FAQ
Straight answers about platforms, Bond accounts, licenses, offline use, file formats, coming-soon features, data safety and support.
Short, honest answers to the questions people ask most. If yours isn't here, open a support ticket from inside Atrium.
Getting Atrium
Does Atrium run on Mac or Linux?
No. Atrium runs on Windows only: Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit) · OpenGL 4 graphics · 8 GB RAM. A Mac or Linux version isn't on the roadmap. See Install & first run.
Do I need a Bond account?
No. Atrium works without a Bond account too. In local mode, everything stays on your computer. Signing in to Bond adds your company's catalog, the Bond library, shared projects, support tickets and the AI assistant. See Atrium and Bond.
How is Atrium licensed?
It depends on who you are:
- Companies and workshops sign in with the company's Bond account. There's no separate Atrium license, and the company administrator controls who has access.
- Personal users get a 30-day trial, then need a personal license key. Keys are issued from the Bond panel; send the device code from Settings to the Atrium team to get one.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. Personal use starts with a 30-day trial from the first time you run Atrium. The trial is registered for your device on Bond's server, so reinstalling Atrium doesn't restart it.
What happens when my trial or license ends?
Atrium becomes read-only. You can still open and view your work, but you can't save. Enter a license key, or sign in with a company account, and you can carry on where you left off.
Can I use Atrium offline?
Mostly, yes. Design work in local mode doesn't need the internet. But a few things do:
- The license is online. Atrium checks it with Bond when it starts, and if it can't reach Bond for 14 days, it becomes read-only until you connect again.
- Company mode, the Bond library, support tickets and the AI assistant all need a connection to Bond.
- There is no offline AI assistant.
Files and other programs
Can I import from Rhino, SketchUp or AutoCAD?
Yes, through common formats:
- STEP and IGES: drag the files into Atrium. Most CAD programs can export one of these.
- Rhino: copy in Rhino and paste in Atrium. Solids and surfaces arrive as exact NURBS geometry. Rhino materials (
.rmtl) can be imported too. See Rhino and STEP files. - AutoCAD: in the plan, load a DXF file as an underlay to trace over. Atrium doesn't read DWG files, so save the drawing as DXF in AutoCAD first.
Atrium doesn't open SketchUp (.skp) or Rhino (.3dm) files directly. If SketchUp can export STEP or IGES on your setup, use that.
Can I export my designs?
You can export a plan as a DXF file, with walls, rooms, doors, windows and dimension labels on separate layers, in millimeters. Parts and assemblies can't be exported as STEP or DXF. Their bill-of-materials data goes to Bond when you save.
Can Atrium export CNC files or G-code?
Not yet. CNC machine file (G-code) export is coming soon. Today, Atrium defines the processes and tools that this output will be built from.
Does Atrium do nesting or cut optimization?
Not yet. Cut lists and nesting (laying parts out on sheets) inside Atrium are coming soon.
Can Atrium make AI renders?
Not yet. AI rendering inside Atrium is coming soon. Today, AI rendering comes from the Bond Rhino plugin. For realistic previews inside Atrium, switch the viewport to the Presentation shading mode, which renders real light and soft shadows.
Prices and data
Where do prices come from?
From your company. You set prices on materials (and on each of their colors if you like), on parts (for boards, per thickness), and on processes such as drilling or edge banding. When you save an assembly, Atrium uploads its bill-of-materials data, and Bond works out the BOM and price of each alternative from it. See Atrium and Bond.
Is my company's data safe?
- Nothing stays behind. Company data isn't kept on your computer. Atrium clears its caches when it closes.
- No stored passwords. Atrium never stores your password. With Remember me on, it keeps only an encrypted token for your Windows user.
- Role-based access. Everyone sees and changes only what their role in Bond allows. That includes the AI assistant.
- Know-how stays private. Bond is designed around a simple rule: designers outside the company see the product and its price, not the BOM or how it's made.
If you use the AI assistant, your messages and the data it works with go through your company's Bond server to the AI service it uses. See AI assistant.
Updates and support
How do updates work?
Atrium updates itself and downloads only the files that changed. The new version starts the next time you open Atrium, and if it fails to start, Atrium goes back to the previous version on its own. Now and then a release updates the engine, and then the full installer downloads. To check by hand, use Check for updates in Settings → General. See the changelog for what's new.
How do I report a bug?
- Click the support button in the header and open a ticket. Add screenshots, or paste one with Ctrl + V. Your Atrium version, Windows version and license are attached for you.
- If an error dialog appears, click Report to Bond. It creates a bug ticket and gives you a tracking number.
Both need a Bond sign-in, and replies show up inside Atrium.
Does Atrium support Persian?
Yes, fully. The interface comes in Persian and English, and you can switch in Settings → General → Language (it applies after a restart). With Persian:
- numbers show in Persian digits, and you can type them too, for example "۱۲ سانت"
- keyboard shortcuts work on a Persian keyboard layout, by physical key (Ctrl + S saves on either layout)
- every item has a Persian and an English name, and the translate button fills in a missing one