You can build a program by typing it straight into the program sheet in Program Mode. As you enter a space label, an area and a count, Snaptrude creates the matching spaces on the Design canvas, so you can start planning without importing a brief or using the Snaptrude Agent.

Before you start

Click the Program tab at the top of your project. Program Mode opens in a separate browser tab, so you can keep Design Mode open alongside it.
The first time you open Program Mode, a Get started dialog asks whether to use the Snaptrude template or Import existing program. Choose Snaptrude template to type your program in by hand.
If you already have the brief in a spreadsheet, it is usually faster to import it as Program Data (.csv, .xlsx, .xls) and use Interpret. This article covers typing a program in by hand.

Enter spaces

Open the P1 - Program sheet.
Click the first empty row in the Label column and type the name of the space, for example "Meeting Room".
In the same row, enter the target area per room in the Area per Object (Target) column.
Enter how many of that space you need in the Count (Target) column.
Press Enter. Snaptrude creates the spaces on the Design canvas once the label, area and count are all filled in.
Repeat for each space in your program.
Switch to Design Mode to see the spaces and start arranging them.

Note: A row needs all three values (label, area and count) before any spaces are created. If a row has no spaces on the canvas, check that none of the three cells is blank.

Change the space type and area type

Spaces created from Program Mode use the Room space type by default.

In Design Mode, select a space on the canvas.
Open the Properties tab in the right panel.
Change its Space Type, or set its Area Type to Net, Gross or Excluded.

The program sheet and the model stay in sync.

Tip: To block out a whole department as one gross-area mass rather than individual rooms, use the Program Block space type.

Assign departments

Department is a tag category, and every project includes it by default. Each space can carry one Department tag, and you can assign and manage these tags directly in the program sheet.

Find the Department Name column in the program sheet.
Double-click the cell for a space.
Pick an existing department from the dropdown, or type a new name to create it.
To rename or delete a department value, open the same dropdown and use its edit or delete option.

The Department Color column shows the colour used for each department. To see departments as colours on the canvas, set the colour mode to the Department tag category. Any other tag category (for example Building or Phase) can drive the colour mode in the same way.

Compare target and achieved areas

The areas and counts you type become the program's targets. As you edit the spaces in Design Mode, by resizing, adding or deleting them, the achieved area and count update to match the model, while the targets stay as you entered them. This lets you see where the design is over or under the brief.

In the program sheet, compare Area per Object (Target) and Count (Target) with Area per Object (Achieved) and Count (Achieved) for each space.
Check the Net Area Summary columns (Net Area (Target), Net Area (Achieved), Area difference and Difference %) to see the gap.
For a summary across the project, open the Areas tab in the right panel in Design Mode.

Format and reuse the sheet

Custom formatting you apply to Program Mode sheets is saved with the project.
Use column Filter and Sort to focus on part of the program. Filter does not work in Safari.
To share the sheet as a file, use Export (Xlsx or Pdf) on the Snaptrude ribbon tab or at the top-right.
To show the program in a presentation, copy cells (Ctrl + C (Cmd + C on Mac), or right-click and choose Copy) and paste them into Present Mode as a data table. The pasted table keeps its formatting but is a static snapshot, not a live link. Hidden or grouped rows are left out.

Tips

Set up your departments before you enter spaces, so you can tag each row as you go.
Keep labels consistent. Spaces with the same label are easier to select together (Right-click menu, Same Label) and to sort in the Areas tab.
To generate a program from a written brief instead of typing it, use the agent panel on the left of Program Mode or the Snaptrude Agent in Design Mode.

Importing a Program from Excel
Interpreting a Program Sheet
Space Types and Area Types
Tags and Tag Categories
Using the Area Panel
Copying Program Data to Present Mode

Entering a Program Manually