LGSConverter

1Introduction & Overview

LGSConverter is a cloud-based platform that converts light gauge steel (LGS) framing models — delivered as IFC, FRAMECAD XML, FRAMECAD FCP, or Machine CSV files — into the machine CSV output required to drive roll-forming equipment directly on the factory floor.

For FRAMECAD Structure Type 2 or Type 3 CSV exports, CSV Mapping edits selected values in your browser, then verifies billable length on the server before delivering a combined CSV or per-thickness ZIP without changing geometry.

2Supported File Formats

File size limits

3Uploading & Converting a File

1. Log in to LGSConverter and navigate to the Converter tab.
2. Click the upload area or drag-and-drop your file (.ifc, .xml, .fcp, .csv, or .zip).
3. LGSConverter detects the format automatically and begins parsing. A progress indicator is shown during conversion.
4. Once conversion completes, the Frame Editor opens automatically with all frames listed on the left.
5. Review and edit frames, configure your machine profile, then generate your machine file.

Resuming a previous session

If you saved a .lgs session file from a previous conversion (see Section 6), you can reload it by dropping it onto the upload zone instead of re-uploading the original source file. All your previous edits, exclusions, and tool mappings will be restored immediately.

4Frame Editor — Complete Tool Reference

The Frame Editor is the central review and editing interface. It displays every frame from your converted file in 2D elevation view, with all members rendered to scale alongside their tooling marks.

4.1 Toolbar Overview & Keyboard Shortcuts

The toolbar runs across the top of the canvas. Click any tool icon to activate it, or press the matching keyboard shortcut. The currently active tool is highlighted with a blue background.

Additional keyboard shortcuts

4.2 Select Tool

The Select tool is the default tool when the editor opens. Click any member on the canvas to select it and open the Member Inspector panel on the right. The inspector shows:

• Member name and role (Stud, Plate, Nog, TopChord, BottomChord, Web, Brace, Rail, etc.)
• Profile dimensions — web × flange × lip in mm
• Start and end positions in mm from the frame origin
• Flipped flag — controls which side the lip faces relative to the panel face
• All assigned tooling marks — type, station (mm from start), and orientation

Click an empty area of the canvas to deselect and close the inspector.

4.3 Move Tool M

The Move tool lets you reposition a member laterally within the frame. Activate the tool, then click the member you want to move. You can:

• Click and drag the member to a new position on the canvas.
• Type a numeric offset in mm in the input box that appears in the toolbar for precision placement.

Moving a member triggers an automatic re-tooling pass — all connection marks are recomputed immediately.

4.4 Flip Tool F

The Flip tool toggles the flipped orientation flag on a selected stud or member. Flipping swaps which face the C-section lip opens toward — this controls which side of the member the web notch and swage marks are placed on in the machine CSV.

4.5 Box Tool B

The Box tool toggles a back-to-back C (boxed section) on any selected member. A boxed stud is two C-sections placed web-to-web, creating a closed-box column. When Box is active on a member:

• The member is rendered as a double-section on the canvas.
• The CSV export emits both C-sections as separate rows with their respective tooling marks.

4.6 Trim Tool T

The Trim tool shortens a member from one of its ends. Trimming snaps the member end to the flange face of the nearest adjacent member — the same snap plane used by FRAMECAD Detailer.

How to use:

1. Press T or click the Trim tool in the toolbar.
2. Click the cutting boundary — the adjacent member whose face you are trimming back to.
3. Click the member end you want to shorten. The end snaps flush to the boundary member's flange face.

Trim only applies to axis-aligned (horizontal or vertical) members. Diagonal members use the Lengthen tool instead. After trimming, tooling marks are automatically recomputed.

4.7 Extend Tool E

The Extend tool is the opposite of Trim — it lengthens a member end toward an adjacent member's flange face. Use it to restore a member that has been trimmed too short, or to extend a member to meet a plate it does not currently reach.

How to use:

1. Press E or click the Extend tool.
2. Click the target boundary — the member you are extending toward.
3. Click the member end you want to lengthen. The end extends to meet the boundary member's flange face.

4.8 Lengthen Tool L

The Lengthen tool adjusts a member by a user-specified offset in mm. Unlike Trim/Extend, it works on all member orientations including diagonals, and the offset is entered numerically rather than by clicking a boundary.

How to use:

1. Press L or click the Lengthen tool.
2. Click the member you want to adjust. The Member Inspector opens showing the current length.
3. Type the desired new total length (in mm) in the input field, then press Enter. The member updates immediately, preserving its angle if it is diagonal.

4.9 Measure Tool D

The Measure tool displays the distance between any two points on the canvas.

1. Press D or click the Measure tool.
2. Click the first point. A snap indicator appears.
3. Click the second point. The distance in mm is displayed on the canvas as a dimension line.
4. Press Escape to clear the measurement.

Measurement snaps to member endpoints and midpoints. Multiple measurements can be placed simultaneously for comparison.

4.10 Delete Tool

The Delete tool permanently removes a member from the current frame. Activate it and click any member to delete it. The deletion triggers an immediate re-tooling pass on all remaining members.

4.11 Add Stud / Add Plate

These two tools let you place new members into a frame without re-uploading the source file.

• Add Stud — click on the canvas to place a new vertical stud at that horizontal position. The stud spans the full height of the frame by default. Profile dimensions are inherited from the nearest existing stud.
• Add Plate — click on the canvas to place a new horizontal plate (nog) at that vertical position. Width and profile are inherited from the nearest existing plate.

Newly placed members are tooled automatically on the next connection-detection pass.

4.12 Break Tool

The Break tool splits one member into two independent pieces at the click point. Both halves retain the original member's profile and role, and both receive independent tooling marks.

Common uses: splitting a long plate around an opening; separating a stud that crosses a level change.

4.13 Service Hole Tool

The Service Hole tool draws a run of service penetration holes along a stud or plate. These are exported directly to the machine CSV as SERVICE HOLE operations.

1. Click the Service Hole tool in the toolbar.
2. Click the start point of the service hole run on the canvas.
3. Click the end point. A dashed run indicator is drawn on the member.
4. The hole run is saved with the frame and included in all subsequent CSV exports.

4.14 Bolt Tool

The Bolt tool draws a run of bolt holes along a plate or stud, exported as BOLT operations in the machine CSV.

1. Click the Bolt tool in the toolbar.
2. Click the start point of the bolt run.
3. Click the end point. A bolt run indicator appears on the member.

4.15 Web Notch Tool

The Web Notch tool places a manual web notch annotation on a member — overriding or supplementing the automatic tooling engine. This is used when a geometric crossing is not detected automatically (for example, a non-standard penetration).

1. Click the Web Notch tool in the toolbar.
2. Click the start point of the notch on the member.
3. Click the end point. The notch is rendered as a red line on the canvas and exported to CSV.

4.16 Chamfer Tool

The Chamfer tool places a user-defined END_TRUSS chamfer mark at a member endpoint. Chamfer marks are seat cuts at the ends of sloped truss chords where they bear on a supporting plate.

Chamfer marks are normally added automatically by the tooling engine for sloped chords. Use this tool only when a chamfer is missing from the automatic output — for example, on a non-standard truss geometry.

4.17 Excluding Frames & Clone Frames

Excluding frames

Toggle the Exclude checkbox next to any frame name in the left-hand list to remove it from the machine CSV export. Excluded frames remain visible in the editor with a strikethrough label. The running linear-metre total in the header updates in real time to reflect only included frames.

Clone frames

FRAMECAD Detailer supports clone panels — identical copies of a master frame placed at different positions. LGSConverter detects clones automatically:

• Clones are shown as read-only duplicates in the frame list, labelled [clone].
• Edits to the master automatically propagate to all clones in the live view.
• The CSV export uses the master's tooling to drive all clone instances.
• Clone frames cannot be individually excluded — exclude the master to remove all its copies.

5Bulk Fabrication Settings — Service Holes & Bolt Holes

The Settings panel (accessible via the ⚙ Settings button in the Frame Editor header) lets you apply service holes and bolt holes in bulk across all wall frames simultaneously — without having to draw them one-by-one with the manual tools.

Service Holes — bulk configuration

Service holes can be added in two modes:

Horizontal mode — holes at specific RLs

Enter one or more heights (Reduced Levels in mm measured from the bottom plate) in the RLs (mm) field, separated by commas. LGSConverter places a service hole on every stud at each specified height across all wall frames.

Example: 600, 1200, 1800 — places holes at 600 mm, 1200 mm, and 1800 mm from the bottom plate on all studs.

Vertical mode — full-height runs

Two sub-options are available:

• Every stud — places a full-height vertical service hole run on every stud in every wall frame.
• Spacing (mm) — places full-height vertical runs at a fixed horizontal spacing across each frame. For example, entering 900 places a run every 900 mm horizontally.

Bolt Holes — bulk configuration

The bolt setting places bolt holes on the bottom plate of every wall frame, at a 35 mm web-side offset (matching FRAMECAD Detailer convention). One hole is placed per stud. Where the gap between adjacent studs exceeds the configured maximum spacing, intermediate holes are automatically inserted so that no gap exceeds the limit.

Enter the Max spacing (mm) in the Settings panel. Example: 600 — no two adjacent bolt holes will be more than 600 mm apart on any bottom plate.

6Saving & Resuming Work (.lgs Files)

LGSConverter lets you save your entire working session — including the converted frame data, all geometry edits, frame exclusions, machine profile selection, and bulk settings — as an encrypted .lgs file on your computer. You can reload this file at any time to continue exactly where you left off, without re-uploading the original source file.

Saving a session

Two methods are available:

• Keyboard shortcut: Press Ctrl+S at any time while the Frame Editor is open. A download prompt appears immediately.
• Save button: Click Save Session (💾) in the Frame Editor header toolbar.

The file downloads with the project name as the filename and a .lgs extension — for example, Middleton_Street_Level_1.lgs.

What is saved in a .lgs file?

• Project name
• All converted frame definitions (member geometry, profiles, roles)
• All user geometry edits (trims, extends, moves, additions, deletions)
• Frame exclusion list
• Machine profile selection and tool mapping
• Bulk settings (service holes, bolt holes)
• Manual annotations (service holes, bolt runs, web notches, chamfers drawn with the manual tools)

Security of .lgs files

.lgs files are encrypted with AES-256-GCM before being written to disk. The file contents are not human-readable and cannot be imported into any other application. This prevents accidental disclosure of frame geometry to unauthorised parties.

Resuming from a .lgs file

1. Navigate to the Converter tab.
2. Drag-and-drop your .lgs file onto the upload zone — or click the upload zone and select it from the file picker.
3. LGSConverter detects the .lgs format automatically and restores your session. The Frame Editor opens with all your previous edits and settings intact.

7Tooling Marks

Tooling marks are the punched operations that the roll-former performs on each C-section member. LGSConverter derives marks automatically from the geometry of each connection — no manual input is required.

Connection type classification

8Machine CSV Generation

8.1 Machine Profiles

LGSConverter ships with three profiles:

8.2 Tool Mapping Configuration

Each profile maps abstract tooling marks (SWAGE, LIP NOTCH, WEB NOTCH, DIMPLE, SERVICE HOLE, BOLT) to the machine-specific codes your roll-former expects.

1. Click Configure Mapping in the Frame Editor panel.
2. Select your machine profile.
3. For each tool type, enter the code your machine uses (numeric or alphanumeric).
4. Optionally tick Remove for tool codes you want to suppress from this export.
5. Click Save Mapping. The mapping persists for your account across sessions.

8.3 Custom Machine Config (.clgs Files)

The CUSTOM profile supports loading a pre-signed .clgs machine configuration file. A .clgs file contains a complete mapping of FrameCAD tool names to your machine's token codes, including gauge mappings and any tool codes to suppress — all signed with an HMAC to prevent tampering.

What a .clgs file contains

• Tool name → machine code mapping (SWAGE, LIP NOTCH, WEB NOTCH, DIMPLE, SERVICE HOLE, BOLT, etc.)
• Gauge mapping (C-section gauge to roll-former material code)
• Role-based name overrides
• A list of tool codes to suppress (omit from CSV output)
• An HMAC-SHA256 digital signature

How to request a .clgs file

1. In the Frame Editor, click Configure Mapping → CUSTOM.
2. If no config is loaded, an Email Now button appears. Click it — this pre-fills an email to the LGSConverter support team with your account details and machine model.
3. Send the email. The support team will prepare a signed .clgs file tailored to your roll-former's code format and email it back to you.
4. Once received, click Load .clgs… in the Configure Mapping panel and select the file. LGSConverter validates the signature and applies the mapping immediately.

Loading a .clgs file in the web app

1. Go to Configure Mapping → CUSTOM.
2. Click Load .clgs… and select your file.
3. LGSConverter validates the HMAC signature. If valid, the mapping activates immediately and the tool code table populates with your machine's codes.
4. Click Generate Machine File to export with the custom mapping applied.

Loading a .clgs file in the Desktop application

See Section 13 for instructions specific to the Windows desktop app, which supports loading .clgs files from a local file browser.

8.4 Generate Machine File

1. Open the Frame Editor after a successful conversion.
2. Review all frames. Exclude any not required for this production run.
3. Click Generate Machine File. The panel expands showing profile selection and tool mapping.
4. Confirm your profile and mapping, then click Download CSV. The file downloads immediately.

The generated CSV contains one row per tooling mark, sorted by frame, then member, then station position (mm from member start end). It is ready to load directly into your roll-former control software.

8.5 FRAMECAD CSV Mapping

Use the CSV Mapping tool to map a FRAMECAD Structure export into the machine CSV format your factory needs. Sign in and open /csv-mapping in LGSConverter. Mapping edits stay in your browser. When you request a download, the mapped CSV is sent to the server for length verification, billing and output delivery. Mapping or export does not change frame geometry.

Export the source CSV

1. In FRAMECAD Structure, select the frames you want included in the export.
2. Export the selected frames as Type 2 or Type 3 CSV. Do not use Type 1.
3. Open /csv-mapping and choose the Structure CSV file in the browser.

Review and map the columns

The tool reads the source columns and presents the imported values for mapping. You can save a mapping configuration in this browser for reuse; it is browser-local and is not a signed .clgs machine configuration. A blank output mapping means “preserve the original value” for that field.

• Section/thickness: map the source field Imported Section, Imported Section(1), or Section to the confirmed section code (for example, C89-41-0.75). The section/thickness value appears in source column C. Confirm the actual material gauge for every section; never infer or guess gauge from a section name.
• Member type: column D.
• Orientation: column E.
• Stick names: optionally map names when your downstream workflow requires them.
• Tooling names: map machine-specific output names when needed. Leave the output blank to preserve the original name.
• FULL CHAMFER: the default is a rename to END_TRUSS. This is a name change only; it does not create new tooling.

FILLER rows and download choices

FILLER rows are excluded by default when present. Uncheck the expandable removal option to retain them. Collapsing the control only hides its details; it does not change whether FILLER removal is enabled.

Enter a project name, then choose one combined CSV, a ZIP with separate CSVs per thickness, or Download frames ZIP for one individual CSV per frame. Each ZIP contains a project-named folder. Frame ZIP downloads do not require thickness codes; frame names must be identifiable from the mapped member names or an explicit frame header. A combined CSV remains available even when gauge information is incomplete. A per-thickness ZIP requires a valid numeric gauge in the section code for every retained section before it can be created.

9Export Validation Report

The Export Validation Report verifies that every frame has tooling marks correctly stored before you generate the CSV. Click Validate Export in the Frame Editor header to open the report.

Status Filter

Three filter buttons appear at the top of the report:

Navigating from the Report

• Frame row — click any row to close the report and navigate the Frame Editor to that frame. A → indicator appears on hover.
• Member row (expand the frame to show members) — click a member row to navigate to the frame and select that specific member in the Member Inspector.

Position Mismatch Warnings

For repeated frames (same base name, different suffix like -2, -3), LGSConverter compares punch-centre positions against the first instance. Differences greater than 3 mm trigger a Position Mismatch warning. Open the affected frames, compare geometry, and re-run Generate Machine File once resolved.

10QA & Auto-Fix

After conversion, LGSConverter runs an automatic quality-assurance pass across all frames. Results appear in the QA Summary at the top of the Frame Editor panel.

QA checks performed

• Member classification consistency (stud vs plate vs diagonal vs brace)
• Profile dimension validity (positive web, flange, and lip lengths)
• Frame envelope integrity (all members inside the declared panel boundary)
• Clone–master geometry match (within tolerance)
• Opening stud presence (TRIM/JACK/KING studs around declared openings)
• Tooling coverage (no connection left without marks)

Auto-Fix (IFC conversions)

Click Apply Auto-Fix to run automatic corrections server-side. The QA summary updates to show which issues were resolved. Issues that cannot be auto-fixed are listed under "Still require manual attention" — address these in the Frame Editor before exporting.

11AI Tool Check Overlay

The AI Tool Check is a best-effort advisory layer that flags connections whose tooling may need attention. Toggle it on/off using the AI Tool Check button in the Frame Editor toolbar.

• Flagged junctions are highlighted in orange with a brief reason (e.g., "Expected SWAGE not found").
• A badge shows the count of flagged items for the current frame. Zero on a fully-tooled frame is the correct result.
• Requests are automatically invalidated when you edit or navigate to a new frame.

12Downloading Your Export

Immediate ZIP download (IFC / XML)

After conversion, a Download ZIP button appears in the result panel. This regenerates a fresh ZIP from the current live-edited frame state — always reflecting your latest edits and exclusions.

Machine CSV

Available via Generate Machine File in the Frame Editor. See Section 8.4.

Billing and linear metres

Billing is calculated on the total linear metres of included frames at the time of download. The running LM total is shown in the Frame Editor header. Excluded frames are not billed.

13Desktop Application (Windows)

LGSConverter is also available as a Windows desktop application — a standalone installer that runs natively on Windows 10 and 11. The desktop app provides the same conversion and machine CSV export capabilities as the web platform, with a local graphical interface.

Installing the desktop application

1. Download LGSConverter-Setup.exe from your account dashboard or from the link provided by LGSConverter support.
2. Run the installer. Windows may show a SmartScreen prompt — click More info → Run anyway (the installer is unsigned but safe to run).
3. Follow the installation wizard. LGSConverter installs to C:\Program Files\LGSConverter by default.
4. Launch LGSConverter from the Start menu or the desktop shortcut.

Activating your license key

1. On first launch, the License panel opens automatically.
2. Enter your license key in the text box (format: XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX).
3. Click Activate. The app validates the key with the LGSConverter server.
4. Once activated, the key is stored in %USERPROFILE%\.lgs-converter\license.key and is loaded automatically on future launches.

Seat limits

Each license key is tied to a maximum number of concurrent machines (seats). If you exceed the seat limit, the activation will be rejected. Contact support to add seats or deactivate an old machine.

Converting a file in the desktop app

1. Click Open File… in the toolbar and select your .ifc, .xml, .fcp, or .csv file.
2. The app sends the file to the LGSConverter API and displays the conversion result.
3. Use the built-in frame viewer to review the output, then click Generate CSV to produce the machine file.
4. Choose a save location for the CSV. The file is written directly to your local disk.

Loading a custom machine config (.clgs) in the desktop app

1. In the toolbar, click Machine Config → Load .clgs…
2. Browse to your .clgs file and click Open.
3. The app validates the signature. If valid, the custom mapping activates immediately.
4. The current mapping is auto-saved to %USERPROFILE%\.lgs-converter\custom.clgs and restored on the next launch.

Portable version

A portable (no-installer) version of the desktop app is available for environments where installing software requires administrator approval. Download LGSConverter-Portable.zip from your account dashboard, extract to any folder, and run LGSConverter.exe directly. License key activation works identically to the installed version.

14LGS Design Marketplace

The LGS Design Marketplace is an integrated store where designers and fabricators can publish and purchase ready-to-convert LGS design packages.

Purchasing a design

1. Browse the Marketplace from the Marketplace tab.
2. Click any listing to view the detail page, including 3D previews and specifications.
3. Click Purchase and complete checkout via the secure payment gateway.
4. Download the source files from your account or the confirmation email.
5. Upload the downloaded file to LGSConverter to begin converting immediately.

Selling a design

To list your designs for sale, contact the LGSConverter team via the Become a Seller form in the Marketplace. Sellers receive a percentage of each sale after platform commission.

15Troubleshooting

Getting support

Use the Help link in the navigation bar to open a support request. Include: your browser or app version, file format, and a description of the symptom. Attach your source file or .lgs session file if possible — this allows the support team to reproduce the issue directly.

16Disclaimer & Copyright