DesignToolBox quick reference
Comprehensive reference guide for 3D modeling tools with step-by-step instructions, organized by category for quick access during your workflow.
Transform tools
3-point rotation. Angle snap option.
- 4-point rotation (Base Point > Reference Point > Axis Point > Dest. Point)
- The action is performed in the object's local coordinate system.
2-point CAD-like rotation. Angle snap option, local XYZ axis direction option.
- Local reference rotation performs a 3-Point rotation (Base point > Reference point > Dest. point) using the object's local coordinate system.
Works with *SUB-OBJECT* selection in Editable polys.
Transform Scale by matching reference vectors.
- 4-point scale. Orthogonal reference pick mode.
- Additionally, it can apply a Xform modifier instead of a direct transformation.
Precise referential movements.
- Performs a translation from a reference point and a direction path.
Scale an object by a dimensional value.
- Unit-measured scale, with orthogonal reference pick mode.
Move an object to a new destination and perform an 1D alignment.
- Move the object to a new position and align it by picking two pairs of points .
Relocate a node from three pairs of points, from an origin position to a target position.
- Relocate a node from three pairs of points, from an origin position to a target position.
Viewport interactive mirror tool. Let's you set a 3d gizmo for freely position mirror planes.
- Advanced mirror tool that uses a 3-plane viewport gizmo to guide the mirror operation.
CAD-like Move tool that uses two (origin and destination) reference points.
- CAD-like Move tool that uses two (origin and destination) reference points.
Select a collection of objects and cycle their transform from one to the next.
- Select a collection of objects and cycle their transform from one to the next.
Randomly swap position, rotation and scale between the selected objects.
- Randomly swap position, rotation and scale between the selected objects.
Distribute objects (equally spaced) on a linear direction.
- Direction and length of the distribution determined by the position of two objects.
Start the tool pressing **SHIFT** to conform and align the objects to the underlying surfaces.
Distribute objects (equally spaced) on a linear direction.
- This variant of the tool tracks the objects new position's in real time.
**warning!** It could be slow with complex geometry.
Measure tools
Draw temporary dimension lines in the viewport.
- Live visual feedback measure tape.
- Orthogonal constraint and orthogonal reference modes.
- Continuous mode displays concatenated dimensions.
The measurement result is copied into the clipboard.
Draw a contiguous (milti-point) dimension line.
- Live visual feedback measure tape.
- Orthogonal constraint and orthogonal reference modes.
- Continuous mode displays concatenated dimensions.
The measurement result is copied into the clipboard.
Review distance measurements, create dimension objects to show them.
- Distance measure history.
- Create renderable dimension objects.
Check the user guide for more information about the dimension objects
Measure any angle by three points.
- Live visual feedback angular measurement.
- Measure an angle defined by three points.
The measurement result is copied into the clipboard.
Measures a 2D polygonal area by picking vertex points.
- Pick points to draw an a closed polygonal region and measure its area.
The measurement result is copied into the clipboard.
Cubic volume measurement.
- Pick points to draw an a closed polygonal region and measure its area.
The measurement result is traced to the listener and copied into the clipboard.
Measures the angle between two polygons.
- Angle2Faces for short, measures the angle between two polygons.
The measurement result is traced to the listener and copied into the clipboard.
Measures the angle between two selected edges.
- Angle2Edges for short, measures the angle between two selected edges.
The result is displayed in the viewport and traced to the listener.
Place reference points between two points.
- Divide a distance in equal segments and adds a helper mark at each division point.
An alternative mode of the tool uses a numeric input instead.
Display XYZ reference units for the active viewport grid.
- Display XYZ reference units for the active viewport grid.
Displays information about an object's dimension and transformation.
- Viewport gizmo for displaying information about an object dimensions and transformation.
Settings #1
DesignToolBox general settings, like viewport elements color and style, tools behavior and more.
- DesignToolBox general settings, like viewport elements color and style, tools behavior and more.
Reference guides
Reference guide that works as a ruler.
- Linear, segments marked construction guide. Free space mode allows to position the guide freely using two position points.
- In addition, when positioning line guides, intersection marks (created as refPoints) can be created between the reference guides in the scene.
Note: Also referred in the toolset as refLine.
Reference guide that works as a ruler.
- Linear construction guide. Orthogonal positioning mode.
- In addition, when positioning line guides, intersection marks (created as refPoints) can be created between the reference guides in the scene.
Note: Also referred in the toolset as refLine.
Reference guide that works as a ruler.
- Linear construction guide. Polar positioning mode.
- In addition, when positioning line guides, intersection marks (created as refPoints) can be created between the reference guides in the scene.
Note: Also referred in the toolset as refLine.
Reference protractor object for working with angles.
- Tool for displaying and snapping angular values. Free space mode allows to position the guide freely using two position points.
Note: Also referred in the toolset as refProtractor.
Reference protractor object for working with angles.
- Tool for displaying and snapping angular values. Orthogonal positioning mode.
Note: Also referred in the toolset as refProtractor.
Reference protractor object for working with angles.
- Tool for displaying and snapping angular values. Polar positioning mode.
Note: Also referred in the toolset as refProtractor.
Position a vertex-snap enabled points in guides intersection.
- Trace temporary reference lines and place points at intersections.
- Unlike the Standard helper points, this custom objects works with vertex snap.
- This reference objects are created at the intersection of line guides, if the option to place intersection points is enabled.
Note: Also referred in the toolset as refPoint.
Additional refGuides tools
Delete all refGuides.
- Delete all guides (lines, protractor and intersection points) on scene.
Intersection points toggle.
- Enable or disable the auto creation of intersection points when placing reference guidelines.
When the option is enabled, a protractor will be created when placing reference guides.
- When the option is enabled, a protractor will be created when placing reference guides.
Turn on to lock the guides after creation.
- Turn on to lock the guides after creation
Keep the temporal grid active after polar mode guides creation.
- When enabled, the reference grid used to define polar coordinates in guidelines placement will remain active.
Settings #2
Replicator and Eyedropper
Tool for replacing objects Interactively.
- Replace any object with another. Replicate multiple instances, keep or not material and transformations.
Toggles that changes the behavior of the tool
- Toggles that changes the behavior of the tool
Copy almost any property from one object to another. I.E: Match the radius of a circle with the length of a rectangle, render properties, layer or anything else.
- Eyedropper Tool can copy several characteristics (properties and modifiers) form one node to another, or to a group of nodes.
Copy selected node transform to another node or group of nodes.
- Copy selected node transform to another node or group of nodes.
Settings available as toolbar check buttons and in the settings dialog.
Copy selected node material and wire color to another node or group of nodes.
- Copy selected node material and wire color to another node or group of nodes.
Copy selected node modifiers to another node or group of nodes.
- Copy selected node modifiers to another node or group of nodes.
Works only with non topology dependant modifiers
Copy selected node UVW modifiers to another node or group of nodes.
- Copy selected node UVW modifiers to another node or group of nodes.
Copy selected node display and and render options to another node or group of nodes.
- Copy selected node display and and render options to another node or group of nodes.
Geometry modification
Combine geometry and splines into one object.
- Combine geometry and splines into one object in one click.
Explode geometry elements and spline shapes
- Detach each geometry element or spline shape in a combined object, to individual objects with one click.
- Combine geometry and splines into one object.
Align a selection of vertices in a straight line.
- Align a selection of vertices in a straight line.
Works with editable-poly objects.
Change the length of selected edges.
- Change the length of selected edges.
- Note that the objects must be geometry that can be converted to Editable Poly and, the tool will collapse the modifier stack.
- Options: Max, minimum, and average length, custom value.
Works with editable-poly objects.
Object Utilities
Clone object between 2 points
- Fast, interactive, in-viewport 1D Array.
- Set subdivision marks between two points, and place a clone on each mark.
Fast, interactive, in-viewport 2.5D Array.
- Quick and visual tool for cloning objects in a 2D grid.
Create complex Rule-Pattern based arrays.
- Rule-based objects array generation with advanced transform options.
Refer to the user guide for a detailed view an explanation of the ui and pattern rules.
Clone and orient an object around a center.
- Clone an object around a reference center object.
Simple Paneling tool. Creates panels on planar areas.
- Quickly create a grid of panels (boxes or custom geometry) in a planar surface.
- Originally intended to fast model furniture cabinets and add handles, now is a multi-purpose tool.
Position features over a collection of objects.
- Position features over a collection of objects.
Fit, center, and reset the gizmo. Delete all UVW modifiers on the object's stack.
- Fit, center, reposition, reset UVW gizmos and delete UVW or UVW xform modifiers at once for the selected objects.
- Open the tool UI and select the options.
Use the combined floater UI to access all UVW tools at once.
UVW modifier Bulk apply.
- Add individual UVW modifiers to a selection of objects, poly elements or faces.
- Save time with preset settings before adding a UVW map to the object.
- Adjust the most common used parameters of the modifier from the docking UI.
Apply random, rule-based or constant transforms to mapping modifiers.
- Apply random, rule-based or constant transforms to mapping modifiers.
- Use this utility in a non-destructive way adding a UVW Xform modifier for the transform.
Several options to quickly reposition the pivot.
- Move to top, bottom, center, cage align, to a snap point, 3-point align, axis align, face normal (3-points and face normal has a Working pivot option), reset xform and pivot, all in an organized pop-up dialog.
Snap to point keyboard shortcut.
- Quickly move an object's pivot to a snapping point with a shortcut.
- Works with any snap type.
ASSIGN THIS MACRO TO A SHORTCUT
Tool for storing presets for modifiers.
- Store presets for modifiers in a convenient UI.
Put nodes in line.
- Organize the models you will use in the scene, arranging them in line.
Tool with several options to randomize transforms.
- Tool with several options to randomize transforms.
- Apply random or pattern based transforms (Rotate, Scale, Translate).
- Includes a clone option to scatter objects.
General Utilities
Dockable color clipboard.
- Dockable color swatches pallette.Generate random colors. Store and reuse colors.
Scene Organization
Isolate object and set an active grid with it's local coordinates.
- Isolate the selected object and set an active work grid in its local coordinates.
- If more than one object is selected, Local isolate will use the first object in the selection to set the grid.
Works in Object level or with the selected faces in an Editable Poly.
re-Isolate within current selection.
- Multi-level isolation tool, use it to incrementally re-isolate within the current selection.
Unhide object by selection
- This tool will temporally display all hidden objects (and hide visible ones) and let you select the ones you want to unhide.
unfreeze objects by selection
- This tool will temporally invert the freeze state of all objects and let you select the ones you want to unfreeze.
Isolate/Un-isolate selected object/s layer/s.
- Isolate/Un-isolate selected object/s layer/s.
- If nothing is selected, you can pick an object in viewport after starting the tool, and isolate the respective layer.
Lock current layer or pick an object to change the layer state or properties..
- Locks/unlocks the layer of the picked/selected node.
- Press **SHIFT** when selecting the tool to pick an object in a locked layer to unlock it.
Lock current layer or pick an object to change the layer state or properties.
- Turn off the layer of the selected/picked node.
- Press **SHIFT** when selecting the tool to pick a frozen node/layer.
Set Box mode status for selected/picked node layer.
- Set Box mode status for selected/picked node layer.
- Press **SHIFT** when selecting the tool to pick a frozen node/layer.
Rendering
Utility to review scene cameras, assign a custom resolution to each, and add it to a batch render view or state set.
- Review cameras, assign per-camera resolution, create batch render views, and add state sets.
Clone object between 2 points
- This tool is intended to be of aid when composing shots.
- Easily draw photographic grids, reference lines, and vanishing lines to help compose the perfect shot.
Replace each scene material with an alternative one.
- Automate the process of replacing materials.
- Save a list of replacements, load it each time that is needed.
Remove materials from the selected objects.
- Single-click action for removing the material of the selected objects.
Select objects without material.
- For the current selection, filter out the nodes without an applied material.
Select objects with the same material.
- Quick shortcut. For the current selection, select the scene nodes sharing the same material.
Dialog UI for select and set material IDs
- Dialog UI for select and set material IDs
- The UI is similar to the default UI section in the modifier panel, but with larger buttons and easier to use.
Works with editable poly objects only.
Convenient dialog to load multiple bitmaps on the material editor.
- Convenient dialog to load multiple bitmaps on the material editor.
Change the names of Bitmap Textures to the name of the loaded files.
- Change the names of Bitmap Textures to the name of the loaded files.
Quickly replace parts of the file path of bitmaps in the scene.
- Texture maps filename search and replace utility for relocating missing files and updating the path.
Normal map gamma correct
Change the gamma value for normal maps textures.
- Supports shaders of the most common 3rd-party render engines.
- Change the gamma value to 1.0 for normal maps textures in the gamma workflow.
- Works with OCIO workflows, changing the color space to RAW.
Extras
Lock standard transformations
- Lock/Unlock the object transforms.
- Toggles for changing the state of the node transform, rotation, and scale locks.
Use an object to Interactively stamp its shape or cut holes in a mesh.
- Use an object to Interactively stamp its shape or cut holes in a mesh.
- Set subdivision marks between two points, and place a clone on each mark.