Trellis
The Trellis Wizard places a trellis panel. Steps: panel → mounting → wood style.
The Trellis Wizard places a parametric lattice panel that you can configure for both freestanding and wall-mounted installations. You control the panel width, height, and thickness, choose from three lattice patterns (Diamond, Square, or Horizontal), set post height and style for freestanding panels, and apply one of eight wood-finish presets. The result appears as a footprint entity in your 2D drawing and renders fully in 3D, making it easy to show climbers such as roses or clematis growing up the structure in both plan and perspective views.
Step 2 — Mounting
Choose how the trellis is mounted: freestanding (with its own posts) or wall-mounted (against a surface). Set post height for freestanding mode.
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.
Configure the panel dimensions and lattice pattern
In the Panel step, set the Width and Height of the lattice panel in your project's unit system (meters or feet). Adjust Thickness if you need a chunkier or slimmer profile. Under Lattice Pattern, choose Diamond for a diagonal criss-cross (the most common decorative look), Square for a standard horizontal-and-vertical grid, or Horizontal for evenly-spaced horizontal bars only. The Spacing and Bar Width fields let you fine-tune how open or dense the lattice appears.
Set the mounting type and post configuration
In the Mounting step, choose Freestanding if the trellis stands on its own posts, or Wall Mounted if it attaches flat to an existing wall. For freestanding panels, enable posts and set the Post Height (the distance from ground to the bottom of the panel), Post Style (Square timber or Round turned), and Post Spacing along the panel width. Posts are automatically disabled when Wall Mounted is selected.
Choose a wood style
In the Wood Style step, pick one of the eight preset finish cards: Fresh Pine, Pressure Treated, Oiled, Aged / Greyed, Aged with Moss, Painted White, Painted Dark, or Charred. The finish is applied independently to the lattice and the posts via two material slots — Lattice Wood and Post Wood — so you can mix a painted lattice with natural-timber posts if needed.
Review and apply
The Apply step shows a summary of your configuration. Check the panel dimensions, pattern, and mounting type, then click Apply to commit the trellis to the drawing. A footprint entity is created in the 2D view and the full 3D geometry becomes visible when you switch to the 3D editor. To edit the trellis later, double-click its footprint to reopen the wizard.
For a climbing rose or wisteria, the Diamond pattern gives a denser climbing surface and reads as more decorative than the Square grid. For bamboo or espaliered fruit trees, Horizontal slats provide natural ledges for training horizontal growth.
Post Height sets the clearance from the ground to the bottom edge of the lattice panel, not the total post length. The 3D model automatically extends each post downward by this amount so the panel floats at the correct elevation.
Switching from Freestanding to Wall Mounted after configuring posts will disable and hide the post settings. If you switch back to Freestanding, post dimensions and spacing are restored from the last saved values.
Key Parameters
| Name | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 1.2 m | Horizontal span of the lattice panel. |
| Height | 1.8 m | Vertical height of the lattice panel. |
| Thickness | 0.04 m | Depth of the panel frame (visible in 3D side view). |
| Lattice Pattern | Diamond | Diamond (diagonal criss-cross), Square (vertical and horizontal grid), or Horizontal (horizontal bars only). |
| Spacing | 0.15 m | Centre-to-centre distance between lattice bars. |
| Bar Width | 0.025 m | Width of each individual lattice bar. |
| Mounting Type | Freestanding | Freestanding (on posts) or Wall Mounted (flush against a surface). |
| Post Height | 0.1 m | Ground clearance from soil to the bottom edge of the panel (freestanding only). |
| Post Style | Square | Square (traditional timber) or Round (decorative turned post). |
| Post Spacing | 0.6 m | Distance between posts along the panel width. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What lattice patterns are available, and when should I use each?
Three patterns are available. Diamond is the diagonal criss-cross most commonly seen on traditional garden trellises — it suits climbing roses, clematis, and jasmine. Square gives a clean modern grid suited to contemporary gardens. Horizontal is a series of evenly-spaced bars, ideal for training espalier fruit trees or bamboo screens where horizontal support matters more than diagonal climbing angles.
My wall-mounted trellis shows no posts. Is that a bug?
No — this is intentional. Wall-mounted panels attach directly to a wall surface, so supporting posts are not needed and are automatically hidden. Switch the Mounting Type to Freestanding if you want the trellis to stand independently on posts.
Can I have different wood finishes on the lattice and the posts?
Yes. The Wood Style step applies to both material slots simultaneously as a shortcut, but you can open the trellis inspector after applying and adjust the Lattice Wood and Post Wood slots independently. For example, you might choose a painted white lattice with pressure-treated natural posts.
How do I rotate the trellis to align it with a wall?
In the Panel step, use the Rotation field (in degrees) to spin the panel to match your wall angle. You can also reposition the origin by clicking a new point on the canvas before advancing to the Mounting step. After the trellis is placed, you can further adjust rotation by reopening the wizard or using the transform gizmo in the 3D editor.
Can I edit a trellis after it has been placed?
Yes. Double-click the trellis footprint in the 2D editor to reopen the Trellis Wizard with all your existing settings loaded. All four steps — Panel, Mounting, Wood Style, and Apply — are available for editing. Click Apply when finished to update the drawing and 3D model.