# Papercraft Studio

A browser tool for designing train and vehicle papercraft, customising liveries, and exporting unfolded A4 sheets.

## Metadata

- HTML: https://glenzli.com/en/projects/papercraft/
- Markdown: https://glenzli.com/en/projects/papercraft.md
- Collection: Projects
- Language: en
- Published: 2026-08-22
- Updated: 2026-08-29
- Status: active
- Tags: papercraft, trains, 3d, print, children

## Content

Papercraft Studio is a browser tool for designing train and vehicle papercraft, customising liveries, and exporting unfolded sheets. Vehicle consists, a 3D preview, basic paintwork, and A4 print layouts share one workspace.

  ![Papercraft Studio showing a train in 3D beside an unfolded A4 sheet](/images/projects/papercraft-cover.webp)

Open the hosted build at [/apps/papercraft/](/apps/papercraft/?lang=en).

## Current capabilities

    **Vehicles and consists**
    Inspect vehicles in 3D, change the number of intermediate cars, and preview couplers and gangways between cars.

    **Liveries**
    Start from built-in models and liveries, then adjust primary, secondary, accent, and roof colours together with route or train text.

    **Unfolding and layout**
    Turn 3D faces into 2D patterns with glue tabs and mountain or valley folds, then pack bodies and accessories onto A4 sheets.

    **Save and export**
    Export colour or blank PDF sheets, or use a <code>.papercraft</code> file to store and exchange model definitions and liveries.

## Current scope

- Models use simplified box-fold geometry suited to beginners and family craft rather than fine curved detail.
- Unfolding and pagination are currently tuned for standard A4 paper.
- Textures are generated with Canvas 2D; arbitrary external UV painting and baking are not supported.