding table is either folded up or folded down. For planning, enter it in the unfolded position – this shows you whether it fits in the space. Folded up it takes up almost no space, so it doesn't need to be entered separately.

Round corners: shape "Freeform", starting shape "Rectangle", tap each corner and set "Radius", e.g. 60 mm. The material report then lists "4 × arc r = 60 mm".

Furniture 9: Partition wall / room divider

A vertical wall between two areas (e.g. sleeping and kitchen area):

In the top view it appears as a thin cross strip. ✓

Door opening in the partition wall: Model two sections left and right of the opening (instead of one continuous wall), each as solid block with adjusted width.

In the shape of the van: Shape "Freeform", view "Rear View", build type Single Panel. The panel stands upright; you draw the top corners following the curve of the roof. The depth results from quantity × thickness, e.g. 1 × 18 mm.

Furniture 10: Floor build-up / plank floor

The vehicle floor (wood subfloor, insulation, plank floor) is typically flat and lying:

Insulation: - Build type: Single Panel - Width = vehicle interior width, Length = cargo area length, Wall thickness = insulation thickness (e.g. 25 mm Armaflex) - Mounting height = 0

Plank floor: - Build type: Single Panel - Same base dimensions, Wall thickness = plank thickness (e.g. 12 mm) - Mounting height = insulation thickness (rests on the insulation)

Group: "Floor build-up"

Tip: Exclude wheel arches. Since the floor is routed around the wheel arches, the actual area is slightly smaller than total width × total length. For weight planning however the approximation is accurate enough.

Furniture 11: Wall paneling / interior cladding

Wall panels are vertical panels (side cladding right, left, rear):

For each wall one object as Solid Block: - Side cladding left/right: Width = length of cargo zone, Length = wall thickness (e.g. 1.2 cm), Height = interior height - Rear cladding: Width = interior vehicle width, Length = wall thickness (e.g. 1.2 cm), Height = interior height

All three → Group "Wall paneling"

Alternative build type, if the frame's own weight should be included: In practice, wall paneling is often built as a batten frame (counter-battening) with thin cladding. If you don't want to neglect the frame's weight but include it, use Frame + Panelling (Pro) instead of solid block (formula/details see chapter 7) and enter the combined depth of frame + cladding for "length" (e.g. 3 cm instead of 1.2 cm for the panel alone).

Along the body: Side cladding as freeform with view "Side View" and build type Single Panel. The shape follows the wheel arch and the curve of the roof; the depth – here the width – results from quantity × thickness.

Furniture 12: Ceiling paneling / roof build-out

Ceiling panels lie horizontally – but at the ceiling, i.e. at maximum mounting height:

Note: Insulation between roof and cladding = another Single Panel object, same dimensions, smaller wall thickness, slightly higher mounting height.

Alternative build type: Like wall paneling (Furniture 11), you can also build the ceiling paneling as Frame + Panelling (Pro) if a batten frame carries part of the weight – details see chapter 7.

Furniture 13: Cabinet under sloping roof

When the van has a falling roof curve towards the sides and a cabinet sits under this slope:

The app calculates the weight of the sloped surfaces correctly, and in the 3D preview you see the angled object.

Alternatively with freeform: lean the wall facing the vehicle wall (chapter 6). Then the whole wall follows the slope, not just the lid. The collision warning suggests the angle ("Lean wall").

Furniture 14: High bed / roof bed

A high bed is simply a bed with elevated mounting height:

Group: Platform + support structure → "High bed"

Furniture 15: Wheel arch build-up

When you build over a wheel arch (e.g. a bench or storage box that goes around the wheel arch):

Option A – L-shape: - Select "L-shape" as shape instead of "Rectangle" - Enter the outer dimensions plus the notch dimensions so the L-shaped floor plan goes around the wheel arch - Build type: Open Box or Frame (closed) – depending on construction (solid side walls usually closed, thin structure rather open)

Option B – Two parts: - Two rectangle objects next to each other (left and right of the wheel arch), forming an arc in the top view - Group of both parts

Option C – cutout (Pro), usually the simplest route: - Place one normal rectangle object across the whole area, build type as usual (Open Box, Frame (closed), Frame + Panelling …) - In the object editor under "Cutout", cut out the wheel arch: footprint, "Custom range" from 0 to the wheel arch height - Faster via the collision warning: tap it, "Add/edit cutout" – position and height are then already filled in - The height range cuts the floor and the walls it hits up to the wheel-arch height – that is the typical L-cut, no separate switch is needed - In the 2D plan this cutout from below appears tinted as long as a lid lies above it; on an Open Box the interior is a hole (chapter 7) - The material cut away is deducted from the weight automatically

Compared with options A and B this has the advantage that it stays one piece of furniture – just as you actually build it.

Option D – Freeform: - Choose the shape "Freeform" and place the points around the wheel arch, also at an angle along the wall - The collision check uses the real footprint: if the wheel arch stays outside the outline, there is no warning

Option E – Shape from the side (Pro): - For a narrow bench or step directly above the wheel arch: Shape "Freeform", view "Side View", a step at the bottom over the wheel arch - The step runs through the whole depth – if the furniture is much deeper than the wheel arch, the cutout (option C) is more accurate

Collision with the wheel arch: the app reports the contact via the banner at the top (Pro) – at the wheel arch always as a warning, never red, because the wheel arch can be cut out on every build type. With options A and B that is normal and often intentional – the wheel arch is simply there. With option C the message disappears as soon as the cutout clears it completely; as long as something is still in the way, the app tells you how much.

Furniture 16: Cabinet behind the swivel seat

With a swivel base the driver's seat turns towards the living area. It needs room behind the backrest for that, usually 25–35 cm. A cabinet directly behind it therefore gets an angled corner towards the aisle – a typical case for freeform.

Tall cabinet on the left wall, directly behind the driver's seat: - Shape: "Freeform", Width = 50 cm, Length = 70 cm, Height = 150 cm - "Edit outline" → starting shape "Rectangle", "Grid & right angles" on - Tap edge 1 (front) → "Add point" – the point sits in the middle, i.e. at 25 cm - Drag the front corner point on the aisle side 25 cm back until edge 3 is 45 cm long – both ends of the angled edge then show 135° - Build type: Frame + Panelling (Pro), skin thickness = 6 mm, 3 shelves - Under "Fronts" edge 3 (aisle side, 45 cm): 1 door/flap – for a full-height door "Large side-hinged door"

Tip: Try out the angle at the real seat, e.g. with a piece of cardboard. Weight, plan and 3D use the angled corner.

Roof taper: If the cabinet hits the roof taper at the top, use the Slanted Box (Furniture 13) or lean the wall facing the vehicle wall – both work with freeform.

Checklist: Have I done everything correctly?

Before marking a furniture piece as done, quickly check:

18. Sharing – floor plan, statistics and more

Share Project in the main screen lets you share your van build in four different ways:

Sharing your floor plan – and what happens next

When you tap "Share floor plan", your current plan is exported as a .vanlogic file and can be sent via WhatsApp, email, AirDrop, or any other app that supports file attachments.

What the recipient sees – the guest preview

When the recipient taps the file, their own project is not overwritten. Instead, a guest preview opens:

Their own project remains completely intact.

Importing – what it's for and where the risk lies

If someone wants not just to view your floor plan but to use it as a starting point for their own build, they can import it. This copies the floor plan into their project, where it becomes fully editable.

What is importing for? Two people are building out the same vehicle type and one wants to build on the other's plan. Or you created a plan on one device and want to continue on another.

What's the risk? Importing completely replaces your current project – with no undo. Whatever was in the app before is gone for good. That's why the app always shows a clear warning before importing. Read it carefully before confirming.

Tip: Export your own plan as a .vanlogic file before importing anything – that way you always have a backup.

This help is continuously expanded as new features are added or feedback shows what's still missing.

19. Frequently asked questions and problems

Short and sorted by topic. Everything is explained in full in the chapters above – here are just the answers to what comes up most often.

Weight, axle load and centre of gravity

My payload is nearly used up – is that right?

The payload is the permissible total weight minus the kerb weight minus the build. Two things often catch people out: the kerb weight from the vehicle list is an estimate – once you have weighed your van, enter the real value in the vehicle data. And anything you have not entered as an object – people, luggage, supplies – comes off that payload as well.

One axle is overloaded although the total weight is fine.

Axle loads do not depend on weight alone but on where it sits. The further back a heavy object is, the more of it ends up on the rear axle. Move heavy things – water tank, battery, kitchen – further forward or over the axle; the values in the panel at the bottom update immediately.

Why does the app warn me about the centre of gravity?

A centre of gravity too far back or too high increases the risk of tipping in bends and makes the vehicle unsettled under hard braking. Rule of thumb: heavy things as low and as central as possible, light things may go higher or further back.

Vehicle and structure

My vehicle is not in the list.

Then enter the dimensions manually: wheelbase, load area, permissible axle loads and kerb weight are all in the vehicle registration document. You can change them later at any time – the kerb weight in particular should be corrected once you have weighed the van.

The roof taper does not match my van.

It is a vehicle-structure object you enter yourself ("+ Object" → "Vehicle structure"), and vans differ a great deal here – best to measure your own. For the taper only height and lateral position are checked, but over the whole length: it runs right through, after all. Units may stand underneath it; you are only warned when they reach into it.

Plan and display

I cannot see my cutout in the plan.

A cutout is a hole only where it is actually open in that view – in the top view, that means when it goes right through or is cut out from above. If material lies in front of it, for example the lid above a cutout from below, it appears as a tinted area with a dashed outline. The cutout editor, by contrast, shows the coloured preview with lining bands; the difference is intentional.

Which side is the front?

The front edge – the side the unit opens towards – is drawn as a thicker line in the top view. It appears on every edge with doors or drawers – on an L-shaped kitchen with two fronts, on both – and it turns with the unit.

You also see it in the rear view – but there you have to keep the viewing direction in mind: you are looking from the back towards the front. Each front has its thick line on the side it opens towards; if it sits at the top, that front opens forwards, towards the cab. If it opens towards you, the thick line runs all the way around its section – for a front across the full width, around the whole face. The shelf and handle lines of drawers and doors are shown only in Focus.

Where does the slope start on a sloped box?

Nowhere: there is no kink. The slope runs from full height at the front edge through to the low side at the back – which is why the top view shows only a slope arrow and no kink line. In Focus the height of the low side is shown as a number above the selected unit.

My shelves are not drawn.

Shelves need an interior. Solid Block and Single Panel have none – there the number you set has no effect, neither in the image nor in the weight.

Construction and cutouts

The weight does not change even though I added a cutout.

Check the line "Removed: …" in the cutout editor. If it is empty, either the entry does not match the construction – it stays saved but has no effect and is not drawn – or it sits where there is no material anyway, for example in the cavity of a box.

Why is my unit so heavy?

The weight comes from construction × dimensions × material, not from a flat rate. The same box as a solid block weighs a multiple of the same box as a frame with skin. With Single Panel the height follows from quantity × wall thickness – change the quantity and both change, image and weight.

No cutout suggestion appears.

The dialog always states the reason: the overlap is smaller than 20 mm, the obstacle covers the entire floor plan, it sits in the middle of the object without touching an outer edge, it sits in a corner touching two sides, or the construction does not allow the kind of cutout that would fit here. Rotated units do get a suggestion, and round or L-shaped floor plans get a through cutout in the floor plan, and a shape drawn from behind or from the side gets a floor-plan cutout as for a rectangle – only a wall cutout has to be set by hand there.

I already have a cutout and it still warns me.

A suggestion only ever covers the largest remaining piece. If several leftovers are in the way, the warning stays – the next suggestion then takes on the next piece. That is deliberate: a bounding box over all leftovers would take along the material in between, which has long been cut out.

Leaving out panels

How do I build a shelf that is open at the front?

Take a Closed Box and tap "Panels" in the editor. There you tap the front wall in the sketch – it is not built. In the same way you leave out a back wall, the bottom or the top. (Pro)

Why is an edge grey in "Plan fronts"?

The wall there is left out, has a lean or is completely round. A front on a left-out wall has no effect; it stays saved and works again as soon as the wall is built.

My wall cutout no longer works.

If it shows "Inactive – wall left out", the wall is missing there. The cutout stays saved and works again as soon as the wall is built.

Freeform: slanted walls and round corners

How do I make a slanted wall?

Choose the shape "Freeform" and tap "Edit outline". In the list below the drawing every edge has a "Lean" field. A positive (+) angle entry tilts the wall inward at the top – for example a cabinet whose top follows the sloping van wall. A negative (−) angle entry tilts it outward at the top – for example a seat box that leaves room for your feet at the bottom. The Oblique view below shows you right away what the furniture looks like. (Pro)

If a piece of furniture hits the roof taper at the top, tap the collision warning and then "Lean wall". The app suggests the right angle; nothing is applied until "Done". This also works for a rectangle – it becomes a freeform.

How do I make round corners?

Choose the shape "Freeform", tap "Edit outline" and then tap the corner with the point in the drawing. The "Radius" field appears below it: the bigger the number, the rounder the corner; 0 makes it sharp again. The largest possible value is shown right under the field. For a tabletop with four round corners, take the starting shape "Rectangle" and tap each corner one by one. (Pro)

Which furniture can I build with it?

For example:

Step-by-step instructions are in chapter 17.

Freeform from behind or from the side

How do I draw a bench with backrest in one piece?

Shape "Freeform", "Edit outline", then at the top under "View" choose "Rear View". Now draw the bench as you see it from behind – seat and backrest as an L. In the "Depth" field you enter its length. (Pro)

Why is a build type greyed out?

Open Box, Frame (closed) and Slanted Box exist only in the top view. If you tap one, the reason flashes up briefly. From behind or from the side you draw a roof slope directly into the shape.

Where is the "Lean" field?

From behind and from the side there is no lean – the slope is already part of the shape. That's why the collision warning doesn't offer "Lean wall" there either.

Which furniture can I build with it?

For example:

Objects, material and tanks

Custom build or component – which do I use?

Custom build for everything you build yourself: the app calculates the weight from build type, size and material. Component for ready-made devices – fridge, heater, battery. Its weight comes from the catalogue (or your own value, Pro); shape and size are for the picture only.

The weight of my tank changes when I drag the slider.

That is the fill level slider (0–100 %, Pro). A 100-litre fresh water tank weighs almost nothing empty and about 100 kg full – so you can play through the difference between the start of a trip and the drive home, including the effect on axle load and centre of gravity.

My material is not in the list.

Create a custom material (Pro): via the "+" in the material selection, either with a density (kg/m³) or with a fixed weight (kg), plus a colour of your own. A table symbol (❔) offers common densities to tap if you do not know yours.

Components, rear and underfloor

Where do I enter cables, screws or insulation?

As a component with "Do not place in plan": it is not drawn but counts towards payload and axle load. The weight comes from "Consumption × quantity" or from the "Total weight". More in chapter 6.

How do I plan an underfloor tank or a rear carrier?

Add the component and choose the area "Underfloor (below the floor)" or "Rear outside (behind the rear door)" under "Rests on". You set the distance behind the door with the slider. Both count fully towards axle load – see chapter 6.

My rear carrier is missing in the top view.

That is intended: the top view shows only the load area. You see rear parts in the rear view – when you select one, the plan switches there. See chapter 8.

In 3D the fridge faces the wrong way.

Rotate the component: at 0° its front faces the aisle, every 90° turn rotates it with it. See chapter 12.

Placing and rotating

My unit jumps when I rotate it.

When rotating, the top left corner stays put and width and length swap. A unit of 400 × 1200 therefore occupies 1200 × 400 from that same corner after 90°. The 2D plan, the 3D view, the centre of gravity and the PDF all show it in the same place.

Collision warning although nothing touches.

In the footprint the app checks the real shape – for the L-shape, freeform and cylinder just as for the rectangle, and for vehicle parts too. In height the object counts as a block up to its full height. That is where a warning can come up although there is air above. Moving it helps; if the position is right, you can leave the warning standing. A shape drawn from behind or from the side is checked with its real body – so above the seat of a bench with backrest there is room.

"Rests on" puts my object at the wrong height.

The function sets the mounting height to the top edge of the object below. If that object has a cutout or a sloped roof, its top edge is not the same height everywhere – then it is better to enter the height yourself.

Assemblies

I cannot move a single part of an assembly.

In the plan an assembly is one object. You edit individual parts by double-tapping into the assembly editor; if a part should move freely again, "Dissolve assembly" at the bottom of the editor does that. Neither changes the weight – an assembly is always exactly the sum of its parts, and the material report lists every part separately anyway.

Scaling drags the fridge along – is the weight still right?

Yes. Devices with a fixed weight always keep their catalogue value, however large they are drawn. If a device should also keep its size, the part editor has the switch "Keep size when scaling". For built parts the weight is recalculated while the wall thickness stays the same – a 15 mm panel stays 15 mm.

3D preview

In 3D I see someone else's project.

Without Pro the 3D preview shows a fixed example project instead of your own. With Pro – or in the test environment – you see your real plan there.

Reports and import

Material report or inspection report – what is the difference?

The material report is for shopping: per material the net area, the number of parts and the weight, as PDF or CSV. The inspection report is for the official check: weight, axle loads, centre of gravity and warning markings as a PDF, optionally with the plan image.

My import is refused.

On import the app checks whether the .vanlogic file matches your app version; for a newer file an app update helps. And remember: importing replaces your current plan – "Undo" brings it back as long as the app stays open; it is only safe for good when exported.

Purchase

I want to plan on a big computer.

Open vanlogic.app/studio in the browser – the Studio is VanLogic for mouse, keyboard and a large screen, with the same calculations as the app. Without unlocking you can try everything there, 30 minutes per plan. Your Pro purchase unlocks the browser: in the app, Menu › Unlock web app shows a code; in the Studio you enter it under File › Unlock browser. Your plan from the app can come along right away. One purchase covers up to 3 browsers. More in chapters 4 and 21.

Pro, templates, backups

An object shows a lock and cannot be edited.

It uses a Pro feature: an assembly, a Pro construction or a custom material. Selecting and moving still work – only dimensions, material and construction require Pro.

Fewer templates are shown than I expected.

The app hides templates designed for a larger vehicle; they would cause collisions in your van. Flooring, insulation, cladding and the bed are adapted to your load area when loaded; the other units keep their size. If the aisle becomes tight in a narrow van, move or shrink the units concerned.

How do I back up my plan?

Via Export Project – as a .vanlogic file, also without Pro. Reading it back in (import) works with Pro. Before importing someone else's file, export your own plan – importing replaces the current one.

Undo will not go back any further.

Up to 30 steps are stored. If an arrow is greyed out, there is nothing left at that point. And as soon as you change something new after an undo, redo is gone – just as in any other program. In the "Draw freeform" screen the arrows at the top have their own steps – only while the screen is open.

My plan from the test environment has disappeared.

That is the one restriction of the test environment: trying things out costs nothing, but the plan there is not stored permanently. When you start it you can choose between an empty plan and a copy of your real one – your real plan stays untouched either way.

My question is not here.

Then the matching chapter above usually helps: the vehicle in chapter 2, the test environment in chapter 4, vehicle structure in chapter 5, constructions, panels and cutouts in chapter 7, moving/rotating/zooming in chapter 8, assemblies in chapter 10, weight and centre of gravity in chapter 11, 3D in chapter 12, reports in chapter 14, build situations in chapter 17. The short glossary right below explains the terms.

20. Short glossary of terms

Term Meaning
Axle load The weight actually resting on an axle (front/rear). Legally limited.
Payload How much additional weight is allowed in total until the maximum permissible vehicle weight is reached.
Center of gravity The "weight center" of your loaded vehicle – important for driving stability and tipping risk.
Build type How a custom-built furniture piece is constructed (solid, box, frame, panel, …) – directly determines how much material and thus weight is used.
Component A ready-made part with a fixed weight from the catalogue (e.g. fridge). No calculated weight.
Vehicle structure Fixed, unchangeable parts of the vehicle itself (wheel arches, pillars, doors …). Blocks space, has no weight.
Group Multiple individual objects combined into one shared furniture piece (one name, one total weight), but internally still consisting of their individual parts.
Fill level For tanks: how full they currently are (0–100%) – directly affects weight.
Underfloor Area below the load floor, e.g. for an underfloor tank. Counts towards axle load.
Rear outside Area behind the rear door, e.g. rear carrier or bike rack. Counts towards axle load.
Not in plan Component without a fixed place (cables, screws, insulation): not drawn, but weighed.
Catalogue size Size of a component from the data sheet; "Adjust" changes it for the picture only.
Mounting height The height of the bottom edge of an object above the vehicle floor (Z position).
"Rests on" Function that automatically sets the mounting height of an object to the top edge of another object.
Inspection report A summary report (PDF) on weight, axle loads and center of gravity, intended for presentation at an official inspection.
Custom material / custom component A material or component entry you created yourself (Pro), with your own name, weight (density or fixed) and optionally a custom category.
Undo/Redo Undo (↩️) or redo (↪️) recent changes, up to 30 steps back.
Cutout A cut-out area in a unit – for a wheel arch, a pillar or a cable run. It is deducted from the weight; in the plan it is a hole where it is open, otherwise a tinted area.
Panels Bottom, top and walls of a unit. Under "Panels" you leave out individual ones (Pro); weight, plan and 3D work without them.
Plan display A setting with two levels: "Construction" draws the lines and marks of the construction, "Simple" only the coloured block.
Focus The full-screen view of the plan. There the construction is drawn exactly and the selected unit also carries labels.
Front edge A side a unit opens towards – a unit can have several. Drawn as a thicker line, only on units with doors or drawers. In the rear view (looking from the back towards the front) it sits on the side the front opens towards; if it opens towards the viewer, it runs all the way around.
Clear inside size The usable space inside, that is without the wall thickness. Shown in Focus above the selected unit.
Freeform A shape made of 3 to 16 points, e.g. with an angled corner, as a trapezoid or a U-shape. Weight, plan and 3D use the real outline. Can also be drawn from behind or from the side (Pro).
Lean A freeform wall that stands at an angle: + top inward, − top outward. −45° to +45° per edge.
Radius Round corner of a freeform: arc in mm, 0 = sharp. Weight, plan and 3D use the round shape.
View (freeform) How you draw a freeform: Top View (the shape is the footprint), Rear View (from behind) or Side View (from the left). From behind and from the side the shape runs through the whole depth.
Depth For a shape drawn from behind, the length of the furniture; for a shape drawn from the side, the width.
End wall One of the two sides at the ends of the depth of a shape drawn from behind or from the side. It has the drawn shape.

21. VanLogic Studio – planning on a large screen

The Studio is VanLogic for your computer: the same calculations, the same construction methods, the same rules as in the app – just with mouse, keyboard and plenty of space. Everything the other chapters explain applies here as well. This chapter only shows where to find it in the Studio.

If the browser window is narrower than 1024 pixels, the Studio offers the phone view – the familiar app in your browser.

How to get into the Studio

On your computer, open vanlogic.app/studio in the browser. On a tablet or phone, use the web app at vanlogic.app/app – it looks like the app.

Without unlocking you plan in Test Mode: all features are free, you get 30 minutes per plan, and the clock only runs while you work. When the time is up, the plan stays saved but locked – start a new plan and keep testing as often as you like. PDF report, materials list and import show a lock until you unlock; exporting and sharing always work.

With VanLogic Pro you unlock the browser at no extra cost:

  1. In the app: menu › Unlock web app. The app shows a code; it is valid for 15 minutes and only once. With Share link you send it to yourself as a link, already filled in.
  2. In the Studio: File › Unlock browser and enter the code.

Your current plan from the app comes along: after unlocking you choose whether to take it over or keep the plan from the browser. One purchase unlocks up to 3 browsers. You can see which ones in the app under Unlock web app – and sign them out there again.

The screen at a glance

Views

In the toolbar you switch between 3D, Top View, Rear View and Inside view.

Inserting, selecting and moving objects

Editing in the inspector

The inspector is the app’s object editor, just always open: shape, dimensions, material, construction method, shelves and position. Every change takes effect at once; Ctrl/⌘ + Z undoes it.

The entries Edit outline, Cutout, Fronts and Panels open a work mode in the centre – the same screens as in the app, with the drawing on the left and the settings on the right. Done (Ctrl/⌘ + Enter) applies the changes; Esc cancels and asks first if you changed something.

For an assembly, Arrange opens its parts in the centre: there you move and rotate them, add parts and change the size of the whole assembly (chapter 10). The Exploded view in the inspector pulls the parts apart in the 3D view.

Weight, collisions, warnings

The weight bar recalculates with every change – like the app’s dashboard. Clicking Collisions opens the list of collisions with the same fixes as in the app: add a cutout or tilt a wall. Warnings appear above the bar, each with a symbol:

What the lines and marks of the furniture in the 2D plan mean is explained in Help & Controls under “Display” – the same list is in chapter 7.

Saving, sharing, reports

The Studio saves every change immediately – in this browser on this computer. To back up or pass on your plan, use File › Export Project; Import Project brings a .vanlogic file back in. Open shared build plan shows a shared plan as a guest preview without touching your own plan.

Under Report you find PDF Export (inspection report), Material List and Share Project – with the same content as in the app. The files are downloaded.

Without unlocking, Test Mode applies (see “How to get into the Studio”).