Basic functions and features
Cadvilla contains many important basic features and general functions that are essential for successful planning. The most important general functions and features of our CAD program can be found in the following overview.
The most important features
(Hint: Click on each feature to learn more.)
cadvilla is delivered and installed in 11 different languages (multilingual). Switching the user interface to another available language is always possible.
The cadvilla user interface can be displayed in the following languages:
English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Polish, Slovakian, Turkish and Hungarian
The software includes manuals in PDF format in English and German.
The cadvilla installation file is running under Windows and contains a 32 BIT and a 64 BIT software package. By default, cadvilla is installed in the 32 BIT version. If you have a Windows operating system with 64 BIT, cadvilla is installed in the 64 BIT version.
cadvilla uses the same tools to create 2D floor plans in all versions.
In addition to our standard 2D construction elements (walls, ceilings, windows, doors, stairs, …), 2D plans can be finalized and completed with 2D drawing functions (lines, polygons, circles, …), both included in cadvilla.
On top, you can choose 2D symbols from our 2D catalog and easily drag and drop them into your floor plan. More than 1000 2D drawing elements from a wide variety of areas are delivered with cadvilla.
Some examples of the catalog content:
- 2D Symbols for furnishing and exterior design
- 2D electrical symbols for designing electrical installations
- 2D symbols for plumbing plans, create your own heating system, water supply and sanitary system
- 2D Symbols for safety and gas installations
The 2D symbol catalog can be easily extended by using our 2D drawing functions.
Regardless of whether the architectural program is used for floor plans of a new building or a conversion – cadvilla provides the necessary tools.
Building elements of the existing building and conversion part can be displayed in different colours in your 2D floor plan and also highlighted with different fill properties.
The default settings of the architectural software for the design of 2D plans are, by default, adapted to the German industrial DIN and ISO standards. This concerns, for example, the presentation of windows, doors, wall panels and dimension lines.
When entering lengths, these can be entered in different units. You can choose between input in meters, centimeters, millimeters, yards, feet and inches.
For angles, input in degrees or radians is possible.
The output of the lengths (e.g. the dimensioning of the project) can be adjusted according to the input settings. For imperial measurement system, an additional imperial representation and the representation of Feet / Inch can be set for the output. (Example: 7.55 ft or 7 35/64 ft or 7′-6 19/32 “or 7′-6,55”)
You can choose between m², cm², mm², square yard, square feet or square inches for the output of the areas.
For the output of volume you can choose between m³, cm³, mm³, cubic yard, cubic foot or cubic inch.
The desired settings can be saved as default.
By using cadvillas layer structure capabilities you can combine floors individually in your 2D plans. Elements belonging together can be grouped and inserted on different layers.
Layers can then be faded in or out on each floor plan as you wish with a single mouse click. This allows you to add electrical installation to your floor plan by simply changing the visibility of a self-created “Electrical installation” layer (on which only the components for electrical installation have been inserted).
In all cadvilla versions a project can consist of multiple floors and buildings without any restriction.
cadvilla projects can handle multiple buildings and all of them with an individual level. That allows you to separate your main building and a garage into two buildings, but both still presented on one plan.
In this example, if the main building and the garage have different floor heights and are on different levels, you will need this feature to structure your 3D building model.
By default, cadvilla includes extensive libraries of 2D symbols, 3D models, textures, and materials.
- More than 1000 2D symbols
- more than 2000 high quality 3D objects
All libraries can be easily extended by your individual drawings and constructions or with additional 2D / 3D object collections.
- More than 5500 high quality textures
- more than 1000 high quality materials
Each material can contain different textures and be mixed with any color in adjustable intensities.
There are almost countless possibilities for the design of surfaces. Custom textures or scans can be added to the texture catalog with just a few clicks.
Our 3D visualization can be refined by using additional functions like ambient occlusion and smooth shadows for light sources so that the 3D building becomes more and more photo-realistic.
By adding a background image of the real plot, this effect can be enhanced.
In addition to the normal light / shadow calculation, ambient shadows can be calculated in all versions. This process makes the calculated images even more photo realistic.
Ambient shadows are shadows that appear darker in depth. The further a shadow is away from the sunlight, the darker it appears.
A classic example of this is a cave that lies in the shadow. The further you go into the cave, the darker it gets inside.
In the ambient occlusion calculation, all 3D elements contained in your 3D scene (walls, windows, doors, roofs, balconies, 3D furniture, 3D exterior objects, etc.) are taken into account.
In case of a shade simulation the start and end time of the simulation is defined in a dialog as well as the geographical location of the building project.
Afterwards you can follow the course of the shadow casting in 3D view via the defined period of time like in a video.
In the adjacent image you can see the dialog window and 3 screen shots of a simulation during 9:00 and 11:30 a.m.
Using this function you can for example check the planning of photovoltaic systems. The simulation helps you to place the photovoltaic elements the right way and to generate the maximum energy from them.
In principal, the software operates based on a 3D model for which various views can be defined.
The following illustration shows a 3D perspective view and a 2D plan view. Several windows with different content can be displayed at the same time.
Since internally all views are equal, all user actions, e.g. selecting,, positioning, moving etc. are, if applicable, carried out the same way in all views. All views are updated simultaneously so that the user can follow the effects of changes in 3D as well as in 2D.
The individual windows can be presented vertically or horizontally tiled, cascaded or in tabbed form.
‘Walkthrough’ mode can be activated in an active 3D view.
In this mode, direction and inclination are controlled by movements of the mouse. The mouse wheel can be used to change the height of the viewing position.
You can control forward and sideways movements by default with the arrow keys. Other key combinations and further options can be specified in the ‘walkthrough’ dialog.
If you press the SHIFT key during a movement, movement of the adjustable factors are accelerated.
With our architectural software, you can not only draw 2D floor plans and visualize them in 3D, but also add 3D objects for interior design and exterior areas.
The 3D models for interior or garden design can be freely scaled, distorted and coloured. The accurate positioning can be done either in 2D or 3D views.
With cadvilla professional or higher it is also possible to import 3D models from external formats such as 3DS, Collada or SketchUp.
This gives you access to millions of 3D objects from various manufacturers and allows you to quickly build your own 3D objects collection according to your wishes.
The architectural program Cadvilla not only becomes your floor plan tool, but also your interior designer and garden planner.
Our project wizard allows you to quickly create a single room or building shape in a few steps by just editing some parameters.
General basic functions – available in all versions