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When you are ready to start designing, go to the Project Details Page and open one of the Design cards on web or mobile app: 2D or 3D Design. This takes you into Hover Workspace, and both tools work together to help you guide homeowners from early inspiration to a fully scoped project.
Start designing in 2D when you want to create quick, photorealistic designs from a single photo. It is ideal for helping homeowners explore ideas, compare styles, and get clear on what they want before you talk through measurements or pricing. This is the fastest way to spark interest, build confidence, and move the conversation forward.
Start designing in 3D once you have a full scan of the home, and the scaled model is ready for review. Here, you can view and edit the property in 3D, work with precise facets, apply materials with full control, and prepare the design for estimating. This experience is built for scoping decisions and connecting design choices directly to the estimate.
Watch a walkthrough of Hover 3D Design
We're rolling out an update to the design experience. If your app looks different, you're either on our legacy experience, or you're already seeing the update.
Starting a design project
2D Design can be used with a single photo before a scan or with photos from a completed scan. 3D Design becomes available once the scan has been completed and processed. Together, these options let you choose the right starting point based on where you are in the project.
3D design after a scan
Open the Project Details Page once the scan is complete and processed.
The same 3D experience can be opened in 2 ways:
Select Start designing in 3D from the 3D card, or
Tap 3D from the Measurements card
Use the area-first control panel to select a category (Walls, Roof, Trim, and more), then drill down by product type, brand, product line, and color to apply materials.
Rotate and zoom around the model to review the design, check details, and prepare it for estimating.
Transferring materials from 2D onto the 3D model
Inside Hover’s 2D workspace, you can use the action bar at the bottom of your screen to transfer materials you’ve selected into the 3D experience.
Select Design from the action bar
In the pop-up, select 3D
This will open the 3D design experience
Once you transfer the 2D model materials to the 3D model for scoping, you won’t be able to ‘toggle back’ to the 2D design. You will need to reopen it from the project details page whenever you need to return to it.
Navigating the 3D model
3D Design gives you full control to view, edit, and customize every facet of the property once your scan has been processed. This is where you move from idea exploration into accurate scoping and material selection.
Below is an overview of the core tools you will use inside the 3D design environment.
Material menu
Material menu
Apply materials using the area-first control panel: select an area (Walls, Roof, Trim, and more) from the left-hand panel, then drill down to find your product: product type > brand > product line > color.
Use the back-navigation toggle at the top of the drill-down to jump back to a previous step without restarting (e.g. comparing a 16" vs. 8" board-and-batten profile side by side.)
Select Done to apply your choice to the selected area
Search and Recents
Search and Recents
Use Search to jump directly to a product by name, brand, or color. Check Recents for materials you've used recently on this project so you don't have to drill down again.
Facet selection
Facet selection
Menu - Choose a material type in the side panel (for example, trim or roofing) to automatically highlight and apply it to all matching areas on the 3D model.
Model - Click individual facets directly on the model to add or remove them. Selected areas are highlighted in fuchsia, making it easy to track active selections.
View
View
Open the View modal from the action bar to toggle what's displayed on the model — Material, Measurements, and Labels layers can each be turned on independently.
Additional note: Selecting a material group from the control panel and tapping Change automatically resets the view back to the material layer, so your new selection is clear.
Measure tool
Measure tool
Select the Measure tool (ruler icon) in the action bar to draw a custom line directly on the model for a quick, ad hoc length reading. Click a measurement to remove it.
For the full custom measurement workflow — editing, snapping, multiple measurements — see 3D Measurements.
Enhance
Enhance
Select Enhance from the action bar to create photorealistic renderings of the 3D model, in any angle you choose.
Pro Tip: Enhance multiple angles — front, side, and any detail views — before you sit down with the homeowner. You'll have a full set of visualizations ready to share without stepping away from the conversation.
Top 3D editing tools
The Split, Convert, and Remove tools give you flexibility and precision when refining exterior designs. Whether you are adding a horizontal transition trim, creating a brick or masonry base, or adjusting window details, these tools let you make clean, accurate updates directly within the 3D model.
Split
Split
Split allows you to divide a wall or trim into multiple segments, creating separate design areas such as horizontal trim, accent panels, or material transitions. You can split as many times as needed.
How to Add a Split to a Wall
Open your project in Workspace and select the Split tool from the toolbar.
Deselect any active walls if needed, then enter Split Mode.
Select a wall to split, and click Next.
Use the adjustment bar or measurement input to precisely define your split height or location.
Click Apply to create a new facet. Your wall is now divided into two segments.
How to add a split to trim
Deselect any active trims if needed, then enter Split Mode.
Select a trim to split, and click Next.
Use the adjustment bar or measurement input to precisely define your split height or location.
Click Apply. Your trim is now divided into two segments.
Pro Tip: Use the zoom and measure tools to align splits with existing architectural features, like trim edges or window tops.
Removing a split
You can remove a split immediately after creating it by using the Undo button. Once you continue making additional updates to the model after a split is created, the split can no longer be manually removed. This is intentional and helps protect the accuracy and integrity of the design. Removing a split after other design changes could cause unintended consequences or misalignments in the model.
If you’ve made several design updates after creating a split and need to remove it, the recommended approach is to start a new design rather than modifying the existing one.
Pro Tip: Before creating a split, save your design. This allows you to easily revert if you decide the split isn’t needed.
Convert walls and trim
Convert walls and trim
The conversion tool makes it easy to transform a wall into a trim (for features like horizontal trim) or a trim into a wall (for features like brick base).*
How to convert wall to trim
After creating a split, select the new wall segment.
Click Convert to Trim from the toolbar.
The segment automatically becomes a trim and inherits the color and style of your existing trims.
To ensure consistency, use Select All Trims to verify that your belly band matches other trim elements.
How to convert trim to a wall
Select an existing trim segment (for example, at the base of a wall).
Click Convert to Wall.
The segment now behaves like a wall surface, perfect for applying wall materials like brick or siding to create a brick base or other architectural bases.
TIP: Use conversion tools to maintain realistic continuity between material types (for example, extending brick details below transition trim).
*Note: If you have the Trim: 3D-to-Estimate workflow enabled for your account, you will not have the ability to convert walls to trim, or vice versa.
Removing, or changing the appearance of shutters:
Removing, or changing the appearance of shutters:
Shutters appear as their own category in the material panel to provide a simpler, cleaner workflow for managing window details. You can remove or restore shutters in a single click, or select a shutter and swap its profile or color to match the materials you're putting on the home.
Removing shutters:
Open your Shutters category in the material panel.
Click Remove Shutters and they’ll disappear instantly from the model.
To restore them, use the Undo button or reload from a saved design.
Pro Tip: If you’ve saved your design before removing shutters, reloading that version will bring them back automatically.
Changing a shutter's profile or color:
Tap a shutter directly on the model, or open the Shutters category in the control panel. Selected shutters highlight in fuchsia, so it's clear which shutters will change.
Select Change to open the shutter catalog.
Select the brand and color that match the product you're scoping.
Choose from one of six different shutter styles: Raised Panel, Board & Batten, Louvered, Flat Panel, Combination, or Bahama/Bermuda. Color options are built into the design workflow, no additional setup needed.
Select Done. The model updates to show the new shutter profile and color.
Save & share your designs
Save designs
Save designs
Once you've chosen and applied your preferred materials to the 3D model (e.g. roof shingles, siding, or trim) click Save in the top right corner of workspace.
You'll have the option to name the design version, as well.
Share designs
Share designs
Click the paper airplane icon to create a share link. You may be prompted to save the design if you haven't already. You can immediately copy/paste the link into a text message or email for a homeowner, team member, or partner to review. Or you can select the option to Invite collaborator to edit.
The share link reflects the most recently saved version of that specific 3D design. If you make changes after sharing (for example, changing the siding color), those updates will not appear in the shared link until you save the design again. Once saved, anyone using the original share link will see the updated version — no new link is required.
Understanding Share vs. Collaboration Access
Understanding Share vs. Collaboration Access
There are two different ways to share a design, depending on whether you want someone to simply view it or actively collaborate.
Option 1: Sharing from inside the 3D Model (View-Only)
Click the paper airplane icon to share while inside the 3D model.
This creates a modal with a view-only link, or the option to Invite collaborators to edit.
If you share the view-only link, recipients can see the 3D model and the design you created, but cannot edit the design.
If you invite collaborators to edit, recipients can see and edit the design. Note that if homeowners are invited to edit, they won't see estimates or inspections for the project. Estimates are only viewable to pros within the same company.
Option 2: Inviting a Homeowner from the Project Page (Collaboration Access)
From the Project Details Page, click Share in the top left corner.
Select Homeowner.
Enter their email address and send the invitation.
Homeowners invited this way receive access to:
2D Designs
The 3D Model
They do not receive access to:
Measurements
Estimates
Inspections
Choose the appropriate sharing method based on whether you want simple review access or active collaboration.
Note that your saved work does not automatically transfer across modes. Designs you save in 2D stay in 2D, and designs you save in 3D stay in 3D.