Adding columns, radiators, and other obstacles
Mark the things you can't move — columns, radiators, ducts — so your furniture layout works around them.
Columns, radiators, ductwork, and chimney breasts are obstacles — fixed elements furniture has to work around. Place them like any wall fixture and Smart Flow Check accounts for them.
Step by step
- 1
Pillar (column)
Build Panel → Pillar tile. Click, then click in the room where the column sits. Set size (4–24 inches diameter or square) and shape (round / square) in the Inspector. The pillar renders in 2D as a small filled shape and in 3D as a full-height column.
A pillar dropped inside the room — furniture and Smart Flow Check work around it. - 2
Radiator
Furnish Panel → Symbols → Radiator. Place against the wall. Standard residential: 24–48 inches wide × 6–8 inches deep × 18–30 tall.
- 3
Other obstacles
Ductwork, chimney breasts, built-in cabinetry, plumbing chases — model with the Pillar tile (sized accordingly) or as custom furniture (Furnish Panel → Custom Furniture).
Tips
Round vs square
Set the shape in the Inspector — round for a classic column, square for a boxed-in post or chase. Size it to the real thing so clearances are honest.
Model the radiator too
Place radiators and chimney breasts as obstacles so Flow Check routes furniture around them, not just structural columns.
Common mistakes
Treating a column as furniture
A pillar is structural — it runs floor to ceiling and furniture must clear it. Place it with the Pillar tile so Flow Check enforces the gap.
Guessing the size
A boxed-in steel post can be 6–12 in; a masonry column more. Measure the real one and set the size, or your clearances will be off.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add a column?
Build Panel → Pillar tile. Click, then click in the room.
How does Smart Flow Check treat a column?
It's an obstacle — furniture must clear it. Flow Check warns when a piece overlaps the column footprint, so route seating and tables around it.
Can I model a radiator or chimney breast?
Yes — place them the same way as a pillar, so Flow Check keeps furniture clear of them too, not just structural columns.
Round or square — which shape?
Set it in the Inspector: round for a classic column, square for a boxed-in post or chase. Size it to the real thing.
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