In Event Design App, type a name in Search models in the Catalog on the left, narrow results with the category dropdown, then click a model and click a clear spot on the canvas, or drag its card onto the canvas. Press Esc or right-click to cancel a pick before it is placed.
Plan note: every account can search and place Catalog models, but items marked Available on Plus or Pro (with a lock icon) can only be placed on Plus and Pro plans.
A rental inventory runs to hundreds of items (furniture, products, decor), and "chair" alone turns up dozens. This article shows how to narrow the Catalog quickly, place an item by click or by drag, and cancel before a wrong pick lands on your plan.
📺 Find and Place Catalog Objects — searching, both placement methods, and cancelling.
The Catalog is the panel on the left. Type in the Search models... box and the list narrows as you go. A specific name does more work than a general one, so "Tiffany" beats "chair."
Read the result names, not just the thumbnails. Two chairs can look similar and have different names, finishes and plan access.
Searching never touches objects already in your scene. Clear the box to see the full list again.
[SCREENSHOT 1 — Catalog panel with "chair" typed in Search models and results below]
Under the Catalog search box, the category dropdown starts on All Categories. Pick Chairs to limit results to chairs.
Search text and category work together, which has a classic trap.
⚠ Search "chair" with the category set to Tables, and the list is empty. Nothing is missing from the Catalog; your two filters just don't overlap. Set the dropdown back to All Categories and the matches return.
If you get no results at all, the Catalog shows No models match your search (or No items in this category when only a category is chosen). Shorten your text and check whether a category is still active.
Each Catalog card shows a thumbnail, the model name and a description of the variation (for example, "white" or "striped fabric"). Some cards also show N Variations, meaning the model offers several finishes you can change after placing.
⚠ Items marked "Available on Plus or Pro" with a lock icon need a paid plan. Availability depends on your account. If an item is locked, read the message and choose an available alternative.
Placing by click takes two clicks: first arm the model, then place it.
Click the model in the Catalog.
A Ready to place banner (a bar naming the model you chose) appears, reading Click or tap the canvas to place. Press Esc or right-click to cancel. Choosing the model hasn't added it yet.
Click a clear spot on the canvas. The model appears there.
Wait for it to finish loading, then check its position and that it's selected before adding more.
Pick an empty area so the new item doesn't overlap something else.
Drag the model's card onto the canvas and release over the spot you want. Keep the pointer on the intended location before releasing. Let the model load, then check it.
Which method is better? Clicking is good when you'll place several of one item in a row. Dragging is quicker for a single item you can aim precisely. Either way, check the result afterward.
On a touch screen (tablet or phone), tap the Catalog item first. The same Ready to place banner appears, naming the model and telling you the next step. Then tap a clear spot on the canvas.
While the Ready to place banner (the bar that names the model you chose) is showing, nothing is on your plan yet. Cancel with Esc, right-click, or the banner's close button. The banner disappears and no object is added.
⚠ Cancelling a pending placement and undoing a placed object are different actions. If the model has already appeared, Esc won't remove it. Use Undo (Ctrl+Z on Windows, Cmd+Z on a Mac).
[SCREENSHOT 2 — the Ready to place banner, with its close button]
A placed model is a normal object. Select it, then use Move (G), Rotate (R) and Scale (E), or open Properties for its options. See Move, rotate, scale, and snap and Use the Properties panel.
Table Designer (the tool that builds a table with chairs and place settings) inserts a table, chairs and place settings as one generated assembly. Click any part and the whole set highlights. Keep it away from your single catalog objects while you work. See Use Table Designer.
Search "chair" and read the result names.
Set the category to Chairs, then to Tables, and watch the list empty. Return to All Categories.
Place one chair by clicking, and a different one by dragging.
Click a third chair, then press Esc before placing it. Confirm nothing was added.
Place it for real, then Undo it.
Save and reopen.
The Catalog shows "No models match your search" or "No items in this category". You have a category filter that doesn't match your search. Set it to All Categories or shorten the search.
I clicked a model and nothing appeared on the canvas. You've armed it. Click the canvas to place it. Look for the Ready to place banner.
The wrong model is armed. Press Esc or right-click to cancel, then pick again.
The model looks like it hasn't loaded. Wait for it to finish loading before judging position or adding another.
An item shows a lock and "Available on Plus or Pro." It needs a paid plan. Choose another model.
Pressing a letter in the search box changes tools. It doesn't. It types into the search. To use shortcuts like G or R, click blank canvas first.
A category filter probably doesn't match your search text. Search and category work together, so searching chair with the category set to Tables returns an empty list. Set the dropdown back to All Categories or shorten your search. Nothing is missing from the Catalog.
Clicking a Catalog item only arms it. A Ready to place banner appears, and the model is added only when you click a clear spot on the canvas. Look for the banner, then click the canvas. Wait for the model to finish loading before judging its position.
While the Ready to place banner is showing, press Esc, right-click, or use the banner's close button. Nothing is added to your plan. Once the model has appeared, Esc won't remove it; use Undo instead, which is Ctrl+Z on Windows or Cmd+Z on a Mac.
A lock icon with Available on Plus or Pro means the item needs a paid plan. Availability depends on your account's plan. If an item is locked, read the message shown and choose an available alternative model instead. Cards without the lock can be placed normally.
Clicking suits placing several copies of one item in a row; dragging is quicker for a single item you can aim precisely. Both work, and you should check the result afterward. Pick an empty area so the new item doesn't overlap something else, and wait for the model to load.
While the Catalog search box has focus, the editor types the letter into the search instead of switching tools. To use shortcuts like G for Move or R for Rotate, clear the search and click a blank spot on the canvas first so the canvas has focus.