String Lights
String lights are placed by drawing a path on the canvas. Bulbs follow the path at regular intervals. Styles: Festoon, Fairy, Edison.
String Lights and LED StripsString Lights and LED Strip are two distinct path-based light types suited to different fixture specifications. String Lights renders individual hanging bulbs (Festoon, Fairy, or Edison) at intervals along a catenary curve, with controllable sag and bulb count. LED Strip renders a continuous glowing ribbon ideal for deck edges, step risers, coves, and similar linear accent applications. Both are drawn by clicking a path on the canvas and configured through their own dedicated Inspector panels, which include color, brightness, and cost controls.
Inspector controls
Bulb Style — Festoon (large globe), Fairy (small round), or Edison (retro filament). Bulb Spacing — the distance between consecutive bulbs along the string. Intensity — overall brightness. Color — RGB or warm color temperature. Sag — the droop amount between anchor points.
Choose the String Lights fixture style
With a String Lights entity selected, the Inspector opens on the right. Under Cable, set the Height above ground and the Sag — the amount of droop between support points. In the Fixture Style section, choose Festoon, Fairy, or Edison to match the bulb type you are specifying for the project. The canvas preview updates in real time.
Set the bulb count and color
Use the Bulbs field to define how many bulbs are distributed along the string. In the Light Color section, switch between Custom Color (a color picker) and Color Temperature (a warm-to-cool slider). Enable Party Mode (Random Colors) to assign a different color to each bulb — useful for decorative or festive scheme visualizations. Adjust Brightness to control per-bulb intensity.
Party Mode is purely visual for presentation and client review — it does not affect wattage or cost calculations. Disable it before exporting cost estimates to keep the specification accurate.
Configure the LED Strip color mode
With an LED Strip entity selected, open the Light accordion section. Set the Color Mode to one of four options: Single White, Tunable White, Color Changing, or Color Changing + White. Single White and Tunable White show a warm-to-cool Color Temperature slider; Color Changing and Color Changing + White show a Strip Color swatch picker (no hex codes shown). Set Brightness with the percentage slider (0–100%).
Set the installation context
In the General section, choose the Context that best describes where the strip is mounted. Options include Deck Edge, Step Riser, Pathway Edge, Fence Rail, Pergola Beam, Pool Coping, Water Feature, Retaining Wall, Soffit, and Custom. The context labels the run on the plan so installers know exactly where each strip belongs.
Review computed metrics and cost
Open the Cost section. The Inspector computes and displays the Strip Length (total path length in your active unit system — metric or imperial), Total Watts, and a Driver Size recommendation that builds in a 25% safety headroom. Enter a Price / m value and the figures feed into your project cost estimate.
The Driver Size figure is always at least 25% higher than the strip's total wattage. This headroom is an industry standard to prevent driver overload and premature failure — use it as the minimum specification when selecting a driver.
To specify the mounting channel and control method for an LED Strip run, expand the Channel & Control section in the Inspector. Choose a Channel Type (None, Aluminum Surface, Aluminum Recessed, Corner Profile, or Neon Extrusion), a Control Type (Always On, Manual, Timer, Dimming, Scene, Smart, or DMX), and a Circuit reference so these details stay with the entity in exported documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which tool should I use — String Lights or LED Strip?
Use String Lights when specifying individual suspended bulbs — festoon, fairy lights, or Edison-style pendants hanging between supports. Use LED Strip when specifying a continuous ribbon of light mounted against a surface, such as under a deck rail, along a step riser, or inside a cove. They represent fundamentally different fixture types and have separate Inspector panels.
My string lights look too taut or too saggy in the preview.
Select the String Lights entity and adjust the Sag slider in the Cable section of the Inspector. A higher Sag value increases the droop between support points to create a natural catenary curve; a lower value pulls the string tighter. The canvas updates live as you drag the slider.
The LED Strip Inspector shows the length in meters but my project is imperial. How do I switch?
The Strip Length display automatically uses your project's active unit system. Go to Settings → Units & formatting and set the unit system to Imperial — the Strip Length in the LED Strip Inspector then updates to feet.
Where do I find the total wattage and recommended driver size?
Select the LED Strip entity and open the Cost section of the Inspector. It displays Strip Length, Total Watts (computed from the strip wattage per meter and path length), and the Driver Size recommendation. The driver figure already includes a 25% headroom safety margin.
Can I edit the path of a string light or LED strip after drawing it?
Yes. Select the entity, then activate the Node Edit tool from the left toolbar to reveal the path's anchor points. Drag existing points, or add and remove points, to reshape the run. The computed length and watts recalculate automatically.