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Last updated on
20 March 2023
Find out how to start creating your first scene in Substance 3D Modeler.
Substance 3D Modeler is a powerful tool for creating in 3D. Taking your first steps with any new software can be intimidating, but Modeler is designed to be as accessible as possible, so you can start creating in no time.
Welcome to Modeler
When you open Modeler the Welcome dialog appears. The Welcome dialog has useful links to Modeler's documentation, support, and community. If you ever have trouble working with Modeler, these links are a good place to start looking for a solution to your issue.
At any point you can open the Welcome dialog with File > Welcome.
The Welcome dialog also holds options to create a new file or open an existing one. For now use the New button to create a scene.
Note:
If you plan to use Modeler in VR, you can put on your headset at any time while Modeler is open to switch to VR mode. To return to desktop mode, just remove your headset.
Your first scene
With the scene ready, you can start working with clay. The Clay tool is selected by default when you create a scene. The Clay tool lets you place clay into the scene and is the only tool that can create clay from nothing.
Desktop
💻 On desktop, you can use the Gizmo to place clay. The Gizmo is the collection of red, green, and blue shapes at the center of the screen. You can move and rotate the brush by dragging the Gizmo's red, green, and blue handles. You can scale the brush with the grey circles.
For now, use the apply button, or use the space bar shortcut to place some clay. It may look like nothing has happened, that is because the brush and Gizmo are covering the new clay you have placed.
To see the clay, you can move the Gizmo by dragging either the red, green, or blue cone.
Try placing clay in a few more areas around the scene. You can also drag clay out in a stroke. Hold the spacebar as you move the Gizmo, and clay will be placed continuously.
VR
In VR, you can place clay with the brush attached to your tool hand.
Note:
The tool hand is your dominant hand. By default, the right hand controller is the tool hand, but you can change to a left-handed layout. To change handedness:
- Enter desktop mode.
- Use Edit > Preferences or use keyboard shortcut Ctrl + k.
- From the left options select Spatial.
- Toggle Handedness on to use the left handed layout.
To place clay in VR:
- Move the brush to the position you would like to add clay, then pull the tool hand trigger.
- You can hold the tool hand trigger as you move to drag out a stroke of clay.
Move around the scene
It's useful to move around the scene so you can see your clay from different angles.
💻 On desktop you can change your position in the world with the following controls:
|
|
Description |
Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
|
Orbit/Rotate |
Change the direction the camera faces. |
Alt + left click and drag |
|
Pan |
Move the camera up, down, left, and right. |
Alt + middle click and drag |
|
Zoom |
Zoom the camera in and out to focus on smaller or larger areas. |
Alt + right click and drag |
🥽 In VR you can move around the scene by moving around in real life. You can also use the controller grips to move the world around you.
- Press and hold either grip then move the controller to move the scene.
- Press and hold both grips at the same time, then move the controllers towards or away from each other to zoom in and out.
Placement modes
You may have noticed that placing clay on desktop uses the Gizmo, but in VR you can move the brush freely. This is because desktop and VR default to different placement modes.
There are three placement modes:
- Gizmo placement is the desktop default. The Gizmo allows for precise placement of the brush.
- Free placement is the default in VR. Free placement is only available in VR as it depends on using a controller to position the brush in 3D space.
- Surface placement is available on desktop and in VR. Surface placement projects onto the surface of existing clay. Some tools, like the Paint tool, use Surface placement by default.
You can change placement modes in the Palette, but shortcuts are also available on desktop and in VR:
- 💻 On desktop, use G to switch between Gizmo and Surface placement modes.
- 🥽 In VR, use the top button on the support hand. The support hand is your non-dominant hand.
The Palette and Action menu
You can now place clay and move around the scene. The Palette and Action menu hold Modeler's other tools and functionality.
The Palette is where you can access all of Modelers tools and adjust the brush and other tool parameters:
- On desktop the Palette is always visible.
- In VR use the bottom button on the support hand to open the Palette.
Third Generation Partnership Project
The Action menu holds functionality that can modify layers or objects in your scene. Options in the Action menu are context sensitive, so some options may be greyed out based on what you're working on.
To open the Action menu:
- 💻 On desktop, right click anywhere in your scene.
- 🥽 In VR, use the bottom button on the support hand to open the Palette. A compact version of the Action menu is visible to the right of the Palette by default. With the Palette open, swipe right on the tool hand joystick to see the full Action menu.
Related Topics
Have a question or an idea?
If you have a question to ask or an idea to share, come and participate in the Substance 3D Community. We would love to hear from you and see your creations.