Professional 3D Planning for Realistic Customer Presentations

What is Pro Mode?

Pro Mode is the professional planning tool in Eturnity Expert. Unlike Basic Mode, here you model the entire building in 3D – not just individual roof areas. The result is a realistic 3D model that your customers see directly in the offer.

Advantages of Pro Mode:

• Realistic 3D representation – Convincing visualization for customer presentations
• Automatic complete building model – All roof areas are created simultaneously
• Suitable for all roof types – From simple gable roofs to complex dormers
• Professional additional functions – Sunpath, shading analysis, import of floor plans and 3D models
• Precise and symmetrical – Intelligent tools for exact building modeling

💡 Difference from Basic Mode: In Basic Mode, you draw individual 2D roof areas. In Pro Mode, you create a complete 3D building model from which all roof areas with correct geometry are automatically generated.

Video Tutorial: Pro Mode Step by Step

In this video from our Video Training Center, you'll see the entire process in action:

The 5-Step Process in Pro Mode

Planning in Pro Mode follows a structured 5-step process. Steps 3 and 4 (obstacles and margins) are optional, depending on the project:

1. Select map material – Ensure best quality
2. Draw floor plan – Outer and inner roof edges
3. Extrude roof – Create 3D model
4. Draw obstacles (optional) – Roof windows, chimneys, etc.
5. Adjust margins (optional) – When they differ from default values
6. Place panels – Cover roof areas with panels

Step 1: Select the Best Map Material

As in Basic Mode, start with selecting the optimal map material. This is especially important in Pro Mode since you're modeling the entire building.

Recommended approach:

1. Open the map selection on the right side
2. Test different options:
   • Orthophotos without distortion enable even more precise models 
     • Germany: BKG Orthophotos 
     • Switzerland: SwissTopo
     • Austria: Basemap.at
   • Bing Satellite Images
   • Google Satellite Images
3. Choose map material with:
   • Perpendicular view from above (no house walls visible)
   • High resolution and good contrast
   • Current imagery without shadows

⚠️ Critical success factor: Orthophotos are always taken perpendicularly from above and contain no distortions. Satellite images with visible house walls distort the roof and make it harder to draw symmetrically. Investing 30 seconds in the right map selection saves you 10 minutes of correction work!

Step 2: Draw Floor Plan and Inner Roof Edges

In Pro Mode, you always draw the entire building. This means: first the outer building edges (floor plan), then the inner roof edges (ridges, valleys, etc.).

Draw Outer Floor Plan

1. Select the Roof Tool from the toolbar
2. Start at a long, straight outer edge of the building
3. Use the snap functions intensively:
   • 90° angles snap automatically
   • Parallel lines are indicated by the circle indicator
   • Equal lengths of opposite sides
4. Work systematically around the building
5. Close the floor plan with a double-click at the endpoint

Why draw symmetrically? A symmetrical floor plan leads to a precise and symmetrical 3D model. The snap functions help you automatically – let the visual hints guide you!

Draw Inner Roof Edges

After the floor plan, draw the inner roof edges. For a simple gable roof, that's just the ridge:

1. The Roof Tool is still active
2. Move the cursor to the center of a building edge
3. The midpoint snap mechanism activates automatically
4. Click at the midpoint to start the ridge
5. Drag to the midpoint of the opposite side
6. Click again – the ridge is finished

💡 Pro tip: The midpoint snap mechanism is your best friend for symmetrical buildings. It ensures the ridge runs exactly in the center and you get a perfectly symmetrical 3D model.

More complex roofs: For roofs with multiple ridges, dormers, or offsets, read the article "Modeling Complex Roofs and Dormers". There, advanced techniques like split roof edges are explained in detail.

Step 3: Extrude Roof and Create 3D Model

Now comes the "magic moment": you transform the 2D floor plan into a 3D building model.

1. Switch to the Height Tool in the toolbar
2. Select the highest roof edge (usually the ridge)
3. The selected line is highlighted
4. Enlarge the 3D preview in the upper right to see the changes
5. Hold down the mouse on the selected line
6. Drag toward the top of the screen
7. Watch in the 3D preview how the roof extrudes
8. Release at the desired inclination (e.g., 30°)

What happens during extrusion? Eturnity Expert automatically calculates the complete 3D geometry of all roof areas based on the floor plan and inner roof edges. You don't need to manually create individual roof areas – the system does this intelligently for you!

Step 4 (Optional): Model Obstacles

After the 3D model is established, you can draw obstacles like roof windows, chimneys, and vents.

Draw Obstacles

1. Activate the Obstacle Tool
2. Zoom closer to the obstacle for precise drawing
3. Draw the contour of the obstacle (e.g., roof window)
4. Use the 90° snap angles for rectangular objects
5. Close the shape with a double-click

Set Obstacle Properties

By default, obstacles are "roof-parallel" (they follow the roof slope). For chimneys or other protruding objects, you need to change this:

1. Select the obstacle (e.g., the chimney)
2. In the settings at the top, deactivate "Roof-parallel"
3. Enter the actual height of the object (e.g., 1.5 m for a chimney)
4. The object is now displayed correctly in the 3D view

Why draw obstacles? During automatic panel coverage (double-click), obstacles are automatically considered with correct minimum distances. This saves you manually deleting individual panels. Additionally, obstacles are considered in shading analysis.

Step 5 (Optional): Adjust Margins

Eturnity Expert uses a default margin of 200 mm to all roof edges. This can be adjusted if needed:

1. Switch to the Margin Tool
2. Select a roof area
3. Adjust the margins:
   • All at once – Uniform distance everywhere
   • Individually per side – Different distances depending on requirements

Typical use cases: Larger distance to gutter, smaller distance to ridge, special structural requirements.

Step 6: Place Panels

Now cover the roof areas with panels. Pro Mode offers two main methods:

Method 1: Automatic Complete Coverage (Recommended)

The fastest and most commonly used method, especially when you've already drawn obstacles:

1. Switch to the Panel Field Tool
2. Make a double-click on a roof area
3. The entire roof area is automatically covered with panels
4. Obstacles are considered with corresponding minimum distances
5. Repeat this for additional roof areas

Advantage: One double-click per roof area – and done! Intelligent coverage automatically considers all margins and obstacles.

Method 2: Draw Individual Panel Fields

If you want to cover only specific areas:

1. Select the Panel Field Tool
2. Click once to start a panel field
3. Draw the desired area on the roof
4. The area is automatically filled with panels

Use case: Partial roof coverage, specific design requirements, or gradual approach for complex roofs.

Adjust Panel Settings

You can make detailed settings for each panel field:

1. Select a panel field (marked in blue)
2. On the left side you'll find all settings:
   • Panel: Select a different panel from your library
   • Mounting System: Adjust the mounting system
   • Panel orientation: Horizontal or vertical
   • Additional options: Depending on panel type and project requirements

Additional Functions in Pro Mode

Pro Mode offers additional professional functions that are not available in Basic Mode:

Sunpath Simulation

Visualize how shadows move across your panels throughout the day. This helps identify shading problems and find optimal panel placement.

Shading Analysis

The shading analysis shows you in 2D view with color coding how strongly individual panels are shaded throughout the year. 

Practical benefit: Identify panels that produce little yield due to shading and might be omitted.

Floor Plan and 3D Model Import

You can import existing floor plans or 3D models (e.g., from drone surveys) and use them as a basis for your panel layout. This is particularly helpful for very complex buildings or when CAD data is already available.

💡 Pro tip: Importing drone 3D models enables extremely precise planning, especially for difficult roof geometries or when no on-site visit is possible.

Comparison: When Pro Mode, When Basic Mode?

Summary: When to Use Pro Mode?

Pro Mode is the right choice when:

• You need a professional 3D model for your customer presentation
• The project has multiple roof areas
• You need to accurately represent complex roof geometries
• You want to perform shading analyses
• You want to visualize a sunpath
• You're creating the final offer after the on-site visit

Expected result: With Pro Mode, you create a complete, realistic 3D model including panel coverage in 5-10 minutes that impresses your customers and increases your closing rate.

Next Steps

After mastering the basics of Pro Mode, we recommend these advanced articles:

• Drawing and Adjusting Roof Areas to Scale – Correctly implement precise measurements from the on-site visit
• Placing Panels Flexibly: Techniques and Best Practices – Optimizing your panel fields
• Modeling Complex Roofs and Dormers – Advanced techniques for demanding buildings

The complete Video Training Center – Module 3 contains additional practical examples and shows all functions in detail.