Documentation

How to create an assembly guide

Four ways in, one way out: every path produces a draft that you review in the editor, then publish to the catalog — where customers open it from the QR code on your carton, in 3D, with AR and a built-in assistant.

PATH 01 · RECOMMENDED
Upload your paper manual
PATH 02
Upload a 3D model
PATH 03
Photo capture
PATH 04
Start from a template

PATH 01Upload your paper manual

Best when · you already print an instruction booklet — most manufacturers start here

PDF or page scans (JPG/PNG)up to 40 pages32 MB per file~1–3 min AI processing
  1. Go to New guide → Path 01Fill in the product name, SKU and dimensions — the AI uses the dimensions to scale the 3D model correctly.
  2. Drop in the manualThe PDF you already print is ideal. Scans or phone photos of the pages work too — keep them sharp and well-lit.
  3. GenerateThe AI reads the exploded-view drawings, counts fasteners, extracts part numbers, carries over every safety warning, sequences the steps, and reconstructs the product as a 3D model assigned step by step.
  4. Review in the editorThe draft lands in "In review". Check every step against the physical product — fix wording, hardware counts and the parts checklist. Use Preview 3D to watch the build.
  5. PublishAdd catalog tags and hit Publish. Print the QR label for your packaging from the dashboard.
⚠ AI drafts are faithful but not infallible — the review step is mandatory by design. Pay special attention to left/right orientation cues and fastener counts.
▶ See a guide made this way — KARO side table

PATH 02Upload a 3D model

Best when · you have CAD or design files — pixel-accurate geometry, you write the steps

GLB / glTFSTEP (.step/.stp)OBJ32 MB
  1. Go to New guide → Path 02Name the product, then drop in your model file.
  2. CAD files convert automaticallyGLB/glTF render as-is. STEP files are tessellated from the engineering solids (millimeter-exact); OBJ is converted too. Conversion runs in the background — usually well under a minute.
  3. Write the stepsYou land in the editor with three starter steps. Write one step per physical action; list the hardware used in each step; add safety warnings where they apply.
  4. Build the parts checklistCustomers tick this off before step 1 — it cuts mid-build surprises and support calls.
  5. PublishThe viewer shows your real model with your steps alongside.
✓ Export tips: keep meshes under ~500k triangles, bake materials into the file (GLB embeds everything), model in real-world units, and orient the product Y-up resting on the origin.
▶ See a guide made this way — LUMEN floor lamp

PATH 03Photo capture

Best when · you have neither a manual nor CAD — just the product in front of you

8 photos (JPG/PNG/WebP)plain background~1–3 min AI processing
  1. Photograph the assembled productSeven angles: front, back, left, right, both front three-quarter views, and top-down. Use a plain background and even lighting; keep the whole product in frame.
  2. Photograph the parts laid flatOne more shot of every part and the hardware laid out — this is how the AI builds the parts checklist.
  3. Go to New guide → Path 03Enter the product dimensions (important — photos carry no scale) and add the 8 photos.
  4. Generate & reviewThe AI infers the construction, drafts a sensible assembly order, and reconstructs an approximate 3D model. Expect to edit more than with Path 01 — photos say less than drawings.
  5. PublishSame as every path: tags, publish, QR.
⚠ The 3D model from photos is an approximation for guidance, not engineering data. If a step's geometry looks off, fix the step text — builders follow the words and the highlighted parts.
▶ See a guide made this way — OTTO stool

PATH 04Start from a template

Best when · your product rhymes with a common flat-pack type and you want a head start

bookcasebed framedeskchairwardrobe
  1. Go to New guide → Path 04Pick the template closest to your product.
  2. Adapt the stepsTemplates carry a complete generic step sequence — rename parts, adjust counts, reorder, delete what doesn't apply.
  3. Add your parts & publishFill the parts checklist with your real part numbers, tag it, publish.
✓ Templates pair well with Path 02 later: start publishing today with a template, swap in your real 3D model when you have one — the steps carry over.

After you publish — every path gets the same superpowers

  1. QR on the cartonDashboard → ▦ QR prints a packaging label. Scanning opens the guide in any browser — no app install.
  2. View in AR on iPhoneGuides with 3D geometry get a "📱 View in AR" button — AR Quick Look places the product on the floor at 1:1 scale, at the exact step the builder is on.
  3. Built-in assistantThe ✦ Ask panel answers builders' questions grounded in your guide's steps, parts and warnings.
  4. Verified badgeOrganizations can upload a business document on the Profile page to earn the official-manufacturer ✓ shown across the catalog.
+ Create your first guide Browse the catalog