Organising your files · CommunityCAD docs

The recommended ZIP layout, README and LICENSE files, and how they appear on your model page.

For anything more than a single part, upload a ZIP. CommunityCAD understands a simple folder layout, and uses it to sort your files, render previews, show your README and license, and turn PDFs into readable datasheets.

The recommended layout#

my-project.zip
├── README.md          ← shown as the model's description
├── LICENSE            ← shown in the license card
├── cad/               ← source CAD: STEP, native files
│   ├── body.step
│   └── lid.step
├── exports/           ← ready-to-use exports: STL, 3MF, DXF, G-code
│   ├── body.stl
│   └── lid.stl
├── assets/            ← photos, renders, diagrams used by the README
│   └── assembled.jpg
└── docs/              ← datasheets, manuals, instructions
    └── assembly-guide.pdf

Only README.md and the folders you need are required; everything is optional.

Folder or file	Purpose	What CommunityCAD does with it
`README.md` (or `README`, `README.markdown`)	Your project's documentation	Shown on the Description tab
`LICENSE` (or `LICENCE`, `COPYING`, with or without `.md` / `.txt`)	Your license text	Shown in the License card; the license type is detected automatically
`cad/`	Source files someone would edit	Rendered first for preview images; STEP files also get an STL export
`exports/`	Files ready to print, cut or machine	Rendered if `cad/` has nothing renderable
`assets/`	Images and media	Listed in the Files tab
`docs/` (or `documentation/`)	PDFs and documents	PDFs become datasheets: viewable in place, with text recognition

Names are case-insensitive. Files outside these folders are kept and downloadable as part of the ZIP, but not shown in the Files tab.

Rules worth knowing#

One wrapper folder is fine. If everything is inside one top-level folder (like a GitHub download, my-project-main/), it's ignored and the layout inside is used.
macOS extras (__MACOSX/, ._* files) are skipped.
Files over 50 MB inside the ZIP are skipped for previews and single-file downloads; the whole ZIP must also be 50 MB or less.
Up to 10 CAD files are rendered per ZIP, largest first.
A README replaces the description you typed in the form, on upload and on every new version.
A LICENSE file overrides the license chosen in the upload form.

README tips#

Write it in Markdown, like a GitHub README. A good one covers:

What it is and a photo;
What you need: parts, hardware, tools, materials;
How to make it: print settings, orientation, supports, machining steps;
How to assemble or use it;
Credits and changes.

Images in a README: links to images elsewhere on the web work. Relative paths such as assets/photo.jpg don't display yet. Put your key photos in the model's gallery as well.

The Files tab#

The Files tab shows your model's files by folder, with download buttons and sizes. README links to the Description tab, and LICENSE expands to show its text.

As the owner, you see every folder with + Add, so you can add files after uploading (up to 50 MB each). A PDF added to docs/ becomes a datasheet. Added files carry an "added" badge.