August 2026 · a new toolbar, clearer layers, and more useful rulers

This is not a one-feature release. It is one of those rounds that genuinely improves day-to-day use.

The overall feeling is simpler now: fewer buttons competing for space, fewer steps when you need to correct something, and more context when you are reviewing a design.

Toolbar: more space, better access

• We redesigned the toolbar and moved file actions into a menu in the top bar.
• That frees space in the lower bar, which is especially noticeable on mobile, where every button matters more.
• We also added direct undo and redo buttons, which were not available there before.
• And if you have unsaved changes, NearSolid now warns before you leave the page or load another SVG or document.
• The user menu now includes a first preferences entry. It is still simple, but it gives us a better base for organizing app settings more clearly.

That change alone makes a real difference. The editor breathes more easily now, and it becomes easier to keep growing the interface without making it clumsy.

Layers: a better connection between canvas and panel

• When you click a layer in the canvas, it flashes briefly and opens the corresponding layer in the layers panel.
• The layers panel now exposes actions through the ... button, including renaming and copying or pasting settings.
• On desktop, those same actions are also available with right click.
• You can now make small structural layer edits without going back to the source editor: move a layer up or down, duplicate it, or delete it.
• Those changes rebuild the same model without replaying the intro animation, so the result feels more like editing the current project than loading it again.

Rulers and measurements: more useful while reviewing

• The ruler display is now better adjusted to the real size of the object.
• And if you select a specific element in the design, the rulers switch to showing the measurements for that element.
• We also improved the legibility of measurement labels.
• NearSolid can now show technical interface readouts in millimeters or inches, even though internally we still work in mm.
• There is now a small status line at the bottom of the canvas with the active unit, the overall size of the model, and a quick interaction hint.

That is especially useful when you are not reviewing the whole composition, but checking one piece, one letter, or one specific part before moving on.

Other changes that prepare what comes next

• SVG import is more reliable with complex files and does a better job preserving labels such as inkscape:label.
• We also reorganized the user menu to handle subscription management more clearly, although that part is still at an early stage.

This is not the kind of update that shows off well in a short demo. It is the kind that makes NearSolid clearer and easier to use every day.