FAQ

Read this page to get answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Sweet Home 3D.

Installation
3D models import
Other features
Contributions

Installation

What is the minimum system requirements to run Sweet Home 3D ?
Sweet Home 3D may be run under Windows 98 to Vista, Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) and 10.5 (Leopard), various Linux systems and Solaris. Your computer should have at least a processor running at 400 MHz, 256 MB and a graphic card with its driver updated (it runs slowly but successfully on a iMac DV).
Note that Sweet Home 3D offline installer doesn't run under Windows 98 (SP1 or SP2). Under that system, you can install Sweet Home 3D only with Java Web Start, meaning you must install Java first, then click on the link Launch Sweet Home 3D with Java Web Start.
When I click on the link Launch Sweet Home 3D with Java Web Start, my browser doesn't know what to do with SweetHome3D.jnlp downloaded file. What should I do ?
Under Mac OS X, simply double-click on the file icon. Under Windows and Linux, this is probably because Java isn't installed correctly or isn't installed at all on your system. If you don't mind to download a bigger file (25 to 40 MB instead of 11 MB), the easiest way to fix this problem is to download Sweet Home 3D offline installer bundled with Java and to follow installation instructions.
Otherwise, under Windows, you should install or reinstall Java available at http://java.com, then click again on the link Launch Sweet Home 3D with Java Web Start. Under Linux, you must also indicate to your browser that it should open the JNLP file with the command javaws that you'll find in the bin subdirectory of the directory where Java is installed (search something named jre...).
When I click on the link Launch Sweet Home 3D with Java Web Start, I got the error message Unsupported JNLP version in launch file: 1.5+. Only version 1.0 is supported with this version. What can I do ?
This message means that your system tried to run Sweet Home 3D with a version of Java that is too old (Sweet home 3D requires Java 1.5 at minimum). Under Mac OS X, ensure that the SweetHome3D.jnlp downloaded file is opened by Java Cache Viewer (11.5.0) application. Under Windows, you should install the latest version of Java available at http://java.com then click again on the link Launch Sweet Home 3D with Java Web Start. Under Linux, check that the command javaws used by your browser to open the JNLP file, is placed in a subdirectory of jre 1.5 or 1.6.
When I run Sweet Home 3D, only a splash screen appears. What happened ?
This is a problem due to the configuration of your graphic card. Please read the answer to the next question.
I got the message Sweet Home 3D will exit now because of a fatal error in 3D rendering system. What can I do ?
This is a problem due to the configuration of your graphic card.
Under Windows:
- First, open the Display Properties pane by right clicking on desktop screen and choosing Properties item in menu. In that pane, display the Settings tab, and click on the Advanced button. Then in the Troubleshoot tab of the pane that opened, check the Hardware acceleration cursor is at its maximum on Full, confirm your choice and try to run Sweet Home 3D again.
- If the previous operation didn't resolve your problem, update the OpenGL and DirectX drivers of your graphic card with the latest available ones, and try to run Sweet Home 3D again. If this update still doesn't fix your problem, sorry but Sweet Home 3D won't be able to run on your computer at this time.
Under Linux:
- Update the drivers of your graphic card with the latest available ones, and try to run Sweet Home 3D again. If this update still doesn't fix your problem, sorry but Sweet Home 3D won't be able to run on your computer at this time.
A new version of Sweet Home 3D is available in my language, but all texts are still in English. How can I change texts by the ones of my language ?
Choose your language in the Language drop down list of the Preferences pane. Under Mac OS X, this pane is displayed by choosing the Preferences item in the Sweet Home 3D menu. Under other systems, it's displayed by choosing the Preferences item in the File menu.

3D models import

I downloaded a 3DS model from the web, but Sweet Home 3D doesn't import it correctly ; some parts of the model are scattered, the model elevation is incorrect,... What can I do ?
Importing 3DS files in Sweet Home 3D is made possible thanks to Java3DSLoader, a third party tool provided by Microcrowd. Just like Sweet Home 3D, this tool is free and open source, and you may report problems about a given 3DS file to the author of Microcrowd, or even better, contribute a fix if you've got some skills in Java 3D or 3DS format.
Does Sweet Home 3D support 3D models that uses textures ?
Yes from version 1.3 if the 3D model file and its textures are included in a ZIP file.
How can I change the color of the different parts of a model at OBJ format ?
The OBJ file format is a text file format that is quite simple. From its description at Java 3D web site, this discussion and this one available on Sweet Home 3D forums, you may change the color of the different parts of an OBJ model by adding usemtl colorName rows in the file, where colorName is one of the color described in this document. From version 1.3, you may also describe model colors in a MTL file included with OBJ file in a ZIP file.
How can I create a new category of furniture ?
During the Import furniture wizard, you may choose the category of an imported 3D model with an editable drop down list. Thus, if you want to add an imported model to a new category, type a new category name in the text field of this drop down list. If it doesn't exist, it will be created.
I chose Furniture > Import furniture... menu item to import a 3D model, but during the wizard, I got the message Sweet Home 3D must exit now because of a fatal error in 3D rendering system. What can I do ?
This is a problem due to the configuration of your graphic card. Please read the answer to the same question in the Installation section.

Other features

Where are described the features of Sweet Home 3D ?
Sweet Home 3D is provided with a help system that describes all its features. You may also watch this video tutorial to discover these features in action.
How can I create different levels in a home ?
Sweet Home 3D doesn't manage this feature, but you can edit more than one document simultaneously to create the different levels of a home, and you may copy paste some parts of a plan between opened documents.
Note that some users bypassed this missing feature, by adding thin boxes (from Miscellaneous category) in the 2D plan to replace the floors and the walls of upper levels. To manage objects that will be superimposed in plan, you may order furniture list by elevation order, to select easily the objects of upper levels and modify their visiblity. If you want to add a sloping roof, you may assemble blue or red slate roof 3D models available at the 3D models import page.
How can I create round walls ?
It's not possible, but you may approximate a round wall with small wall parts (see the files murRond.png and murRond.sh3d attached to this page). Don't forget to temporarily desactivate magnetism (either with the shift key or with Preferences pane), to disable the angle constraint while drawing small wall parts.
Sweet Home 3D refuses to print the 3D view. What can I do ?
This is a problem due to the configuration of your graphic card that can't create offscreen 3D images. Please read the answer to this question in the Installation section.
How can I improve the lighting of the 3D view ?
Depending on your graphic card, the 3D view may look too bright or too dark. You may adjust Light brightness in the pane displayed by choosing 3D view > Modify...
Note that a better 3D rendering engine may also appear in a future version, where you'll be able to manage shadows and lights.
Where are missing features listed ?
You'll find requested features at this page and in some discussions of Sweet Home 3D forums.
Sweet Home 3D roadmap is described in this discussion.

Contributions

How can I contribute to Sweet Home 3D ?
You may contribute to Sweet Home 3D in many ways:
- Write an article about it on your blog, a forum or other means available on the Internet, for example to review it or to describe how you used it.
- Write a tutorial about Sweet Home 3D in the language of your choice, or even create a video tutorial, like the ones described in the documentation page. If you have no means to host your document on the Web, it may be hosted on Sweet Home 3D site.
- Create some new 3D models and post them in 3D Models Contributions Tracking System, so they can be added to the 3D models import page.
- Translate Sweet Home 3D in an other language.
- Answer user questions in Sweet Home 3D forums.
- Report a bug or propose a missing feature.
How can I contribute to the translation of Sweet Home 3D in an other language ?
Localizing Sweet Home 3D in a language consists of the translation of:
- texts in menus and dialogs (these texts are gathered in a big .properties files that looks like this one),
- help pages in HTML format (a good software should come with a decent help system),
- the four following web pages: home page, download, documentation and 3D models import.
This may be achieved by one or more persons and should take at least two days of work.
Please, write to the developer of Sweet Home 3D to receive more instructions about this.

Thanks to Artist373 for her contribution to the translation of this page.