> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://luw-ai.gitbook.io/luw.ai-studio/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://luw-ai.gitbook.io/luw.ai-studio/getting-started/projects-and-saving.md).

# Projects and saving

How Luw\.ai Studio stores your work. Create, copy, rename and delete projects, choose units, and understand autosave and its status messages.

Every building you make in Luw\.ai Studio is a project, stored in your Luw\.ai account rather than on your computer. That means you need to be signed in to keep your work, and that the same projects are waiting for you whichever computer you sign in from. Saving happens on its own in the background; this page explains how, and what the Studio tells you when something holds it up.

## Signed in or demo mode

When you're signed in, the Studio always has a project open. Signing in for the first time creates one called **Untitled Plan**; after that, the Studio opens the project you worked on most recently.

When you're not signed in, you're in demo mode. The top bar shows an amber **Demo mode — sign in to save & render with AI** button instead of a project name. You can draw, furnish and paint as much as you like to get a feel for the editor, but:

* nothing is saved, so the scene is gone when you close or reload the tab;
* AI features ([Archiagent.ai](/luw.ai-studio/luw.ai-ai-tools/archiagent.md) and the **Create** tab's renders, 3D models and textures) ask you to sign in first.

Click the amber button or **Sign in** at the top right to sign in with your Luw\.ai account on app.luw\.ai. You come straight back to the Studio afterwards. See [Account and sign-in](/luw.ai-studio/account/account-and-sign-in.md).

## The Projects dialog

Click the project button in the top bar (the folder icon with the project's name) to open **Projects**. It's the home for everything you do with whole projects:

* **New project** starts an empty project.
* The **Search projects…** box filters your projects by name. It searches all of them, not just the ones already on screen. Press `Esc` once to clear the search and again to close the dialog.
* **Save as** makes a copy of the project you have open.
* **Import** brings in a .luw, DXF or IFC file as a new project.
* **Export** downloads the open project, its floor plan or its 3D model.

Below these sits a grid of project cards, most recently changed first. Each card shows a 3D view and the floor plan side by side once the Studio has captured them, and the project you have open carries a **Current** badge. Click a card to open that project. The grid loads 15 projects at a time and fetches more as you scroll; if it stops, click **Load more**.

The header also shows how many projects are loaded. A brand-new account sees **No projects yet. Create your first one.** instead of the grid.

## Start a new project

1. In **Projects**, click **New project**. A blank card appears at the start of the grid, with the name **Untitled** selected.
2. Type a name.
3. Pick the units: **Imperial** for feet and inches, or **Metric** for metres.
4. Press `Enter`.

The dialog closes and the new, empty project opens, ready for the **How do you want to start?** card described in [Your first scene](/luw.ai-studio/getting-started/your-first-scene.md). Press `Esc` instead of `Enter` to cancel.

### About units

The unit you choose decides how lengths are shown and typed; it doesn't change the size of anything. The Studio works in metric unless you choose otherwise, except that browsers set to US English are offered feet on the start card of an empty project until you pick one. You can change your mind at any time:

* on the start card, with the **Units** switch (**Feet** / **Meters**);
* in the **Display** menu at the top right of the canvas, under **Units**, which also offers **Millimeters**.

## Copy, rename or delete a project

**Copy.** Open the project you want to copy, open **Projects**, and click **Save as**. A card appears with the name "*project name* copy"; change it if you like and press `Enter`. The copy opens and the original stays exactly as it was. This is the safe way to try out a big change.

**Rename.** Hover a card and click the pencil, type the new name and press `Enter`. `Esc` keeps the old name.

**Delete.** Hover a card and click the bin. The **Delete project?** window asks you to type the project's name exactly, as a check that you've picked the right one, before **Delete** becomes clickable. Deleting removes the project and everything in it for good; it can't be undone.

## What a project keeps

A project is more than its scene. Saved with it in your account are:

* **the scene**: everything you've built, placed and painted;
* **its Gallery**: the renders, 3D models, textures, videos and snapshots made while it was open (see [The Gallery](/luw.ai-studio/luw.ai-ai-tools/render-with-ai.md#the-gallery));
* **its Archiagent chats**: every conversation in **Edit with AI**. The project opens on its latest chat, and **Chat history** in the Archiagent header lists the others (see [Archiagent.ai](/luw.ai-studio/luw.ai-ai-tools/archiagent.md)).

Open the project on another computer and all three come with it.

## Import and export

Import always creates a new project, so it never overwrites anything you already have. You can import a Luw\.ai Studio project file (.luw), a CAD drawing (DXF) or a BIM model (IFC). The **DXF / IFC** tile at the bottom of the **Build** tab opens the same window. See [Import](/luw.ai-studio/import-and-export/import.md).

Export needs an open project. It can save the whole project as a .luw file (the easiest way to keep a backup on your own computer or hand a project to someone else), the floor plan as an image or PDF, or the 3D model in formats such as GLB, USDZ, OBJ, STL and IFC. See [Export](/luw.ai-studio/import-and-export/export.md).

## How autosave works

You never need to save by hand. About a second after you stop making changes, the Studio sends the project to your Luw\.ai account. If a save doesn't get through, it tries again a couple of times straight away, and then keeps retrying in the background.

To save immediately, press `Cmd/Ctrl + S`. It works anywhere in the Studio, even while you're typing in a box.

The label next to the project name in the top bar tells you where things stand. Hover it for an explanation when it shows a problem.

| Label                            | Meaning                                                                                                  |
| -------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Loading…**                     | The project is being opened.                                                                             |
| **Saving…**                      | Your latest changes are on their way.                                                                    |
| **Saved**                        | Everything you've done is stored in your account.                                                        |
| **Not saved · retrying**         | The last save didn't reach Luw\.ai. The Studio keeps trying; leave the tab open until it says **Saved**. |
| **Not saved · uploading a file** | A scan or guide image you added is still uploading, and the project waits for it (see below).            |
| **Not saved · scene emptied**    | Almost everything was deleted at once, so autosave stopped to protect the saved copy (see below).        |
| **Read-only**                    | This project can't be saved here. Save a copy to keep working (see below).                               |

{% hint style="warning" %}
If the label shows **Not saved**, don't close the tab yet. Changes that haven't reached your account are lost when the page closes.
{% endhint %}

### Files that are still uploading

When you add a scan or a guide image, the file is uploaded to Luw\.ai first, and the project waits to save until the upload is complete. That way the project never refers to a file that only exists on one computer, and it opens properly everywhere else.

If an upload fails, a notice near the bottom of the screen says which file is affected. **Retry now** tries again straight away. Where the file can be taken out, **Remove from project** deletes it from the scene so the project can save without it. The Studio also keeps retrying on its own.

You may also see this notice for a file that was added on another computer but never finished uploading there. Open the project on that computer to let the upload complete, or remove the file.

### When almost everything is deleted

If nearly the whole scene disappears in one go, the Studio assumes it may be a mistake and stops autosaving, so the last good version in your account isn't overwritten. The label changes to **Not saved · scene emptied**. You have two ways forward:

* press `Cmd/Ctrl + Z` to undo the deletion, and saving carries on as normal;
* or, if you really did mean to clear it, just keep building, and autosave starts again with your new work.

### Read-only projects

Projects made with the earlier version of Luw\.ai Studio open and save normally at studio.luw\.ai. If you open one of them at another address, for example a test or preview link, it opens read-only: a banner above the canvas explains that your changes aren't saved to it, and the label reads **Read-only**. Click **Save a copy to keep editing** to move your work into a new project, named after the original with "(new editor)" added, which you can then edit and save as usual.

## If a project won't open

Occasionally a project can't be loaded, for instance because of a dropped connection. The Studio then turns autosave off for it, so a failed load can never be saved over the real project, and offers to try again. You can also open or start a different project from the top bar.

If the project's saved data itself is damaged, trying again won't help. In that case the message offers **Reset this project**. Confirming with **Reset project** replaces the damaged data with an empty scene; what was there can't be recovered, so only do this when you have no other copy you need.

## Project thumbnails

The pictures on the project cards are made by the Studio. Each time you open **Projects**, it takes a fresh 3D thumbnail of the open project from your current camera position, and a matching floor plan picture.

To show a project at its best instead, pick a cover: open a render or a snapshot in the project's **Gallery** and click **Use as the project cover**. A view you hand to Luw\.ai Render AI on app.luw\.ai (from a walkthrough with `Enter`, for example) becomes the cover by itself. See [Render with AI](/luw.ai-studio/luw.ai-ai-tools/render-with-ai.md#your-project-cover).