File browser

Arkio allows you to create, share and switch between different scenes as design options using the file browser found in the main menu. It provides a preview of your scene geometry, including any imported files, allowing you to find and compare the content of your scenes.

From this file browser, you can create, duplicate, delete or export your scenes to our various supported design tools. The blue plate indicates your active scene. Switching between scenes can be done by selecting another plate. Arkio scenes are auto-saved after each operation, so you can close Arkio or switch between your scenes at any time.

When you create a new scene, you start with a default, empty green table surface measuring 250 x 150 meters. Using the Edit tool on green surface corners, you can resize your table to make it larger or smaller. From the expandable VR table UI, you can load a map with 3D buildings and access other settings, such as your Start menu and Section tool.

You can duplicate a scene to create a copy of all current objects and properties, allowing you to explore alternate design options. Your active scene can be renamed by hovering over the title in your file browser. This will display an outline, and when pressed, a keyboard will appear. Scenes are stored on your local device, and deleting them will also remove that scene's edit history (see the next chapter), so it's best to do this only if you no longer need that scene and all its backups on your device.

Scenes can be sorted alphabetically or by their name or last edit date, and can be displayed in either a grid or row. Sorting your models into rows is great for comparing different scenes and maintaining a clear view of your work. While grid mode is great when you have a lot of files to manage.

You can use the search feature in the file browser to narrow down the visible scenes to only those that contain your search term. Disabling the search will return you to your main scene overview.

Scene history

Everything in Arkio is automatically saved and backed up every minute. So, you don't have to worry about losing any work. You can always go back in time using history mode to find and restore a backup of your scene.

When History mode is activated, all available backed-up versions of your current scene are displayed and can be restored by pressing the Restore button. This will replace your existing scene in your main file browser. You can restore your scene to an older or later version or revert your scenes to a state before your meeting if you wish to undo the changes made by others.

Scene sharing in meetings

The easiest way to share Arkio scenes between your devices is to join a meeting on the scene you want to share. This will display a meeting icon on the scene plate and color the plate light blue. As the meeting host, you can share multiple scenes with others, and they will appear in their file browser. After the meeting ends, they will be converted into locally stored scenes, allowing users to continue exploring and working on these files.

Scenes that are available on your device have a gray plate. The meeting host can switch between the active models or share any of their local scenes with the other participants during a live meeting. Other editors in a meeting can request to become the meeting host to share their local scenes with others. When you are not in a meeting, your scenes are only stored on your device and not shared with anyone.

As the meeting host, you can share existing scenes from your device, create new scenes or duplicate an active scene to start a new design option with all your users. Other guests in a meeting (editors or viewers) can see these scenes, but only the host can control the active scene for that meeting.

Arkio models are shared from device to device in a meeting and not stored in the cloud. This way, you can work on your projects offline and control who has access to your designs. After the meetings are over, the scenes you worked on will automatically be converted into local scenes that you can view, edit, duplicate, or delete.

In a classroom or corporate setting, you can use a PC to host Arkio meetings and share Arkio scenes with all meeting participants. You can also use an idle device in a meeting to record and back up the work done during the meeting, acting as a private cloud to store your scenes and history until all devices are disconnected.

Scene sharing via Arkio cloud

Scenes and all their content can also be shared using the Arkio Cloud without requiring a live Arkio meeting. You can upload your Arkio Scene to the cloud from the Export panel in the File Manager. After exporting your scene, it becomes available in your Arkio Cloud scene tab and will be shared among all devices linked to the same Arkio Cloud group.

You can set these scenes to be view-only in your cloud page (requires Arkio Pro license), and you can share this scene with others using the invite URL. When users open that URL, they can either add it to their own cloud group or follow instructions to load that scene in Arkio on their device using a scene-sharing code.

Since Arkio only stores your scenes locally, we recommend regularly sharing your most important scenes in a meeting with a PC/Mac or uploading them to the Arkio Cloud, so you have backups of your scenes in different locations in case something goes wrong with one of your devices.

Invalid Scenes

When an invalid scene is detected, the plateau will turn red. Unfortunately, the latest version of this scene is no longer available. Scenes that have become invalid can be restored from a recent history backup by entering history mode and selecting a recent backup.

If you previously worked on this scene in a meeting with other devices, you can also reshare that scene from the other device that still has a recent working version of that scene.

Manual file management

Arkio's scenes are stored locally on your device. This allows working offline and in high-security environments. You can also manually manage, troubleshoot, or share your saved Arkio scenes from the following paths. The .arkio files contain all the info needed to rebuild the Arkio scene locally.

On some devices, accessing your saved data can be challenging due to device limitations. It's easiest to access your saved Arkio scenes on a PC, as the saved .arkio files are found directly in your documents folder, so we recommend having a PC in your meetings to provide additional backups of your work.

To access files on your Quest, you will need a USB cable and a Quest headset with developer mode enabled. You can access the files on your iOS and Android devices through your file browser app and use cloud services like Dropbox to transfer them. You can learn more about Arkio's file paths Access and manage user files

The following directories can be used to manually rename, restore, and manage your saved Arkio scenes. Copying the arkio files between devices lets you share your scenes without a live Arkio meeting.