Skip to main content

Preview, check, and recover a design

Preview while designing, not only before export. Changing rows early exposes text overflow, unsuitable crops, unresolved bindings, and variants that do not fit the shared layout.

Choose what to preview​

  • Face and Back switch the active side.
  • The row picker changes the dataset row rendered on the canvas.
  • The row picker includes a generated variant for each selected enum value.
  • 3D presents the piece as an object and helps check front/back orientation.
  • Fit and zoom controls change only the editor view.

Press 1, 2, 3, or 4 for Face, Back, 3D, or QA, and Alt with the left or right arrow to step to the previous or next preview row.

Check both ordinary and difficult content: long names, blank optional cells, large numbers, unusual image proportions, and every enum value.

Check the current piece with QA view​

Designer QA checks the piece currently selected in the row picker. It is useful while building a layout because each result can take you to the affected side and layer.

  1. Choose a dataset row in the Designer preview picker.
  2. Open the QA tab beside Layers and Assets in the left-hand sidebar, or press 4.
  3. Wait while Studio checks the current row on both sides.
  4. Filter the list by Severity (Errors or Warnings) or by a specific check.
  5. Select an issue to open its side and layer. Hover or focus the issue to preview its location on the canvas.
  6. Repair the layer, binding, or row value, then let the scan update.

QA view and 3D view cannot be open together: opening QA returns the canvas to the flat view, and choosing 3D hides QA. The coloured QA overlays are editor guides only; they never appear in previews, PNGs, PDFs, or tabletop exports. If no row is selected, choose one before running QA.

Open QA settings at the bottom of the QA panel to set each rule to Error, Warn, or Off. You can also set unresolved-binding severity per data type and change the Minimum DPI for low-resolution images. These settings are saved with the design and shared with Export QA.

Understand preview states​

A referenced design may show a loading state while its preview is prepared. Elsewhere in Studio, a stale design thumbnail is an older usable preview kept visible while Studio regenerates it. An unavailable thumbnail could not render the current source.

If a preview remains unavailable, open the source and check its images, fonts, design references, and expression bindings. Do not approve an older preview as if it represented the latest design.

Recover local changes​

Studio keeps unsent Designer changes in local browser storage. After a restart or interrupted session, it restores that copy automatically when the saved design has not moved on. If the saved design changed as well, Studio asks you to choose:

  • Apply local to make the recovery copy the current working document.
  • Discard to keep the saved version.

Choose based on the work you expect to see. After applying the local copy, review it and wait for Saved.

Understand saving and reconnecting​

Light and dark examples of Saved, Pending, Saving, Unsaved changes, and Save failed states

The Designer header reports the current save state. Pending… means an edit is queued, Saving… means Studio is sending it, and Saved means the latest edit reached the game. Unsaved changes or Save failed needs attention before leaving. During a connection interruption or maintenance window, keep the Designer open and avoid editing the same design in another tab. When the connection returns, wait for Saved before leaving.

If the server copy changed while a local edit was waiting, Studio shows the recovery choice instead of silently overwriting either copy. Review the design after applying a local recovery copy.

Download a quick PNG​

Open the Designer's Export menu and choose Current side (PNG) or Face + back (PNG). The export uses the selected preview row and is useful for a quick discussion or proof. Rendering can take up to a minute, and Recent exports shows up to five recent exports, listing this design's first. 3D preview & image… in the same menu opens a 3D view of the current row that you can save as a PNG.

For a selected batch, print settings, QA, or a fixed collection snapshot, choose Batch export… in the same menu to open the Export workspace.

Designer QA is not Export QA​

Designer QA checks the selected row while you repair a layout. Export creates a fixed snapshot and checks every generated row and Enum variant. Before printing or sharing files, review every reported issue in Export QA.