Pavilion Wizard
The Pavilion Wizard creates an open-sided roofed structure. Set the footprint size and click to place on the canvas, then configure the roof, posts, and wood finish in the sidebar.
Start the Pavilion Wizard from the Add Object panel. Set dimensions in the sidebar and click the canvas to place. The sidebar shows four configuration steps: Roof, Posts, Wood Style, and Apply.
Step 2 — Posts
Configure the post grid — number of intermediate posts along each span, and the post cross-section size.
Step 3 — Wood Style
Choose a wood finish from 8 preset cards: Fresh Pine, Pressure Treated, Oiled, Aged Grey, Aged Mossy, Painted White, Painted Dark, Charred.
Choose the roof style
Select Hip Roof (four sloping faces), Gable Roof (two slopes with vertical end gables), or Flat Roof (minimal drainage pitch). Set the Pitch angle in degrees and the Eave Height — the clearance from floor to where the roof meets the posts. Adjust Overhang to extend the roof edge beyond the posts. For a gable roof, use Ridge Direction to orient the ridge along the width or the depth of the structure.
A flat roof with a generous overhang reads as a modern garden room. A hip roof suits more traditional or formal settings. Keep eave height at 2.2 m or above for comfortable headroom when standing.
Configure posts and beams
Under Posts, set the Post Width and Post Depth for the cross-section, and toggle Include Corner Posts on or off. Use the Spacing slider to control the maximum gap between intermediate posts along each span — smaller values add more posts for long-span structures. The Inset from Edge value shifts posts inward from the footprint perimeter. Enable Beams and set beam width and height to add structural header beams connecting the posts.
Add optional railings
Expand the Railing section to add low rails between posts on selected edges. Choose a railing style — Simple Bars, Solid Panel, or None — and set the rail height. Railings are configured per-edge so you can leave the entry side open while enclosing the other three sides.
Apply the wood finish
On the Wood Style step, pick one of the preset finish cards: Fresh Pine, Pressure Treated, Oiled, Aged / Greyed, Aged with Moss, Painted White, Painted Dark, or Charred. Fine-tune the result with the Weathering and Moss Coverage sliders. The finish applies to the structural wood material slot; the Roof Surface material can be changed independently in the Inspector after placing.
Review and place
The Apply step shows a summary of roof type, overall dimensions, floor area, post count, and the chosen wood finish. Click Place Pavilion to commit the structure to the drawing. The pavilion is added as a parametric object in the Layers panel and can be re-opened for editing at any time by selecting it and clicking Parameters in the Inspector.
To reuse a boundary you have already drawn, select the closed polyline or rectangle on the canvas before starting the wizard. The wizard will adopt the selected shape as the pavilion footprint automatically — no need to redraw it.
The Custom Polygon footprint must be a closed outline. If you leave the polygon open the wizard will prevent you from advancing to the Roof step until the shape is closed.
Key Parameters
| Name | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Footprint Kind | rectangle | Plan shape of the pavilion. Rectangle uses width and depth; polygon uses manually drawn points. |
| Width / Depth | 4 m × 6 m | Overall external dimensions of a rectangular footprint. |
| Roof Type | hip | Hip: four sloping faces meeting at a ridge point or line. Gable: two slopes with vertical triangular end walls. Flat: near-level surface with a slight drainage pitch. |
| Pitch | 22° | Slope angle of the roof surface from horizontal. Applies to hip and gable roofs. |
| Eave Height | 2.4 m | Vertical clearance from the finished floor to the underside of the roof at the eave line. |
| Overhang | 0.3 m | Horizontal projection of the roof edge beyond the outer face of the posts. |
| Post Size | 0.1 m × 0.1 m | Cross-section dimensions of each structural post. |
| Post Spacing | 2.5 m | Maximum allowable gap between adjacent posts along each edge. Intermediate posts are inserted automatically when the span exceeds this value. |
| Wood Style | Fresh Pine | Finish preset for the structural timber: Fresh Pine, Pressure Treated, Oiled, Aged / Greyed, Aged with Moss, Painted White, Painted Dark, or Charred. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a pavilion and a gazebo?
The Pavilion Wizard targets rectangular and custom-polygon plans with hip, gable, or flat roofs — suited to larger, more formal garden rooms and dining areas. The Gazebo Wizard targets hexagonal, octagonal, or round footprints with conical or polygonal roofs — better for smaller decorative focal structures. Choose the wizard that matches the plan shape you need.
Can I create an L-shaped or non-rectangular pavilion?
Yes. On the Footprint step, switch to Custom Polygon and click the canvas to trace any closed outline, including L-shapes and irregular lots. The roof geometry, post grid, and beams all adapt to the custom boundary.
How do I control which edges have railings and which remain open?
Expand the Railing section in the Posts step. Each edge of the footprint is listed separately with its own style toggle. Set the entry side to None and configure the remaining edges to Simple Bars or Solid Panel as needed.
How do I edit the pavilion after placing it?
Select the pavilion on the canvas and click Parameters in the Inspector sidebar. This reopens the wizard at the Footprint step with all your previous settings intact. You can also open the Structure Edit workspace from the Inspector to move, resize, or re-material individual posts and beams without re-running the wizard.
Does the pavilion adapt to sloped terrain?
Yes. When terrain is enabled in the project, the wizard automatically samples ground elevation at each post location and adjusts post heights so the structure sits level on uneven ground. Enable Grade Terrain in the Apply step to also raise the terrain pad beneath the pavilion footprint.