Rules & Validation Overview
Validate your design against spatial and design rules automatically. The Rules panel flags issues before they become construction problems — from accessibility clearances to plant spacing conflicts.
The Rules panel checks the design against a configurable set of spatial and design rules, then reports any violations as issues with a severity rating. It is accessed from the Rules icon in the top bar.
Rules are organized into packs — curated sets of related rules that can be enabled or disabled as a group. Built-in packs cover common concerns: Accessibility, Safety, Sustainability, Plant Health, and Drainage. You can also create your own custom rules.
The panel has four tabs:
- Packs — enable or disable rule packs
- Rules — browse and manage individual rules
- Issues — list of current rule violations in the design
- Exceptions — rules that have been explicitly accepted (overridden) for this project
Issues are assigned a severity:
- Advisory (blue) — informational, no action required
- Warning (yellow) — should be reviewed before finalizing the design
- Required (red) — must be resolved; indicates a potential safety, accessibility, or code concern
Open the Rules panel
Click the Rules icon in the top bar (checkmark-shield icon) to open the Rules panel.
The panel defaults to the Issues tab, showing any violations currently detected in the design. If no rules packs are enabled and no custom rules have been created, the Issues tab will show a prompt to enable a rule pack from the Packs tab.
Run a full check
Click Run Full Check in the Rules panel toolbar to trigger a complete scan of the entire design against all active rules.
During the check, a progress indicator is shown. When complete, the Issues tab updates with the full list of current violations.
Rules are also checked incrementally as you edit the design — issues update in real time as entities are moved, resized, or added. The Run Full Check button is useful after making multiple changes or after enabling a new rule pack to get a complete up-to-date report.
Run a full check before each major client deliverable or design stage gate — concept approval, design development sign-off, and final design submission — to catch and resolve issues before they are presented.
Read the Issues tab
The Issues tab lists all current rule violations. Each issue shows:
- Severity icon — blue (Advisory), yellow (Warning), or red (Required)
- Rule name — the name of the rule that was violated
- Description — a plain-language explanation of what was found and why it matters
- Affected entities — a list of entities involved in the violation; click an entity name to highlight it on the canvas
- Accept / Ignore button — mark the issue as an accepted exception (see the Exceptions tab)
Issues are grouped by severity — Required issues appear at the top.
Click anywhere on an issue row to expand or collapse its detail. Click the entity link within the issue to navigate the canvas to the affected entity.
Click the entity link in an issue row to fly the canvas to the affected entity. This is the fastest way to locate and fix a flagged problem, especially in large or complex designs.
Manage the Packs tab
Click the Packs tab to see all available rule packs. Each pack shows:
- Pack name and description
- Number of rules in the pack
- Toggle to enable or disable the pack
Enable or disable packs depending on the project type:
- A residential garden may need Accessibility and Plant Health packs
- A commercial project may also need Safety and Drainage packs
- A concept-stage design may only need Advisory rules with full packs disabled to reduce noise
See the Built-in Rule Packs article for a description of each pack.
Run a full check before each major deliverable. The live incremental check only tests entities near the one being dragged, so accumulated issues elsewhere in the design are only visible after a full check.
Use the Exceptions tab
If a rule violation is intentional — for example, a deliberate design decision that the client has approved — you can accept the exception to remove it from the active Issues list.
From the Issues tab, click Accept on any issue. The issue moves to the Exceptions tab.
In the Exceptions tab, accepted exceptions are listed with:
- The rule name and original violation description
- The date the exception was accepted
- A Reinstate button to return the issue to active Issues if you change your mind
Exceptions are saved per project and are visible to all team members with access to the project.
Document why an exception was accepted in the rule description notes. For example: "Pathway width below 1.2m minimum — client accepted on 2026-04-15 for decorative path to shed." This creates an audit trail for the design decision.
Accept a violation as an intentional exception
If a violation is a deliberate design decision, click Accept on the issue card. A copy of the violation is added to the Exceptions tab, and the card in the Issues list stays visible but is greyed out with an Accepted badge and no longer counts toward the active issue total. An Undo button appears on the accepted card so you can reverse the acceptance immediately. Each exception records the names of the involved entities and the rule name alongside the original violation sentence, so your Exceptions tab reads as a clear log of which conflicts you have signed off and why.
Remove or reinstate an exception
Open the Exceptions tab to see all accepted exceptions. The tab badge shows the total count so you can see at a glance how many violations have been signed off. Each exception card displays the original violation sentence, the involved entity names, the rule name, and a Remove (×) button. Clicking Remove reinstates the violation — it reappears in the Issues tab on the next full check, allowing you to address it properly if circumstances change.
Enable only the packs relevant to your project type. Too many active packs generate Advisory noise that can obscure genuinely important Required violations. A focused set of packs makes the Issues tab easier to act on.
Required (red) issues should be resolved or explicitly accepted as exceptions before delivering final drawings to a client. The panel does not block any export or sharing action on your behalf, so a Required issue you leave unaddressed simply stays in the Issues tab until you act on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the check run automatically, or do I have to trigger it?
Some rules update in real time as you drag entities on the canvas, immediately flagging nearby conflicts. However, this live check only covers entities near the one being moved. Click Run full check in the Issues tab to scan the entire design — the Issues tab displays a notice when results may be outdated and a full check is recommended.
What is the difference between Advisory, Warning, and Required?
Advisory (blue) is informational — it highlights something worth knowing but not necessarily a problem. Warning (amber) indicates an issue that should be reviewed and resolved if possible. Required (red) indicates a violation that should be fixed or explicitly accepted before delivering the design to a client. Severity levels are set per rule and can be seen on each rule card in the Rules tab.
Can I change the threshold distance for a rule?
Yes. Open the Rules tab and find the rule you want to adjust. Each rule card has an editable threshold input that respects your project unit system (metric or imperial). Edit the value and run a full check — the new threshold takes effect immediately. Custom thresholds are saved to the project so they persist across sessions.
What happens when there are no issues after a check?
The Issues tab shows a 'No issues found' empty state after a successful full check with zero violations. This means all active rules passed for the current state of the design.
What happens if I disable a pack that has accepted exceptions?
Disabling a pack removes its rules from the active set, so its issues drop out on the next check. Accepted exceptions tied to those rules remain in the Exceptions tab but are effectively dormant until the pack is re-enabled. If you re-enable the pack, run a full check to see which exceptions are still relevant.