Louvered Pergola
The Louvered Pergola Wizard creates a pergola with adjustable roof louvers. Steps: height and posts → beams → louvers → wood style.
The Louvered Pergola wizard builds a contemporary pergola whose roof slats can be set to any angle from fully open to fully closed — perfect for clients who want the look of a bioclimatic or motorised louvre system. You configure height and post layout, beam direction and count, louver angle and spacing, and a wood or aluminum finish. The 3D preview updates live as you adjust the louver angle so you can show the client exactly how shade falls at different settings. Use this wizard instead of the standard Pergola when the rotating-slat aesthetic is a key part of the design brief.
Step 3 — Louvers
Set the louver tilt angle (0° = fully open, 90° = fully closed). The preview shows the louvers in real time. Set louver width and spacing.
Step 4 — Wood Style
Choose a wood finish from 8 preset cards: Fresh Pine, Pressure Treated, Oiled, Aged Grey, Aged Mossy, Painted White, Painted Dark, Charred.
Configure the beams
On the Beams step, set the Beam Direction (which axis the beams run along) and the Beam Count to control how many primary structural beams span the structure. Use the Beam Width and Beam Depth fields to size each beam's cross-section. The live preview updates the 3D model immediately as you change these values.
Set the louver angle and spacing
On the Louvers step, drag the Louver Angle slider or type a value between 0° and 90°. At 0° the slats are horizontal and fully open; at 90° they stand vertical and fully closed. Set Louver Width for the width of each individual slat and Louver Spacing for the gap between slats. Watch the 3D preview rotate the slats in real time — this is the most effective view to share with clients.
Try the louver angle at 45° for a balanced mid-shade presentation that shows the rotating-slat feature clearly in rendered views. Fully closed (90°) reads more like a solid roof in 2D plan; fully open (0°) emphasises the open-air feel.
Choose a wood style
On the Wood Style step, click one of the eight preset finish cards: Fresh Pine, Pressure Treated, Oiled, Aged / Greyed, Aged with Moss, Painted White, Painted Dark, or Charred. The selected style is applied to all timber elements — posts and beams — while the louver slats use an aluminum finish that can be adjusted separately in the inspector after placement.
Review and apply
On the Apply step, inspect the summary of your configuration in the 3D preview. Click Apply to commit the structure to the drawing. The louvered pergola is placed as a parametric object — double-click it at any time to reopen the wizard and adjust any parameter. The footprint shape is also editable using the standard path-edit tool.
The louver angle you set here is a design-intent value — it represents the position shown in the plan and 3D model. The structure is rendered as a static object; the angle does not animate at runtime.
Key Parameters
| Name | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Structure Height | 2.4 m / 8 ft | Clearance from ground level to the underside of the primary beams. |
| Post Size | 0.1 m / 4 in | Square cross-section dimension of all corner and edge posts. |
| Beam Direction | — | Axis along which the primary beams run — parallel to the short or long edge of the footprint. |
| Beam Count | 3 | Number of primary beams spanning the structure. |
| Louver Angle | 45° | Tilt of the roof slats. 0° = fully horizontal (open), 90° = fully vertical (closed). |
| Louver Width | 0.15 m / 6 in | Width of each individual louver slat. |
| Louver Spacing | 0.05 m / 2 in | Gap between adjacent louver slats. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a Louvered Pergola and a standard Pergola?
The standard Pergola has fixed horizontal slats that cannot be rotated. The Louvered Pergola adds a tilt angle parameter so the slats can be positioned anywhere from fully open (0°) to fully closed (90°), giving the appearance of a bioclimatic or motorised louvre roof system.
Can I change the louver angle after placing the structure?
Yes. Double-click the placed louvered pergola to reopen the wizard, navigate to the Louvers step, and change the angle. Click Apply to update the drawing. You can also select the structure and adjust parameters directly in the inspector panel on the right.
Can I use a custom polygon footprint instead of a rectangle?
Yes. Draw any closed polygon with the Polyline or Bezier tool first, then open the Louvered Pergola wizard. The wizard detects the selected shape and adopts it as the footprint. You can also switch between rectangle and polygon footprint modes within the wizard itself.
The louver slats overlap at high angles — is that a problem?
At angles above roughly 70–75° the slat geometry may visually overlap depending on the louver width and spacing values. This is a representation of a nearly-closed louvre system and is correct design intent. Reduce the louver width or increase the spacing to avoid overlap if needed.
How do I show the louvered pergola in the photoreal render?
The louvered pergola is a full 3D parametric structure and renders in all modes — 3D perspective, photoreal, sketch, and watercolor. Switch to Presentation mode and choose a style to see the structure with the chosen wood finish and aluminum louvers fully rendered.