WDE: Working Design & Documentation Engine
What is WDE?
WDE is the precision-engineered 3D creation, CAD automation, studio library and architectural documentation suite for SketchUp.
Designed by an architect for architects, WDE transforms SketchUp from a basic conceptual modeling canvas into an authoritative, full-scale architectural BIM and working design environment. It is engineered with relentless focus on precision, speed, and real-world construction logic, empowering designers to draft, model, detail, and document complex projects with absolute structural confidence.
In professional architectural practice, designers lose countless billable hours to repetitive, fragmented modeling tasks:
- The Endless Tracing Grind: Spending countless hours manually tracing 2D CAD imports with lines, extruding individual wall segments, and cutting window and door openings by hand.
- Plugin Clutter & Workflow Lag: Juggling four or five fragmented extensions for louvers, edge beveling, stairs, and asset management, each adding toolbar clutter and slowing down the modeling viewport.
- Non-Manifold Geometry & Bevel Crashes: Attempting to soften edges or detail corners only to face inverted faces, broken meshes, or catastrophic BugSplat crashes.
- Cloud Storage Dependency: Losing productivity to slow, subscription-based cloud warehouses that freeze your screen when loading basic 3D components.
- Disconnected Drafting Workflows: Manually aligning camera angles, section cuts, and display styles just to extract basic 2D orthographic drawings from a completed 3D model.
WDE eliminates these daily modeling frustrations and workflow slowdowns. By uniting high-speed CAD layer automation, parametric architectural generators, solid manifold detailing, a 100% local studio asset warehouse, and automated 2D scene extraction into a single, cohesive engine, WDE sets a new global benchmark for architectural production inside SketchUp.
1. Unified Architecture: The Six Production Engines
WDE is structured as a complete, unified ecosystem driven from a single minimalist command hub:
WDE Architectural Ecosystem
โโโ CAD Layers to 3D (โ
Innovation) โ Walls, Columns, Beams, Slabs, Floors, Ceilings, Partitions
โโโ Architecture Modules โ Doors, Windows, Curtain Walls, Louvers, Railings, Stairs, Patterns, Primitives & Openings
โโโ Built-in Solid Detailing โ Smart Bevel (Watertight Manifold Verification)
โโโ Documentation Engine โ 2D Scenes, Extractor, Batch Extraction, Plans & Elevations
โโโ WDE Asset Library โ 100% Local PC Warehouse, Viewport Cataloging, Component/Group Mode
โโโ Global Workflow Engine โ Generation Queue, Parametric Presets, Audit Generation History
A. CAD Layers to 3D (โ The Core Innovation)
Architects who draft with clean, organized CAD standards can now convert 2D drawings into complete 3D structures in seconds. WDE reads your imported .dwg layer structure and automatically erects:
- Walls & Partitions: Extrudes perimeter and interior wall assemblies with clean geometric intersections.
- Structural Elements: Generates structural Columns, Beams, and floor Slabs with millimeter accuracy.
- Spatial Boundaries: Automatically builds finished Floors, Ceilings, and precision door and window Openings.
B. Parametric Architectural Modules
Create, refine, and modify full architectural assemblies parametrically without tedious manual push-pull operations:
- Enclosure & Openings: Parametric Doors, Windows, Openings, and multi-bay Curtain Walls.
- Circulation & Protection: Fully adjustable Stairs and Railings with custom baluster spacing and tread depths.
- Facades & Surfaces: Parametric Louver systems, solar shading fins, surface Patterns, and geometric Primitives.
C. Built-in Tools: Smart Bevel (Solid Detailing)
Realistic architectural renders and physical models demand softened edges, but traditional tools often destroy geometry. WDE Smart Bevel features:
- Live Native Manifold Check: Real-time verification (
โ Manifold โข Faces: 8 โข Edges: 18) ensuring all rounded edges remain 100% watertight solids. - Instant Presets: Rapid one-click radius buttons from 1mm up to 25mm, custom segment counts, and chamfer controls.
- Intelligent Edge Softening: Automatically softens and smooths transition edges while preserving sharp boundary profiles.
D. Documentation Engine (2D Drafting & Scene Generation)
Seamlessly transition from 3D modeling into orthographic construction documentation:
- Automated 2D Scenes: Instantly configures clean, orthographic Plan and Elevation camera scenes inside SketchUp.
- The Extractor: Select any furniture asset, millwork assembly, or building group in your viewport and generate dedicated orthographic views in one click.
- Batch Extraction: Process multiple selected entities simultaneously, creating organized scene catalogs ready for drawing set export.
E. WDE Library (100% Local PC Asset Management)
Take complete control over your 3D assets with zero cloud latency and total privacy:
- Your PC, Your Storage: Works directly with your local hard drive or shared studio office network.
- Instant Visual Catalog: Fast, responsive thumbnail browser with categorized folders (Architecture, Kitchen, Lighting, Props, Showrooms).
- Direct Viewport Cataloging: Select any model in your scene, click
Add to WDE Library, assign a category, and save it permanently in seconds.
F. Global Workflow Engine
The underlying operational backbone that powers all WDE modules:
- Generation Queue (Batch Engine): Schedules and executes heavy generative passes in the background, keeping your viewport completely responsive without freezing your mouse.
- Parametric Presets: Save, load, and recall custom module parameters and material specifications across all project files.
- Generation History (Audit Log): Inspect previous generative passes, verify applied parameters, and recall past component states with one-click restore.
2. The Ecosystem Bridge: WDE & nEVEn Integration
WDE and nEVEn form a unified, complementary architectural ecosystem: WDE creates with precision, while nEVEn protects with unyielding vigilance.
Both tools communicate through an active live bridge inside SketchUp:
- The
CALL nEVEnBridge: Advanced modeling actions like Smart Bevel and wall openings require clean, watertight geometry. If an imported model contains stray line stubs, internal coplanar seams, or reversed back-faces, architects do not need to exit WDE or open secondary utilities. - One-Click Pre-Cleaning with Live Reporting: Clicking the dedicated
CALL nEVEnbutton inside WDE immediately summons nEVEn's diagnostic cleanup modal over your viewport. It displays a real-time report detailing exact counts of cleaned stray edges, dissolved internal seams, and corrected face orientations, ensuring your geometry is 100% verified, clean, and ready for flawless solid bevels and openings.
3. Perpetual Licenses & 14-Day Free Trial
WDE is built on respect for professional architects: you own your software, your work stays on your computer, and you are never trapped by recurring monthly subscriptions.
| License Tier | Pricing | Duration | Active Seats | Features & Capabilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14-Day Free Trial | $0 | 14 Days | 1 Machine | 100% Full Access (Zero feature limitations or artificial locks) |
| Pro License | $99 | Lifetime | 1 User / Machine | Full Engine Access, perpetual ownership, free minor updates |
| Studio License | $399 | Lifetime | Up to 5 Seats | Full Office Access, multi-workstation deployment, shared library support |
License Portability & Offline Privacy
- 100% Offline Independence: WDE operates entirely on your local machine. No project data, CAD drawings, or 3D geometry are ever uploaded to external servers.
- Perpetual Ownership: Pay once, use forever. Your license key never expires or forces an annual renewal.
- Self-Service Device Transfers: Easily deactivate your license from an old computer and reactivate it on a new laptop or workstation in seconds.
Topic Related FAQ
What is WDE? โบ
WDE (Working Design & Documentation Engine) is an all-in-one architectural creation, CAD automation, local asset management, and 2D documentation suite for SketchUp.
How long is the WDE free trial? โบ
WDE offers a 14-day free trial that gives you complete, unrestricted access to every architectural module, CAD generator, and documentation tool with zero feature locks.
Does WDE require a monthly subscription? โบ
No. WDE is sold strictly as a perpetual lifetime license ($99 Pro for single users, $399 Studio for up to 5 seats), eliminating recurring subscription fees forever.
Does WDE need an active internet connection? โบ
No. WDE works 100% offline on your local computer. Internet access is only required for a few seconds during initial license activation.
How does CAD-to-3D automation work in WDE? โบ
WDE analyzes clean, layered 2D CAD drawings imported into SketchUp and automatically erects parametric 3D walls, slabs, columns, beams, ceilings, and openings in seconds.
Does WDE Smart Bevel create solid manifold geometry? โบ
Yes. Smart Bevel features live native manifold detection (โ Manifold) to guarantee that all beveled and chamfered geometry remains fully watertight and 3D printable.
Where does the WDE Library store downloaded 3D assets? โบ
The WDE Library is a 100% local asset manager that connects directly to folders on your computer or local studio network, storing your 3D models with zero cloud lock-in.
Can WDE communicate directly with nEVEn for geometry cleanup? โบ
Yes. WDE dialogs feature a CALL nEVEn button that automatically cleans stray edges, dissolves coplanar seams, and orients reversed faces before executing bevels or cutting wall openings.