Guidelines for Creators

1. General Requirements

File Naming Rules

• Use clear, consistent, human-readable file names.
• File names should describe the content and avoid vague names such as final, final2, new, test, version1, or copy.
• Recommended format: ProductName_CreatorName_FileType_SA
• Examples:
  • Library_Set_CreatorName_Showcase_SA.rvt
  • People_Rowing_Boats_Catalog_SA.ai
  • Concrete_Patterns_Archicad_SA.pln
  • Tree_Set_PNG_01.png
• Use underscores instead of spaces when possible.

Source File Consistency

• All deliverables must represent the same final product.
• PNG files, preview images, catalog files, DWG files, AI files, Revit files, Archicad files, and any other exports must match the same approved content.
• Do not include objects, patterns, materials, variations, or graphic elements in preview images that are not included in the final delivered files.
• Do not change the design between formats unless specifically requested.
• The product shown in the presentation images must match the files customers receive.

Copyright, Originality, and References

Originality

• All illustrations must be 100% original, free from any copyright infringement or plagiarism.
• The creator bears full responsibility for any potential legal risks.

Use of References, if provided

• References are for general use only.
• Adapt them to ensure the final illustrations look their best and make great sense.
• Do not copy any errors or imperfections from the reference images.
• Complete the illustrations correctly and in full compliance with the guidelines.

After-release Support

• Creators are expected to help resolve technical issues if a problem is found after release.
• This may include correcting files, replacing broken exports, updating previews, or clarifying how the product should be used.
• Support is part of maintaining product quality, reducing customer issues, and protecting user trust.

2. Illustration Sets

CAD, Vector, PNG Sets

These guidelines consolidate the technical and aesthetic requirements for creating CAD, Vector, and PNG illustration sets. All work must be high-quality, line-art, and scalable.

General Quality & Copyright

Originality

• All illustrations must be 100% original, free from any copyright infringement or plagiarism.
• The creator bears full responsibility for any potential legal risks.

Clarity and Completeness

• Illustrations must be clean, professional, and ready for use.
• All shapes must be fully closed, with no gaps allowed.

Aesthetics

• Maintain proportion, accuracy, and alignment across all files.
• Illustrations should be detailed and realistic, avoiding a cartoonish style.
• Illustrations must aim for a more realistic and less cartoonish or AI-generated feel.
• Hands, feet, heads, and body proportions should be carefully drawn and should look natural, not generic or simplified in a way that lowers the quality of the set.

Style

• When creating people, avoid including facial details such as eyes or noses.

Use of References, if provided

• References are for general use only.
• Adapt them to ensure the final illustrations look their best and make great sense.
• Do not copy any errors or imperfections from the reference images.
• Complete the illustrations correctly and in full compliance with the guidelines.
• When redrawing from a reference sketch, improve any imperfections and correct anything that does not make sense.

Viewpoint

• Sets may be requested in top, side, front, back, or isometric perspectives.
• Different views are usually not part of the same set unless specifically requested.

Vector File, AI Guidelines

Software

• Save the file in Adobe Illustrator 2020 format.

Artboard Setup

• Artboard size: 2500×2500 px.
• Color Mode: RGB.
• Resolution: 300 dpi.
• Artboard name: Artboard 1.

Layering and Grouping

• One layer only, named Content.
• Each illustration must be grouped separately, not all illustrations grouped together.

Path Quality

• Paths must be clean, closed, and use uniform stroke weight.
• No overlapping lines.
• No excess anchor points or leftover artifacts.
• All shapes must be fully closed, with no gaps allowed.
• Almost-touching lines must be corrected so they fully connect in all file formats.
• Avoid overlapping lines, duplicate lines, lines that almost touch, untrimmed lines, excess anchor points, and leftover artifacts.
• Linework must be clean, precise, and ready for professional use.
• For visually necessary overlapping elements, such as hair over a head or clothing over limbs, partial overlap may be acceptable only if the linework remains clean and free from duplicates or artifacts.

Arrangement

• Arrange illustrations centered in a clean square grid.
• Leave a 200px clear margin or empty space between illustrations and the artboard edge.
• No hidden elements or unnecessary layers.

CAD/DWG File Guidelines

Format and Content

• Each illustration must be in its own block.
• Only one layer is allowed: Layer 0.
• No reference or linked files, Xrefs.
• No rectangles should appear around the illustration when selected, must be a separate DWG block.
• In the CAD file, each illustration must be a separate CAD block with a set base point.
• In both CAD and vector AI formats, characters and objects must be grouped or blocked separately so users can easily extract and use them in their own designs.

Geometry and Cleanup

• No overlapping, duplicate, or intersecting lines.
• Use Polylines, PL command, instead of single lines.
• Use the FLATTEN command to keep everything on one Z-plane.
• Use the OVERKILL command before saving to remove duplicates and tiny gaps.
• Avoid problematic line situations, including overlapping lines, lines almost touching, and untrimmed lines.
• Illustrations must be clean and precise.

Technical Specifications

• Units: centimeters, cm.
• Drawings must be at 1:1 scale/proportion.
• Consistent, clean line weights, suggested: 0.10–0.25 mm.
• Lines must display white on a black background and vice versa automatically.

Base Point and View

• Set the base point at the lowest spot on the line.
• If there is a corner, place it in the left corner.
• The file must open zoomed full screen, Zoom Extents in Model tab, not Layout tab.

PNG File Guidelines

Sizing and Quality

• Save each illustration separately at a minimum of 2500×2500 px.
• Resolution and Color: 300 dpi, RGB.
• Background: Must be transparent.

Trimming and Margins

• Trim empty space or pixels around illustrations, using Trim Tool in Photoshop or AssetExport in Illustrator.
• The lines of the illustration must touch the margins evenly, centered, and clean.
• The lines must touch the artboard edges after trimming.

Source Consistency

• PNG files must be direct exports of the CAD or vector illustrations.
• They are not separate drawings from imagination.

Illustration Units and Catalog Logic

• If one figure is provided in three versions, such as Detailed, Outline, and Silhouette, the full set of three versions counts as one illustration unit.
• When arranging illustrations for catalog grids in AI and DWG files, include illustrations of the same type together.
• For example:
  • silhouettes
  • detailed illustrations
  • flat vector versions
• These should be arranged as separate catalog files or clearly separated sets.

Folder Structure

The final folder must include the following four components:

• AutoCAD, .DWG file.
• Adobe Illustrator, .AI file with a catalog view on a 2500 x 2500 px artboard, RGB, 300 dpi.
• A folder named PNGs containing:
  • separate PNG files of each illustration
  • 300 dpi
  • RGB
  • 2500 x 2500 px minimum
• A folder named Presentation Images or Presentation Cover Images containing:
  • 1 catalog PNG with all illustrations arranged in a grid, 2500×2500 px, RGB, 72 dpi
  • separate PNGs, one per illustration, enlarged and centered, 2500×2500 px, RGB, 72 dpi

3. Vector Patterns and Pattern Libraries

These guidelines detail the technical specifications, quality standards, and submission requirements for creating seamless vector patterns designed for use in Adobe Illustrator, AutoCAD, and other architectural design software.

General Quality and Pattern Requirements

Seamlessness is Critical

• The pattern must be properly defined as an actual pattern in Adobe Illustrator and AutoCAD, .pat.
• When applied to large surfaces, the pattern must tile infinitely and flawlessly, with absolutely no visible seams or gaps.

Scalability

• All patterns must be fully scalable and infinitely tileable.

Originality & Copyright

• All work must be 100% original creations, free from any copyright infringement or plagiarism.

Compatibility

• While you may use any vector software, e.g. AutoCAD, for creation, the final deliverables must include the required AI, DWG, and PNG files.

Adobe Illustrator Vector File, .AI Guidelines

Technical Specifications, For Pattern Units/Graphics

• For the vector version of the pattern graphic, the line thickness should be uniformly set to 1px.

Software

• Save the final file in Adobe Illustrator 2020 format or later.

Path Quality

• Paths must be clean and fully closed.
• Avoid overlapping lines.
• Remove unnecessary anchor points or leftover artifacts.

Illustrator Catalog File, Catalog View

This file serves as a visual index for the pattern set.

Artboard Setup

• Size: 2500px x 2500px.
• Color Mode/Resolution: RGB, 300 dpi.
• Name: Artboard 1.

Layering

• Create one layer named Content for the patterns.
• Create a separate layer named Text for captions and labels.

Arrangement

• Arrange the patterns precisely and align them in a clean square grid, e.g., 5x5 for a 25-pattern set.
• Ensure a minimum of 200px empty space between the illustrations and the artboard edge.
• Each pattern must be grouped separately within the Content layer.

Naming

• Use the font Arial for pattern captions/names.

Required Outputs

The final submission must include two distinct Illustrator files for the patterns:

Illustrator Vector Catalog

• The regular AI file created using the specifications above, showing the visual grid of all patterns with captions.

Illustrator Swatch Library

• The installable AI file containing the patterns saved as an official Swatch Library, without a visual preview.

Final Submission Folder Structure

The final package for review should include all required file types, organized as follows:

• AutoCAD, .DWG file.
• Adobe Illustrator, .AI Catalog file:
  • 2500 x 2500 px
  • RGB
  • 300 dpi
• Adobe Illustrator Swatch Library, .ai file:
  • without preview
• A folder named Presentation Images containing:
  • 1 Catalog PNG with all patterns arranged in a grid
  • separate PNG images, one per pattern, enlarged and centered
  • format for presentation images: 2500 x 2500 px, RGB, 72 dpi

4. Archicad Fill Patterns and Deliverables

These guidelines apply to all Archicad pattern sets submitted to Studio Alternativi, including fill patterns converted from vector files, adapted from existing pattern libraries, or created from scratch.

The goal is to prepare clean, usable, and visually clear Archicad-compatible pattern sets that can be used directly in architectural drawings and presentation work.

Archicad File Formats and Compatibility

The primary goal is seamless compatibility for Archicad users.

Priority deliverables

• Archicad .PLN file
• Archicad .XML file

Optional files

• .PAT files, AutoCAD Hatch Patterns, are not essential and should be omitted if they are complex to produce.

Units and scale

• Work in centimeters, cm.
• Use a pattern scale that makes the most sense and looks the most appealing.
• A 1x1 meter scale is acceptable when it gives the pattern the right architectural reading.

Technical Requirements

All patterns, whether adapted from vector files or created from scratch, must meet high technical and visual standards.

Seamless Tiling

• Patterns must be seamless and infinite where necessary.
• They must fully cover any required surface area without visible breaks, gaps, or unwanted edges.

Cleaning and Refining

• Patterns should be thoroughly cleaned and refined before delivery.
• Remove unnecessary elements, errors, rough geometry, leftover artifacts, and imperfections found in original source files.

Pattern Quality

• Patterns should look clean, consistent, and usable at architectural scale.
• The result should feel intentional, not like an automatic or unfinished conversion.

DWG Export and Cleanup, When Applicable

If a DWG file is created as part of the process, it must be clean and ready for customer use.

Requirements

• Use one layer only, named 0.
• Each pattern must be grouped into a block.
• Remove unnecessary geometry, duplicate lines, and leftover elements.
• Any pop-up windows, licensing notices, or Graphisoft-related warnings that appear when the DWG is opened in AutoCAD must be resolved and eliminated before delivery.
• Customers should be able to open the DWG file without seeing unwanted messages, warnings, or licensing notices.

Presentation and Catalog Requirements

All Archicad pattern sets require high-quality presentation images for the product page.

Presentation files

• Must be high-quality JPEG or PNG files.
• Must be exactly 2500 x 2500 px.
• Must be clean, consistent, and ready for product presentation.

Presentation Cubes, Isometric View

The default visual presentation for individual Archicad patterns is a simple cube with the pattern applied to it in an isometric view.

To make the patterns clear and readable:

• Use black lines instead of grey.
• Slightly thicken the separation lines between elements.
• Keep the cube simple and clean.
• Do not add unnecessary graphic effects.
• Make sure the pattern is clearly visible on the cube surface.
• The purpose of the cube is to show the pattern clearly, not to create a complex rendering.

Text and Background

Presentation images must remain clean and minimal.

Requirements

• Use Arial font for all captions.
• Use a white background only.
• Do not add grey rectangles or unnecessary background elements.
• Adjust the text angle to match the isometric angle of the applied pattern cubes.
• Keep all captions readable and visually aligned with the presentation style.

5. Revit Family Submission Guidelines

These guidelines apply to all Revit sets submitted to Studio Alternativi, including furniture, people, objects, accessories, entourage, patterns, and similar assets.

Think in Sets

• Design a coherent set that solves a real architectural need.
• Every set should:
  • feel intentional
  • be usable in real projects
  • function as a small system, not a loose collection
• Required:
  • Each paid set includes at least 9 Revit families
• Good examples:
  • Bedroom set: beds, nightstands, wardrobes, lamps
  • Street People set: standing, walking, sitting, child, wheelchair
  • Lighting set: pendants, wall lights, floor lamps
• Not accepted:
  • One random object
  • Unrelated objects grouped together
  • Filler objects added only to reach a number

Micro-sets and Mega-packs

• Micro-sets are not intended to function as standalone paid products.
• They are used only as:
  • free examples
  • parts of a larger set or mega-pack
• We strongly prefer micro-sets to be free.
• Free micro-sets allow architects and students to:
  • place the families in a real project
  • test behavior, scale, and drawings
  • verify quality before committing
• This approach:
  • reduces hesitation
  • builds trust
  • demonstrates real value
  • drives users toward the full sets
  • increases the likelihood of purchasing larger products
• A good micro-set should feel like a real sample, not a teaser.
• Mega-packs are encouraged.
• Guidelines:
  • Mega-packs list all included sets.
  • Mega-packs link to the smaller sets.
  • Smaller sets clearly mention the mega-pack and the savings from buying the larger product instead of individual sets.
• This information must appear in the product descriptions so users can move easily between related products.

Revit Version and Units

• Use Revit 2019.
• Families work correctly in Revit 2019 and newer versions.
• Work in centimeters, cm.

Family Setup and Quality

• Use the correct Revit family template.
• Assign the correct Revit category.
• Avoid Generic Model unless there is no better option.
• Prefer non-hosted families.
• Use parameters only when they add real value.
• Check:
  • No broken constraints
  • No warnings on load
  • Geometry behaves correctly when parameters are changed

Performance

• Architects avoid families that feel heavy or slow.
• Keep geometry efficient.
• Avoid unnecessary detail.
• Keep file sizes reasonable.
• Remove unused parameters and content.
• Performance issues often lead to rejection and refund requests, as users are not satisfied when families slow down real projects or have quality issues.

2D Drawings and Documentation

• Plan, elevation, and section views should be readable and clear.
• Use symbolic lines where needed.
• Curate lineweights for architectural clarity.
• Simplify coarse and medium detail levels.
• Check:
  • Place the family in a 1:100 and 1:50 plan.
  • If it looks cluttered or heavy, simplify it.

3D Representation

• Proportions should be correct.
• Materials should read clearly.
• Geometry should feel honest and restrained.
• All materials used must be copyright-free, legally usable, and free of licensing or intellectual property issues.
• If text is used anywhere in 3D views, preview images, or documentation, the text must be copyright-free and the fonts must be open and available on all systems.
• Families must work well in both 2D and 3D.

Naming Rules

• Use clear, human-readable names.
• Examples:
  • Bed_Queen_160x200
  • Chair_Wood_Stackable
  • Person_Walking_Phone
• Avoid generic names, placeholders, and version-based naming.
• Naming should be descriptive and consistent.

Materials and Appearance

• Assign materials to all main elements.
• Use realistic default colors and finishes.
• Make materials editable where it makes sense.
• All materials must be copyright-free.
• Example:
  • Frame_Material
  • Upholstery_Material
  • Glass_Material
• Families should look convincing in Realistic view without extra work.

File Cleanliness

• Before submission:
  • purge unused items
  • remove junk views
  • fix warnings and constraints
  • test in a blank project
• Clean files reduce support issues and build trust.

Revit File Structure

Revit Family Files, .RFA

• Each object is delivered as a separate RFA file.
• One object per RFA.
• Accepted:
  • Multiple types in one RFA when they are true variations such as size, proportion, or minor configuration.
• Not accepted:
  • One RFA containing multiple unrelated objects
  • Container families

Revit Showcase Project File, .RVT

• Each set includes one Revit project file named:

• This file contains:
  • all RFAs loaded
  • all objects and variants placed
  • no links
  • no imports
  • no unused content

Grid Layout

• Arrange all objects in a clean, consistent grid with equal spacing, logical order, and on one level.
• Recommended logic includes grouping by:
  • type
  • size
  • use
• The goal is catalogue-style clarity and easy visual comparison.

Startup View

• When the RVT opens, the presentation should be ready.
• Create a 3D view named 00_START_3D and set it as the default view.
• The view should:
  • show the full grid centered
  • have a clean background
  • contain no section boxes
  • contain no reference planes
  • use shaded or realistic style chosen for clarity
• Opening the file should immediately read as a product catalogue.

Preview Images

• All preview images come from the showcase RVT.
• Export a minimum of 10 JPEG images at 2500 × 2500 px.
• Use the same camera, lighting, and style for all images.
• All JPEGs must be saved in good quality and be under 380 kb each.
• Image set:
  • 1 image showing the full grid
  • at least 9 images showing individual objects
• No logos.
• Watermarks provided if needed.

Internal Revit Thumbnails

• Set a clean default 3D view in each RFA.
• Save the thumbnail before submission.
• Objects should be centered on a neutral background.

Shopify Product Content

• For each product, please submit all text below:
  • Product title
  • Short summary
  • Full product description
• Descriptions should explain:
  • what the set includes
  • how it is used in real projects
  • what problems it helps solve

Delivery Structure and Submission Email

• Each set must be delivered as one ZIP archive named with the full name of the set.
• ZIP archive structure:
  • Product images folder containing JPEG preview images, properly numbered.
  • RFAs folder containing all RFA files, correctly named, Revit 2019.
  • Root folder containing one RVT showcase file with the full set name, Revit 2019.
  • Free example or micro-set folder following the same internal logic as the main set.
• No other files included.