Architecture overview Coming
ComingThis feature is designed but not in DimSum yet. This page describes how it will work.
How DimSum is put together: a fast native engine under a modern desktop interface, built so your numbers are exact, your work is never lost, and the app runs the same on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Overview
You never have to think about architecture to use DimSum. This page exists so estimators, testers and future team members understand why DimSum behaves the way it does: why zooming stays sharp, why changing a scale updates every quantity at once, why a crash doesn't cost you work, why labels and reports never make you wait, and why the same project opens identically on any computer.
The short version, in plain language:
- Two halves. DimSum has a front end (everything you see and click: the canvas, the Project Tree, the Properties panel, dialogs) and an engine (the part that reads PDFs, does all the math, stores your project and remembers every edit). The front end asks; the engine does the heavy work and answers.
- It's written in Rust, a language designed for fast, crash-resistant software. PDF reading, geometry (lengths, areas, cutouts, 3D shapes), formulas and saving all happen there.
- Same look and speed everywhere. The front end runs inside Electron, which ships its own copy of the Chrome browser engine. Because every operating system gets the same graphics engine, the canvas renders the same on Windows, macOS and Linux.
- Every change is a recorded "command". When you draw a shape, change a property or move a page, DimSum records it as a small command. That one mechanism gives you unlimited undo/redo, always-on saving (there is no Save button), crash recovery, the audit trail and (later) cloud sync.
- Drawings are stored in plan units, not screen pixels. Your shapes are saved relative to the sheet itself. The scale is applied only when DimSum calculates, so changing a page's scale recalculates every quantity on that page instantly and exactly.
- 2D and 3D use the same math. The 3D model is built by the same engine that computes your quantities, so the 3D Length, Surface Area and Volume in a report always match what you see in 3D.
- Ready for other languages and for everyone. Every piece of on-screen text goes through a translation layer (English ships first), and the interface is built for high-DPI screens, multiple monitors, dark mode, larger text, colorblind-safe colors and full keyboard use.
Where to find it
There's no screen for this.
- Settings → Performance (GPU on/off, tile cache memory, background rendering threads). See Settings page.
- Undo/Redo (
Ctrl+Z/Ctrl+Y), File → Version History and crash recovery. See File types & the .dsum project file. - Settings → General (language, theme, UI text size).
- Settings → About / Updates (version, update channel).
How to use it
There is nothing to operate directly. What you'll notice as a user:
- Pan and zoom freely. Vector PDFs re-render sharp at any zoom, and only the visible part of the sheet is loaded.
- Undo anything. Every action, including moving pages and changing settings on a tool, can be undone. The Estimating tab and the canvas share one undo history.
- Close whenever you want. Every action is saved the moment it's done, so you can close DimSum instantly.
- If DimSum or your computer crashes, reopen the project. DimSum replays its journal and you're back where you were.
- Send the
.dsumfile to another DimSum user. It opens and calculates identically on their machine, whatever operating system they use.
Options & settings
| Setting | Where | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPU on/off | Settings → Performance | Uses the graphics card for the canvas and 3D. Turn off only to troubleshoot display problems. | On |
| Tile cache memory | Settings → Performance | How much memory is used to keep rendered plan tiles ready | Not yet specified |
| Background rendering threads | Settings → Performance | How many CPU threads pre-render tiles around your view | Not yet specified |
| Cache size / Clear cache | Settings → Storage & Files | Disk space for rendered tiles and 3D meshes. Clearing is safe: they regenerate. | Size-limited (value not yet specified) |
| Language | Settings → General | UI language | English (the only language in v1) |
| Theme / UI text size | Settings → General | Light/dark theme, scalable UI text | Chosen in First-Run Setup |
| Update channel | Settings → About / Updates | Stable or beta updates | Stable |
Examples
- Changing a scale. You calibrated page A-101 at 1/4" = 1'-0", drew 140 ft of wall, then discover the sheet was printed at half size. You recalibrate. Because the wall geometry is stored in plan units, the wall instantly reads 280 ft, and every part (studs, plates, sheathing) recalculates. Nothing needs redrawing.
- Crash during a big takeoff. Power fails mid-afternoon. When you reopen
Smith Residence.dsum, the journal replays every command up to the last one recorded, including the last point you placed. - Hundreds of joist labels. A multi-family floor generates thousands of joists with labels. Label layout runs on background worker threads and the GPU draws them as one instanced layer, so you keep panning and drawing while they appear.
- Mixed-OS office. You estimate on Windows; a coworker reviews on a MacBook. The same
.dsumopens with the same pages, quantities and reports.
Tips & shortcuts
- If the canvas looks wrong on unusual hardware, try Settings → Performance → GPU off before reporting a bug, and include that detail in the report.
- Clearing the cache is always safe. It only costs a short re-render the next time you view a page.
Rules, limits & edge cases
- v1 is fully local. No cloud dependency. Cloud sync is designed for but ships later (File types, ).
- One person per file in v1. Multi-user editing arrives with sync.
- Formulas are sandboxed: pure expressions only, no file or network access.
- The tile and mesh caches are machine-specific and never travel with a project.
- WebGPU is a future upgrade; v1 targets WebGL2.
- English only in v1, although every string is translation-ready.
- Confidentiality: crash reports and telemetry (both opt-in) never include plan content or project data.
