The Plans

Dome Designer generates a complete set of easy-to-understand plans for any dome you want to build. All you have to do is enter the parameters for your dome and click "Calculate"! In a few seconds, detailed plans and parts lists will appear on your computer screen, like this:

From these windows, you can print some of the pages or a complete set of plans in seconds. Let's take a detailed look at these plans to see just what you'll get. (Click on any picture to get a high resolution picture.)

First, you'll get two pictures of your dome, the Top Projection and the Side Projection. These allow you to quickly see what any dome will look like. Using them you can examine different geometries and breakdowns, and make sure they are aesthetically appealing before you build them. These are also valuable when you want to see the big picture of what you are building during construction.

Next you will get a Breakdown Triangle which shows how to assemble the pieces and build the dome. It details what struts, verticies and/or plates to put together with eachother during assembly. All struts, verticies and plates are numbered consistently throughout your set of plans, so you can easily identify what goes where. The detailed Builder's Manual provided with Dome Designer teaches you how to use this breakdown triangle.)

If you are building a dome that uses wooden verticies, Dome Designer will provide you with a set of Vertex Templates, one for each different vertex in the dome. These provide you with precise, detailed templates of each vertex of the correct size, which show you exactly where to drill holes for bolts. They also show which strut to attach at each point, making assembly straightforward and easy. (The Builder's Manual gives you careful, step-by-step instructions on how to make your verticies so you can't go wrong.)

If you are building a dome out of plates, or a covering for a dome, Dome Designer creates a set of Plate Templates, one for each different plate in the dome. These templates show you how to cut each plate, both its shape and the angle of the edges (for thick materials). Again, the Builder's Manual teaches you exactly how to make the plates.

Next, unless you are building a full ball dome (which requires no foundation) Dome Designer will provide you with a detailed Foundation Plan. This plan shows exactly where and how to anchor your dome to the ground. In conjunction with the Builder's Manual, the Foundation Plan is all you need to build a professionally accurate foundation that will blend right in to your dome.

Finally, Dome Designer will generate a complete Materials List for your dome. This Materials List details how many struts, verticies and/or plates will be needed to build the dome, as well as how many bolts. The Materials List also doubles as instructions for making the struts. It details the exact length of each strut, by strut number, as well as the angle required for the end of the strut.

All in all, the plans generated by Dome Designer - in combination with the Builder's Manual - are everything you need to build accurate, economical and beautiful geodesic domes that will provide you with many years of faithful service!