3D Crane Planner Complete Help Guide

1. Getting started

3D Crane Planner is a browser-based concept planner for crane geometry, rigging layouts, jobsite visualization and saved lift concepts. This guide covers the core planner inspected October 12, 2026, with the Terminology and Help tabs added afterward. Later site changes may alter controls.

Open the public 3D Crane Planner site. Public access lets visitors use the planner; account plans require ChatGPT sign-in and are private to that account.

1. Open Crane and enter the actual crane configuration and load weights.
2. Choose a preliminary rigging layout in Rigging, enter measured dimensions and equipment data, then apply it.
3. Add a scaled photo, obstacles and site objects using Jobsite and 3D Model Library.
4. Use Controls to position the crane and load; inspect Outside, Top and Cab views.
5. Record waypoints or control movements if needed. For a shared load, configure Multi-crane separately.
6. Review the relevant PDFs in Documents.
7. Save on device, save to your account, and export a JSON backup.

The app labels its output an unverified concept. It does not evaluate crane load-chart capacity, ground bearing, manufacturer interlocks or complete lift-path clearance. A clear scene or accepted input does not establish an approved lift.

2. Navigation, units and scene views

Choose Planning, Simulation or References to see the related tabs. Select a tab to change its input panel. On wide screens, the inputs sit beside the 3D lift view. On phones, use Go to 3D view and Back to inputs to move between the stacked sections. Use Expand 3D view to give the scene more room.

Dimensions and coordinates use feet; weights and ratings use pounds; rotations use degrees; wind uses mph. X/Y locate items in the ground plane. Z is vertical; ground is Z = 0. Generic boom geometry uses a fixed 7 ft pivot height.

The top readouts show working radius, boom-tip height and gross demand. The radius is the generic boom/jib horizontal reach; it is not a chart-rated radius/capacity evaluation. In multi-crane mode, gross demand is Crane A’s assigned share plus its deductions.

3. Crane setup and load targets

Single-crane gross demand = payload + rigging + main block + auxiliary-line deduction + other deductions. This weight total is not a crane capacity result. Use the exact manufacturer chart to decide what deductions apply.

Enter Load Pick Radius, Load Set Radius, Load Pick Elevation and Load Set Elevation to record planned targets for Crane A. Radius is horizontal distance from its slewing center to load CG. Elevation is the bottom of the load above ground, not hook elevation. Leave unknown targets blank. The Jobsite tab repeats their summary. Targets do not automatically move the crane or verify reach/capacity.

4. Crane model Library

1. Choose the target crane in Assign selected model to. Additional cranes appear when configured.
2. Search a model name and optionally filter manufacturer/category.
3. Select the desired catalog model. Use Show more models for additional matches.
4. Review and manually enter boom, counterweight, reeving, support and dimensions.

The catalog was retrieved October 11, 2026 from the public 3D Lift Plan model catalog. It supplies names/categories only, including variants. Selecting an entry retains existing configuration and generic drawing; it does not import manufacturer CAD, dimensions or operating charts. Download model catalog JSON saves the catalog data. Use Retry loading catalog after a loading failure. The Source link opens the public catalog.

5. Operator controls and attachments

1. Disable Multi-crane mode to use the single-crane simulation.
2. Open Controls, use the joystick and recording controls beneath the model (available on every tab), choose Slow, Normal or Fast, then select Start simulation.
3. Drag a joystick away from center. Greater displacement requests more speed; release it to stop that stick’s motion.
4. Change each stick’s X/Y assignment using its dropdowns. A focused joystick also accepts arrow keys.
5. Use STOP to stop all simulated motion and cancel playback; Stop simulation also turns simulation off.

Default stick roles are swing/boom, main/auxiliary hoists, and travel/steer. Available axis choices are Swing, Boom hoist, Main hoist, Auxiliary hoist, Telescope, Jib luff, Travel, Steer/counter-rotate, Left track and Right track. Up/right are positive axis directions. Check assignments before operating.

Swing brake / lock blocks swing motion. Telescope operates only on Mobile cranes; set crawler boom length in Crane. Jib luff requires a nonzero jib length. Left/right track controls are for Crawler cranes. Horn plays a short sound when browser audio is available.

Under Position & attachments, set Crane X/Y, travel heading, auxiliary hook height, jib length, jib offset and outrigger extension. These change the generic drawing, not certified crane configuration. Geometry limits can stop/revert a motion; adjust hook, boom or attachments to resolve it. Switching away from the page or losing focus stops active motion.

6. Seat-view computer and line pull

In Controls, enter current Wind speed and the applicable Rated line-pull capacity manually, then choose Cab view. Blank values display “Not set.” The computer shows boom angle, working radius, boom-tip height, hook load, parts of line, entered line-pull rating, slew angle and wind.

Hook load = assigned payload + assigned rigging + main block. Auxiliary-line and other chart deductions are excluded from this hook-load value. Ideal line pull = hook load ÷ parts of line. In multi-crane mode, payload/rigging use Crane A’s entered share.

An alert appears if ideal line pull exceeds the entered rating. Positive whole-number parts of line are required for the estimate. It excludes reeving friction and dynamics. Wind is entered data, not a live sensor or automatic wind-limit check. Changing Crane A’s manufacturer/model clears its entered line-pull rating; enter the applicable rating again.

7. Record, save and play crane controls

1. Set valid single-crane geometry and enter a recording name.
2. Select Record. Recording starts simulation and captures accepted joystick movements and pauses.
3. Operate the sticks. Select Stop recording when finished. The take is limited to two minutes and 10,000 recorded motion steps.
4. Select Save recording to keep the current take on this browser/device.
5. Select Play to restore the take’s starting crane/rigging configuration and replay motion. Use Stop playback or STOP to cancel.

Save/export the whole plan to include the recording in account plans or JSON backups. Editing geometry interrupts recording/playback. Playback changes the current working crane settings to the recorded start; save a separate plan first if you need the current configuration. Recording is for simulated control movement, not a certified lift procedure or continuous collision analysis. Multi-crane mode disables recording and playback. A take with no accepted motion cannot be played or saved with the recording buttons.

8. Rigging: previous layouts and calculations

Use Previous rigging layouts or choose a standard Rigging type: single vertical sling, two-leg bridle, two-point spreader, three-point bridle, four-point bridle, two parallel spreader bars/4 picks, three parallel spreader bars/6 picks, four-point H-frame spreader, or custom multi-point bridle. Switching between previous layouts and the advanced builder preserves dimensions/components.

1. Enter payload in Crane. Set pick spacing X/Y, upper rise, lower vertical sling length, load width/depth and CG offsets appropriate to the layout.
2. Enter combined weights of all slings, hardware and spreader bars. For parallel-bar layouts, beam weight means the total of all bars.
3. Enter a demand multiplier and effective installed-configuration WLLs for upper/lower legs, pick shackles and master link. Zero means unknown, not unlimited.
4. Review the diagram, payload/assembly totals, hook-to-load headroom, per-leg angle, length and tension, and the Component/Demand/WLL-use table.
5. Resolve errors. Raise the hook if needed, then select Apply rigging to lift.

For multiple parallel bars, X sets bar length; Y is spacing between outer bars. Each bar has two upper slings from the same hook and two vertical lower slings; three bars are equally spaced. Spreader layouts require centered CG. Custom layouts allow 3–8 named top-face pick points with X/Y coordinates relative to load center. Use Add pick point, Remove and Reset to four corners. Per-point WLL overrides the common upper-leg value; zero falls back to the common WLL.

The standard solver uses static level-load assumptions with hook above CG. Its multiplier scales rigging forces, not crane gross weight. Multi-point reaction ranges are force envelopes, not predicted actual sharing. WLL-use above 100% is highlighted; zero ratings show unknown. Geometry acceptance alone does not mean ratings pass. No automatic hitch/side-load/temperature reductions, beam-strength checks, lug design, D/d, connection-fit or stability checks are performed.

The sling calculator takes horizontal run per leg and a known vertical height, sling length or angle from horizontal. It returns height, length, angle and L/H factor. Use per-leg run, not total pick span. A sloped sling length must exceed its run; use height/length to size a vertical leg.

9. Rigging: advanced hook-to-load assembly

Select Hook-to-load component assembly / Advanced assembly builder. Build stages in physical order from crane hook down to load. Choose Slings, Spreader bar, Shackle, Master link or Hook/connector, then select Add next item toward load.

Expand Dimensions, weight and ratings on a stage to edit it. Change its type, move it toward hook/load, add above/below, or remove it. Add hardware above a sling for upper-end fittings, below it for lower-end fittings. Keep 1–20 stages; branching is also bounded by geometry validation.

Use Start from a layout with Single spreader, Four-leg bridle or Three-bar cascade, then Replace assembly with layout. This replaces existing stages with geometry templates; enter actual equipment data afterward.

Set load width/depth, rigging rotation, load rotation, local X/Y offsets and pick level below load top. Offsets rotate with the load; Z remains vertical. The position menu offers Top center/right/left/front/back or Bottom center relative to the final connection center. Review resulting connections and offsets.

The component bill shows quantities, total mass and recorded WLL each, plus sling geometry. Advanced assembly capacity is not evaluated; ratings are recorded, not checked by a force solver. Its diagram is a schematic geometry view, not an independently controllable 3D load-model viewer.

10. Apply, export and print rigging

Show rigging on crane: On — sync assembly weight displays valid rigging and automatically writes assembly mass into Crane’s Rigging field. Off hides it and permits manual rigging weight entry; inspect that value after switching modes. Apply rigging to lift enables the synchronized display after checking geometry/headroom.

Aux Line Deduction is the same field in Crane and Rigging, included once in gross demand. Keep it separate from component mass and Other deductions. Main block and parts of line remain in Crane setup.

Export rigging design downloads 3d-crane-planner-rigging-design.json with design results and assumptions. This is a rigging-only export; use the header Export for a complete reimportable plan. Print design opens the browser print dialog; inspect its preview and choose paper or Save as PDF.

11. Multi-crane shared-load planning

1. Set payload and total shared rigging weight in Crane.
2. Open Multi-crane and enable it. Plan 2–4 cranes; Add crane adds B/C/D, while Remove removes an additional crane.
3. Set shared load center X/Y, load top elevation, pick-point span and axis rotation. Pick points are evenly spaced along that axis.
4. Enter each crane’s assigned share. Use Equal shares if appropriate; shares must total 100%.
5. Edit Crane A in Crane/Controls. Edit each additional crane’s manufacturer, model, type, support, X/Y, boom, angle, swing, hook height, counterweight, parts of line, block and deductions in its card. Choose model from library opens the catalog for that crane.
6. Select Align all hooks to pick points, then review each crane’s radius, assigned load, gross demand and geometry messages.

Per-crane gross demand = (payload + shared rigging) × share/100 + that crane’s block + auxiliary deduction + other deductions. Shares are assumptions you enter; actual sharing, CG balance, tilt and dynamic effects are not calculated.

Alignment adjusts swing, boom angle and hook height using generic geometry, adds 10 ft of schematic connection rise, and sets jibs to zero. It can report a pick/elevation is unreachable. Change position, boom or shared elevation and retry. Hooks must align closely over their picks with headroom, and the shared load must stay above ground. Re-align after moving cranes or shared load.

Crane A joystick simulation is disabled in this mode. The single-hook Rigging designer remains a separate preliminary design; its full assembly does not become a solved multi-crane hookup. Capacity and crane-to-crane clearance are not evaluated.

12. 3D Model Library: place, edit and copy

Search Find an object or filter Category. Select an asset, enter name, center X/Y, base elevation Z, rotation, Length X, Width Y, Height and color, then Place object. Defaults are illustrative; replace them with measured dimensions.

The current 23 generic assets are excavator, bulldozer, skid steer, forklift, telehandler, boom lift, truck & lowboy, pickup truck, concrete mixer truck, shipping container, industrial building, HRSG module, scaffolding, vertical storage tank, turbine package, generator skid, pipe bundle, steel beam bundle, crane mat, concrete barrier, traffic cone line, worker and tree.

Use Edit in Placed objects to populate the editor, then Update object. Copy duplicates the object with an X offset; reposition it as needed. Remove deletes it. New object returns the editor to placement mode. Up to 200 objects are supported.

Show in scene controls visibility. Include in load-box overlap check controls the overlap test independently; hidden objects can still be checked. Checks use the entire rotated bounding box, so open spaces in a shape are not treated as passable. These assets are original generic shapes, not manufacturer CAD or movable payload types.

13. Click and drag scene items

Use Outside or Top view. Drag visible cranes, construction objects, simple obstacles or the site photo to move them in X/Y. A shared load can be dragged in Multi-crane mode. Movement stops active simulated motion. Dragging the empty background rotates the camera instead.

The selection bar identifies the item and coordinates. Undo move reverses the last move only. Done clears selection. Escape cancels an active gesture/clears selection. Double-click or double-tap can select an item. Use Top view if objects overlap visually.

Drag movement changes horizontal position, not elevation, dimensions or rotation; edit those numerically. Crane-linked single-hook load/rigging moves with its crane geometry rather than as independently positioned components. After dragging a shared load or its cranes, re-align hooks. Cab view cannot move items.

14. Jobsite photos and two-point scale

1. Expand 3D photo reference and upload JPG, PNG or WebP, up to 20 MB.
2. Choose Ground/aerial for a layout or Upright/elevation for a vertical reference.
3. Click two identifiable points in the preview. Enter the measured distance between them and select Set scale from two points.
4. Alternatively choose Select two points on layout, pick points on the placed photo, enter Known distance, then Set scale. Restart points retries; Cancel exits without applying a new scale.
5. Adjust Image width, center X/Y, base elevation, rotation, opacity and Show/Hide. Remove photo deletes the reference.

Image aspect ratio is preserved. Use a top-down photo and a reliable measured distance for ground layout. Calibration scales an image plane; it does not correct perspective or terrain. Verify another known distance after scaling. Photos are compressed and included in device saves, account saves and plan exports. The photo is not a collision surface. The site supports a single current photo reference, not a surveyed terrain model.

15. Jobsite obstacles, measurement and waypoints

For a simple obstacle, enter Name, X/Y, Width, Depth and Height, then Add obstacle. Remove it from the obstacle list when no longer needed. These are ground-based boxes; use 3D Model Library for editable elevation/rotation and equipment shapes.

1. Scale the photo first if measuring image features.
2. Choose Measure two points on layout in Jobsite or Measure on the scene toolbar.
3. Click/tap the two ground positions. Read the distance and point information.
4. Use New measurement to start again, Done to return to layout controls, or Clear measurement to remove the saved result.

Measurement interprets clicks on Z = 0; it does not snap to object surfaces or measure height/sloped distance. Use Top view for clear placement. The completed measurement saves with the plan.

Under Lift waypoints, position the load, then select Record position repeatedly. Points record load-center positions; the scene shows the concept path. Clear path removes all points. In multi-crane mode the shared-load center is recorded. Waypoints are separate from joystick recordings: they do not automatically drive the crane or verify a continuous swept path.

The status beneath the scene reports invalid geometry or current load-box overlaps with obstacles/checked objects. “No load-box overlap detected” applies only to the current pose and checked boxes; it excludes boom, crane, rigging, full path and clearance margins.

16. Documents and attached PDFs

The Documents tab advertises 178 bundled PDFs. Filter manufacturer and search chart/model/boom/counterweight/chart ID; use Show more documents and Read PDF. Cards show descriptions, units, pages and size. Retry loading index if it fails.

In the reader use previous/next arrows, type a page number, zoom −/+, Fit width, Download PDF, Publisher (when supplied), and Close. If rendering fails, retry or download. Opening a document does not import its tables into a capacity engine.

1. Set the correct manufacturer/model in Crane.
2. Choose Load chart, Operator manual or Reference as Document category.
3. Attach a valid PDF, up to 50 MB.
4. Use Open under My attached documents. The × button deletes the stored attachment.

Attachments are matched to the selected manufacturer and exact model text. Attached PDF bytes remain on the current browser/device; account plans and JSON exports contain document metadata, not those PDFs. Reattach them on another device. Clearing browser storage can remove them.

A bundled MLC300 Imperial Product Guide is linked and seeded as a local reference. Its guide charts are not operating charts. Verify exact crane, configuration, units, serial applicability and revision using the applicable operating documentation.

17. Save, import, export and account plans

Account plans are private and available across devices after sign-in. The public app link shares access to the planner, not a particular private account plan. To exchange a plan, share its exported JSON and have the recipient Import it; send attached PDFs separately when permitted.

Save explicitly after changes; do not assume every edit is automatically saved. Keep JSON backups before clearing browser data, replacing a working plan or moving devices. Photos can make backups large. Device storage availability depends on browser settings and space. A plan JSON uses 3D Crane Planner format/version 1 (including earlier planner exports); rigging-only JSON is a different format and is not a full-plan import.

18. Troubleshooting

19. Current scope and review before use

This guide describes delivered functionality in the current published HTML and JavaScript. It does not claim an end-to-end test of every button, account backend, PDF or browser/device.

Before field use, have the concept reviewed against the exact crane operating chart/manual, reeving and winch data, installed rigging ratings, verified payload/CG/pick points, site survey and clearances, ground/support conditions, weather and the required lift-planning procedure. The app’s output remains an unverified concept.

Ground Bearing tab

Choose crawler tracks or four outriggers and US or metric units. Enter verified manufacturer/engineered reactions, pad or mat self-weight, bearing dimensions, effective contact percentage and any verified peak-to-average pressure factor. Enter the site-specific allowable pressure and document its source. Results show average and design peak pressure, allowable utilization, and required effective area/footprint. Blank allowable pressure leaves comparisons unassessed; missing reactions or dimensions leave that support unassessed. Inputs are included in device/account saves and full-plan JSON exports. Export ground bearing report downloads inputs and results as JSON.

Reactions are independent of the Crane tab. Update for every changed crane configuration and governing lift position. Multiplier 1 uses entered reactions as supplied. Peak factor 1 assumes uniform average pressure. Mat stiffness/strength, soil capacity, settlement and pressure distribution are not calculated; verify the effective area and peak factor separately. The pressure comparison is not lift approval.

Rigging References and Rigging Formulas

Rigging References provides 29 searchable type/configuration entries with rating sources, a calculated sling-angle factor chart and a Crosby-specific side-load rating chart. Search or choose a category; Clear filters restores the complete list. Open source links for exact capacity tables and application limits. Download references and formulas saves a JSON reference file.

Rigging Formulas contains 28 searchable common relationships and nine calculation worksheets: two-leg tension, unequal two-point sharing, sling geometry, spreader compression, component rating comparison, D/d ratio, block resultant, rectangular material weight and two-component CG. Angles are explicitly labeled. Worksheet inputs are independent of the modeled rigging and are temporary; Export worksheet retains inputs, results and assumptions as JSON. Worksheets do not approve a lift or rate a custom beam.

20. Terminology and Help tabs

Terminology contains 133 terms with 135 definitions from the supplied BC Crane Safety glossary, v1.0 dated March 8, 2017. Search term names, definition text or abbreviations such as WLL, RCL, LML and PTO. Filter All terms, Crane or Rigging. Clear search resets both search and category. Entries are alphabetical; Cylinder and Lattice Boom retain both supplied definitions. The original PDF link opens the source glossary.

Help displays this complete guide inside the planner. Search words in Find help to filter topics or select a contents link to jump directly to a topic. Selecting a contents link clears the help search. Open full guide opens a separate browser tab. Download help file saves the HTML guide, including its offline search. Print / Save as PDF inside the guide opens the browser print dialog.

Print the 3D view

Choose Print 3D view beside the camera buttons on any tab. The landscape print layout captures the current camera angle with crane configuration, Crane A working radius, boom-tip height, gross load and date. The joysticks and editing panels are omitted. Choose a printer or Save as PDF in the browser print dialog. Cab view prints the scene without the cab display. The drawing is schematic, not to scale, and remains an unverified concept. The Rigging tab’s print button continues to print its separate rigging report.