AXLEKEYSBETAA model doesn't have to stay trapped inside one workspace. It begins as private Studio work, becomes structured and verified, and then leaves in two directions: outward to anyone with a browser, as a live configurator embedded on your own site — and downward to the shop, as drawings, cut lists, and fabrication files.
Larger public spaces — Exhibition for discovery, Showroom for branded product lines — are still being built. What's on this page below that heading is marked accordingly.
The same model serves two audiences who never meet: a buyer configuring it in a browser, and a shop cutting it on a machine. Both come from the one model, which is the point.
Create or import a model, shape the geometry, expose parameters, organise parts, attach reference files, assign materials, validate against the dimensions you asked for, and prepare output.
Studio is where the object is made understandable.
Open Studio →Publish a model as a live 3D configurator and embed it on any website. Visitors adjust the parameters you exposed and see the real model rebuild — no login, no AI at runtime, and no per-view cost to you.
This is the public surface that ships today.
How it works →Dimensioned shop drawings as SVG, PDF, or DXF. Cut lists nested onto real sheet stock. 3D exports in STEP, STL, and DAE. Assembly animation and video for showing how it goes together.
The output a shop builds from, not just a render.
See the outputs →Not every model goes through every stage. Some stay private. Some are only examples. Some move all the way to fabrication outputs. The value is that the path exists.
A model may begin from a prompt, sketch, reference image, client request, existing CAD file, product idea, shop standard, or agent workflow. The first step is understanding what kind of object is being created and why.
Before the model becomes useful, it needs context. That context comes from a System — a structured way to create a family of physical objects. The System tells Axle Keys what kind of object the model is becoming.
View Systems →Studio is where the model begins as a working project: selected System, model code, 3D geometry, project files, references, parameters, parts, materials, validation reports, and version history. Private by default. This is where the messy work happens.
Read Studio docs →A model becomes more valuable when its structure is visible — named parts, dimensions, editable parameters, material assumptions, relationships between parts, System rules, and output logic. A 3D object can be viewed. A structured model can be configured, reviewed, reused, and prepared for output.
A configurable object exposes useful controls — width, height, depth, material, finish, shelf count, layout choices, hardware options. The goal is not to expose everything. The goal is to expose the decisions that matter while protecting the technical relationships underneath.
Before a model moves forward: did it build? Are there geometry errors? Are parameters valid? Are parts named clearly? Are materials assigned? Is the model public-ready, customer-ready, or fabrication-ready — or only conceptual? Validation is a structured review step, not a guarantee.
The model becomes something other people can use: published as a live 3D configurator and embedded on your own site. Visitors change the parameters you exposed and watch the real model rebuild in their browser — no login, no AI at runtime, no per-view cost. This is the public step that ships today.
Beyond your own site, two hosted spaces are planned: Exhibition for public discovery, and Showroom for branded product lines with customer inquiry. Neither is live yet — the sections further down describe what they're intended to be.
See the roadmap →Some models move toward fabrication or production outputs — CAD exports, part lists, material lists, cut lists, assembly views, drawings, configuration records, job outputs. Output depends on the System and model maturity. Export does not mean automatic fabrication approval. Physical objects still need review.
The end of one model can become the beginning of another. A model may be duplicated, forked, remixed, used as an example, turned into a template, improved by agents, refined into a stronger System, or used as project knowledge for future work. This is where Axle Keys becomes more than a modeling tool — the work becomes reusable.
A model may move forward, loop back, branch, or stop at any stage. Axle Keys is designed for this kind of movement — physical design work is rarely one straight line.
Studio projects remain private unless explicitly shared or published. A model becomes public — on Exhibition or Showroom — only when you choose.
What public information may include
Do not publish sensitive files, client information, private drawings, proprietary details, or third-party material without permission.
Updating a published model
Edit privately in Studio, save a version, preview changes, then update the public listing. A public model should not break silently when the private model changes. Older versions can be preserved if needed.
Unpublishing
You can unpublish a model at any time. Unpublishing removes the public listing, but some data may remain in backups, logs, or shared links depending on platform policy. Read Legal →
Not live yet. This describes what Exhibition is intended to be. Track it on the roadmap.
Exhibition will be the public browsing space — where configurable objects can be shown, studied, shared, and eventually remixed. It stays focused on one job: make public models useful, understandable, and discoverable. The models come first — not a marketplace, not a social feed.
Before publishing, review
"Open in Studio" — the key action
Opening a public model in Studio lets it become a working project — not just something to look at. Depending on ownership and licensing, that may mean:
Not live yet. The engine already ships — you can publish a model as a live configurator and embed it on your own site today. Showroom is the hosted, branded version of that. Track it on the roadmap.
Where Exhibition asks "what interesting models exist?", Showroom answers "what does this person, shop, or business offer?" It's the customer-facing side — configurable products presented to buyers, with clear parameters, an inquiry workflow, and owner admin controls. A Showroom page is where repeated work becomes a public offering.
What Showroom is for
Five steps from Studio to Showroom
Most Showroom products begin in Studio. The model needs stable geometry, useful parameters, clear parts, correct System, public-facing controls, and reviewed outputs.
Read Studio docs →The System gives the product structure. Cabinet Systems for closets, built-ins, and casework. T-Slot Systems for frames, carts, fixtures, and modular structures. Open Design for flexible custom objects.
View Systems →Expose only the options that make sense for customers — opening width, height, finish, shelf count, drawer count. Not internal formulas, part IDs, or construction offsets.
Explain what the product is, what can be configured, what is included, what is not, and what information is needed for an inquiry. Clear and customer-facing — not technical documentation.
After review, publish to your Showroom. Check page title, model loading, parameter controls, inquiry button, mobile layout, limitations, and related products. Test as a public visitor would see it.
The inquiry workflow
Showroom doesn't need to process full e-commerce orders immediately. A practical first workflow is inquiry-based: the customer configures, then gets in touch.
The owner receives a saved configuration record — the exact parameter values, a generated preview, contact information, and notes — so they can review precisely what the customer configured before responding.
The owner is responsible
A Showroom product may look customer-ready, but physical objects still require review. Owners are responsible for product claims, measurements, material choices, fabrication decisions, installation details, pricing, lead times, fulfillment, and safety requirements.
Axle Keys provides the platform and model workflow. The owner remains responsible for the real-world product and customer relationship.
Read Legal →It's where models move — from private work to structured object to public artifact to customer-facing product to reusable knowledge. That path is the difference between a modeling tool and a platform.