SoftPlan 2026 | Major Features

SoftPlan 2026 continues SoftPlan’s tradition of significantly advancing 3D presentation with each new version.
In this release, SoftPlan has introduced the ability to apply PBR (physically based rendering) textures to 3D surfaces. PBR texturing is a technique that greatly enhances the way 3D modeling is created and visualized in SoftPlan by simulating how light interacts with materials in a way that mimics reality. As various lighting methods are added to the model, PBR textures are able to consistently respond to these changes to achieve superior looking 3D designs.

Expanding SoftPlan’s roof customization capabilities, this version introduces the ability to specify a style for the roof material. As in previous versions, a number of finishes can still be applied to the roof material but, if desired, certain roof styles can now be set to allow more flexibility in representing the appearance of the roof in 3D images. Using this new addition to the roof edit menu, a Profile, Architectural Shingle, or Cedar Shake style can be assigned to the roof material. The Profile style allows a Roof Material Profile symbol to be applied to the roof while the Architectural Shingle and Cedar Shake styles provide a way to specify the texture count for the material.

Please note that generating complex roof materials in 3D is very resource-intensive which causes longer rendering times.

Adding to SoftPlan’s extensive selection of 3D customization tools, SoftPlan 2026 includes the ability to import SketchUp symbols directly into the 3D model. After a few clicks of the mouse, SoftPlan opens SketchUp’s 3D Warehouse in a browser window where 3D symbols can be quickly located and downloaded as SketchUp files. Once the file is downloaded, SoftPlan automatically imports the 3D symbol into a “3D Downloads” library and creates a 2D symbol counterpart for use in the project. The ability to directly import 3D symbols from SketchUp’s vast library into the model greatly expands the level of 3D presentation possible in SoftPlan.

With this release, certain roof tools have been updated to be much more intuitive while designing roofs in SoftPlan. For example, a major change to the Add Roof Edges command allows the appearance of new roof edges to be controlled without needing to reference a wall or beam. Once added, editable roof properties such as gutters, gable corners, soffits, and fascia can all be modified on these individual roof edges as needed. This functionality is also applied to any new roof edges that are created by cutting holes in a roof edge.

Adding to SoftPlan’s stair customization tools, this release includes a right-click command to automatically clip a straight stair to a wall when the wall overlaps the stair at the stair’s edge. Usable in both 2D and 3D, this command clips the stair to the visible wall edge by auto adjusting the side of the stair that extends into the wall. Additionally, SoftPlan will trim and remove the rail posts from any railings that are added through an edit of the stair if the railing touches or overlaps the wall end. Using this tool saves time by making it easier to create more complex stair designs without the extra effort required to manually adjust stairs that interfere with walls.

SoftPlan’s Site mode includes the ability to automatically import and display a Google Earth satellite image of a specific site directly on the site plan. This feature is further enhanced in SoftPlan 2026 by allowing that imported satellite image to be mapped onto property polygons as textures in the 3D model. Once the satellite texture has been assigned to the 3D property through a Surface Edit, it then automatically updates to accommodate any changes to the site plan. Seamless integration with Google Earth allows SoftPlan to import map data and satellite imagery that applies a greater level of real-world detail to the 3D property.

SoftPlan’s Layer feature allows the user to define the displayed appearance of different items on a drawing and control their visibility while designing. Previously, changing the display properties of items on a layer would affect the appearance of those items in all drawing modes. Now in SoftPlan 2026, the Layer functionality includes an option to configure a layer’s display properties differently for each drawing mode. For example, with this new option enabled, changing the color of layer items in Drawing mode will not affect the color of those items in Electrical mode. The ability to control layer options separately for each drawing mode greatly enhances the flexibility needed to create comprehensive house plans.

SoftPlan 2026 includes a new option for automatically displaying lines below the grade to dashed when generating an elevation view and saving it as a SoftPlan drawing. By enabling the ‘Show Dashed Lines Below Grade’ option in the Elevation Generation menu, SoftPlan locates the grade of the project using either the Site Plan or the Auto Horizon and then generates the lines of the elevation drawing accordingly to help differentiate what is above and below the grade line.

Adding to the many changes to opening customization in this version, SoftPlan 2026 introduces a Reveal tool for specifying the amount the opening frame is not covered by trim. The Reveal value can be set from the system-level down to the individual opening, providing a way to achieve a precise offset for the gap between the interior trim and the edge of the window or door frame. Setting the Reveal value as needed allows for more accurate representations of openings throughout the 3D model.

SoftPlan 2026 introduces the ability to lock certain roof settings to easily meet specific design requirements. With this change, various roof values (Pitch, Overhang, Heel Height, Seat Cut, Butt Cut, and TOP to Fascia) can be locked so that modifying other roof options will not affect the locked value. This locking function provides the user with much greater control over how SoftPlan roofs and roof edges adjust to accommodate modifications. For example, a roof that uses different overhangs, pitches, and heel heights can easily maintain a common fascia line without issue. Even when a roof value is locked, a new value can still be directly input in the edit menu as necessary.

In this release, SoftPlan has completely overhauled door customization by developing a parametric system for defining the layouts of doors. Using the new Door Layout menu, the opening properties of any door shape can be customized, and the rail, stile, and other part dimensions can be fixed to maintain their size when the overall size of the door is modified. This menu also includes an intuitive grid control for adding and modifying the parts of the door such as glazing, top shapes, panels, and even 3D symbols. Using the Door Layout menu, greatly detailed doors can be created and saved into the system library for future use.

SoftPlan 2026 includes new controls for independently rotating symbols and solids in 3D space. When editing a symbol or solid, a new 3D Rotation tab is available for specifying the pitch and roll angles of the item in 3D. With the ability to control the precise placement of 3D items in the model, these settings provide a greater level of flexibility for 3D design and presentation. The new 3D Rotation tab also includes display options for how the rotation settings of symbols and solids appear on the 2D floor plans.

In past versions of SoftPlan, selecting the Auto Dimension command could possibly cause the program to remove manually added extensions and dimensions from the plan while replacing existing exterior dimensions with new ones. Now in SoftPlan 2026, Auto Dimension can be used to update the plan and add any missing information without affecting manually added dimensions and extensions. Additionally, with the Auto Extension and Dimension option enabled in the System Options, the Auto Dimension tool won’t affect manually added extensions and dimensions when changes are made to the drawing, such as placing additional windows that are automatically dimensioned.

When a wall is broken into two or more wall lengths, or when two walls of the same type are initially drawn end to end, there may be a need to combine the multiple wall lengths into a single wall again. New to SoftPlan 2026, the Combine Like Walls command makes this process simple and quick. Using this tool, SoftPlan automatically locates the end points of neighboring walls of the same type. By clicking these endpoints, the wall lengths are combined into a single framed wall that maintains any openings that were previously within the walls.

SoftPlan 2026 makes it easier to manage variations in a building plan by including the ability to have multiple Building Options active at the same time. In past versions, only one building option could be active at a time which created the need to edit items and connect them to all the other desired building options. Now multiple building options can be selected at once and activated so that drawn items are automatically added to those building options as needed. This expansion of the Building Options advanced feature saves time and makes the utility of managing design variations much more efficient.

Along with the new ability to apply PBR (physically based rendering) textures to the 3D model, this release also includes a simple tool for directly importing PBR texture files from the web into SoftPlan. By selecting this command, SoftPlan opens a window to the Lightbeans website where an expansive library of high-quality PBR textures can be explored and downloaded for use. Once downloaded, the texture is added to a folder in SoftPlan where it can be applied to a 3D surface through a quick Surface Edit. SoftPlan’s new PBR import tool provides an ever-expanding level of customization for creating highly realistic exteriors and interiors in 3D.

The SoftList material estimator in this version now includes the option to price lumber per piece in the Lumber Pricing Tables. In previous versions of SoftList, the Lumber Pricing Tables only allowed price per foot or meter, but the new ability to enter a cost per each size of wood provides greater flexibility when pricing lumber to ensure that the generated material report is as accurate as possible.

New to SoftPlan 2026, the Equally Space command is a convenient tool for positioning any number of items on the drawing with an equal amount of space between them.

When using this tool, SoftPlan provides a few different options for specifying how the items are spaced such as tracing a line to space the items along or entering precise spacing and distance values.

The flexibility of the Equally Space command makes it easy to achieve the desired spacing without the extra steps of moving and dimensioning items that slow down the drawing process.