MDS

1 · Get the file in a format MDS reads

Extension	What it is	What MDS makes of it
.dwg .dxf	AutoCAD drawing or block file	Every named block in the file becomes one library block, at its real size.
.svg	Vector drawing (top view)	A plan symbol. You set its real width; depth follows the drawing.
.png .jpg .webp	Picture of the top view	A plan symbol. White background can be made transparent.
.glb .gltf	3D model (best choice)	A 3D block: real size from the model, plan symbol from its top view, the model itself in the 3D walk-through. Use .glb (one file) rather than .gltf with separate files.
.skp	SketchUp model (SketchUp 2013 or newer)	A 3D block, read directly — no SketchUp needed. Sizes come from the model in real units; textures are kept.
.fbx .obj .dae	3D model (FBX, Wavefront, COLLADA)	Same as above. Textures kept in separate files are not carried over, so the model shows in its plain colours.
.zip .kmz	Compressed download	MDS opens it and imports the model inside (or every drawing file, when there is no model).
.mdslib	MDS library pack	All the blocks in the pack, with their names, tags and files.

Formats MDS can’t read — convert first:

• Older SketchUp files (made before SketchUp 2013): open and save them in a newer SketchUp, or export them as COLLADA (.dae).
• .3ds .max .blend .rfa .3dm .c4d: open in the program they came from and export as .glb, .fbx or .obj. Blender exports .glb with File › Export › glTF 2.0.
• PDF drawings: open the PDF in a CAD program and save the block as .dxf, or take a picture of the top view.

2 · Import

1. Click Import blocks… and choose one or more files (you can mix types).
2. CAD units: leave on Automatic, or pick the units the drawing was made in if sizes come out wrong.
3. Picture width: the real width of the item in an SVG or picture, in cm.
4. Category and Studios: leave on Automatic to let MDS guess from the file names, or set them for the whole batch.
5. Click Import. Problems are listed file by file; everything else is added.

3 · Check and tag

• Click a block to fix its name, category, size, height and mounting height. 3D models are scaled from millimetres, centimetres or metres by guess; correct the width, depth and height if one is off.
• Tags decide where a block appears: Home Studio shows every block · Kitchen Studio shows blocks tagged Kitchen · Bathroom Studio shows blocks tagged Bathroom · Room Studio shows everything except blocks tagged only Kitchen or only Bathroom · Outdoor is for the Landscape Studio.
• Use Hide to keep a block out of every studio without deleting it.

4 · Tips

• Keep 3D models light (under about 10 MB each); very detailed models slow the 3D walk-through.
• A DWG/DXF with many blocks imports them all at once. Delete the ones you don’t need afterwards.
• Export as pack saves the blocks you are viewing as one .mdslib file you can import on another computer. If your projects folder is in Google Drive, the team already shares the same library.

Licences

Only import blocks you have the right to use. Check each model’s licence where you got it; many free models may be used in your designs but not passed on to others. Sharing a library pack passes the blocks on, so share only blocks whose licence allows it.