Want to add a modern suspended ceiling to your interior? In Planner 5D, you can use the Magic Cube tool to create custom ceiling panels, decorative recesses, and built-in lighting effects.
You can customize the shape, height, materials, and arrangement of the panels to create a unique ceiling design for your living room, bedroom, or any other space.
Let's create a suspended ceiling step by step!
(Written instructions are below)
Step 1. Prepare your room
First, open the project where you want to add your suspended ceiling.
Switch to 2D mode and select the room.
Check the room's dimensions and ceiling height.
Decide how far below the original ceiling you want to position your suspended panels.
Make sure there is enough space beneath the ceiling for furniture, doors, and lighting.
For example, if your original ceiling is 270 cm high, you could position the underside of the suspended ceiling at 250 cm.
If the default ceiling makes it difficult to see or edit your design, you can select the room and use Hide the ceiling in its settings.
For more information about room heights, see Adjusting Ceiling Height on Web.
Tip: You don't need to create an additional floor to build a suspended ceiling. You can create the entire design on the same floor as your room.
Step 2. Create your first ceiling panel
We'll use a Magic Cube to create the first section of the suspended ceiling.
Switch to 2D mode.
Open Build → Forms and select the Magic Cube.
Place the cube in your project.
Select it to open its size settings.
Adjust its Width, Depth, and Height to create a wide, flat panel.
For example, you can start with a panel that's 10 cm thick.
Use Levitation to raise the panel toward the ceiling.
Position it where you want the first section of your suspended ceiling.
For a room with a 270 cm ceiling, you can start with:
Panel thickness (Height): 10 cm
Levitation: 250 cm
This places the panel between 250 cm and 260 cm above the floor, leaving space above it.
Switch to 3D mode and check that the panel is horizontal and positioned correctly.
For more information, see How to Use the Magic Cube and Forms on Web.
Step 3. Create the ceiling pattern
Now let's build the rest of the suspended ceiling.
Instead of using one large panel, we'll combine several Magic Cubes and leave narrow gaps between them.
These gaps will form decorative channels for your recessed lighting.
Select your first ceiling panel and click Duplicate.
Move the copy to another part of the ceiling.
Resize the panels as needed to match your planned design.
Leave narrow, consistent gaps between the panels.
Continue until you've created the desired ceiling pattern.
For example, you can create a large central section surrounded by smaller panels or strips, leaving channels between them.
Tip: Finish the size, elevation, and material of your first panel before duplicating it. This will help keep all the pieces consistent.
You can also select multiple panels by holding Cmd (Mac) or Ctrl (Windows) while clicking each one. This makes it easier to reposition related objects together while preserving their relative placement.
Step 4. Customize the ceiling materials
Once your ceiling panels are in place, you can customize their appearance.
Select a ceiling panel.
Open the Materials menu using the paint roller icon.
Choose a white or light-colored material for the visible underside.
Apply a darker material to the edges if you want the gaps to look deeper.
Repeat for the remaining panels.
For the design shown in the tutorial, combine white ceiling panels with dark recessed channels to create a modern appearance.
If the material editor allows you to select individual surfaces, choose Bottom to change only the face visible from inside the room, or All to apply the same finish to the entire object.
Step 5. Add lights inside the ceiling channels
Now let's add the lighting!
Open the Interior catalog and find a suitable lighting object.
Choose a small light that fits within your ceiling channel.
Place it in one of the gaps between the panels.
Switch to 3D mode.
Use Levitation or Above the floor to raise the light to the correct height.
Adjust its position so the light remains visible from below and doesn't intersect the ceiling panels.
Once your first light is correctly positioned, duplicate it and place additional lights along the channels.
Try to keep the spacing between the lights consistent.
Step 6. Add a dark backing above the ceiling
Depending on your design, you may notice that the gaps between the ceiling panels reveal the original ceiling or even the sky above.
To give these gaps the appearance of dark recessed channels, you can add another large Magic Cube above the panels.
Switch to 2D mode.
Add a new Magic Cube.
Resize it into a wide, thin panel covering the ceiling area.
Use Levitation to position it above the suspended ceiling panels.
Open the Materials menu and apply a dark material to its underside.
Switch to 3D mode and inspect the gaps from below.
For example, if your lower panels extend from 250 cm to 260 cm, you could position a 5 cm thick backing panel at 265 cm, leaving a small space between the two layers.
Make sure the backing doesn't cover your lights or intersect their visible surfaces.
Tip: You may not need an additional backing if the original ceiling already provides the appearance you want. A dark material alone cannot close an actual opening, so make sure there is a surface above the channels.
Step 7. Check your finished ceiling in 3D
Your suspended ceiling is almost ready!
Switch to 3D mode and inspect the room from different angles.
Make sure that:
All ceiling panels are correctly positioned.
The panels have consistent heights and materials.
The decorative channels have even widths.
All lights are visible and correctly positioned.
No fixtures are hidden inside the panels.
The dark backing covers any unwanted openings.
The suspended ceiling doesn't intersect furniture or other objects.
If a panel appears too high, too low, or overlaps another object, select it and adjust its dimensions or Levitation.
You can also add pendant lights or other decorative fixtures to complete your design.