Getting Started with 3D Canvas

Basic Set-up

Unzip the 3DCanvas.zip file using your favorite Unzip program. In the folder you created, there is a program called Setup. Run the Setup program by double-clicking it. This begins the Setup program for 3D Canvas which will prompt you with further set-up instructions.

Once the Setup program has completed, you may delete the folder that you created when you unzipped 3DCanvas.zip. We recommend that you keep the original 3DCanvas.zip file so you can install the program again in the future if you desire.

Running 3D Canvas

The 3D Canvas Setup program added a 3D Canvas entry to the Start Menu. To run 3D Canvas simply select 3D Canvas from the Start Menu.

Creating a Scene

A new Scene is automatically created when 3D Canvas is started. You will be presented with an empty scene which has been laid out with a grid to assist you in judging proportion and aligning items in your scene.

Scene Navigation

Navigating through your scene is done using the Navigation Control, or via mouse navigation.

Creating an Object

You may drag and drop any component on to the scene. A component may be a primitive, a light, a predefined object from the Object Library, or an object that you created yourself using the Lathe, Extrude, Surface or Text tools.

Moving and Modifying an Object

You may move an object within your scene using the Edit Control, or via mouse editing. You can also resize objects using the Edit Control or the mouse.

An assortment of tools including Deform Tool, Operations and the Object  Intersection, Union and Subtraction Operations can be used to modify objects.

Color, Texture and other attributes can be applied to objects using the Material Palette.

Tutorials