Your first project

This walks through a new project from empty to its first release, using the command-line tool so every step is visible. The GigaCAD app for Windows and Mac, coming soon, will do the same from the right-click menu.

Create a project

Sign in at app.gigacad.site. The first time, choose a handle: it starts every project address, like app.gigacad.site/alex/robot-arm. Then choose New project, give it a name, and pick who can see it. Private projects are visible only to their members. Public projects can be viewed by anyone, but only members can change them.

From the command line, the same thing is:

giga project create robot-arm --name "Robot arm"

Add your files

Files never go straight onto main. Start a branch, download it into a folder, check it out, and copy your files in:

giga branch create first-upload --project alex/robot-arm
giga clone alex/robot-arm --branch first-upload robot-arm
cd robot-arm
giga checkout

Copy your assembly, parts, and drawings into the robot-arm folder, keeping the folder layout your assemblies expect. Then upload them as a version:

giga status
giga commit -m "First upload" --label "rev A"

giga status lists what will be uploaded. Temporary and backup files are skipped automatically; see Ignored files.

Make release v1

Open the branch in the web app and choose Open release request, or run giga rr open --title "First release". Opening a request checks the branch in and freezes it until the request is released or closed.

On the release request, every file shows up as new on the branch, set to Add as new. Choose Generate candidate, then Approve candidate. New projects need one approval from an owner or maintainer, and you may approve your own request. Once the approval is in, choose Release v1. Main now shows your files, locked as v1.

Invite people

In the project’s Settings, add people by their handle and pick a role. Viewers can see and download files. Contributors can also make branches, commit, and open release requests. Maintainers can also change settings and approval rules, add and remove viewers and contributors, and release someone else’s checkout lock. The owner can do everything, including adding maintainers and deleting the project.