Documentation

The main window of Edifice 3D is composed of 4 elements:

• On the top, the menu gives access to all features.
• In the middle, the scene is the creation space.
• On the left, the tree details the project elements.
• On the bottom, the status bar displays information about the application state.

Navigation

• To move the point of view over the scene, press mouse right button and move mouse.
• To elevate the point of view, press shift key, mouse right button and move mouse.
• To rotate around the center of the view, press mouse middle button and move mouse.
• To zoom in and out, scroll mouse wheel.

Action

• To do an action, click with the mouse left button.

Selection

• To enter selection mode, press space bar or click on select button in select menu.
• To select an element, click on it with the mouse left button.
• To select multiple elements, press shift key and click with mouse left button on each element you want to select.
• To select multiple elements in a defined zone, press mouse left button and move mouse over the elements you want to select.

Grids

• To modify the grid size, press ctrl key and scroll mouse wheel.
• To modify the grid divisions count, press shift key and scroll mouse wheel.
• To modify the grid height position in space, press ctrl key, shift key and scroll mouse wheel.

Selection

• To select an element in the scene, click with the mouse left button on it’s node.
• To access element’s operations, click with the mouse right button on it’s node.

Groups:

• Create Group: Creates a group inside the current model
• Rename: Renames the selected group
• Move Up: Place the selected group above the previous one.
• Move Down: Place the selected group below the next one.
• Duplicate: Creates and place a copy of the selected group.
• Delete: Deletes the selected group.
• Paste: Pastes the copied group

• Current menu.
• Current feature.
• Grid properties:
  • Size.
  • Subdivisions count.
  • Subdivision size.
  • Height.
• Cursor position in space.

Information

• To see a button description, hover the button with the mouse.
• To activate contextual description, click on “Display contextual help” button in the help menu.

The File menu lets you manage and visualize files:

• Create, open, and save projects.
• Visualize the construction of a model with the construction sequence.

Files

• New: Create a new project.
• Open: Open an existing project.
• Import: Import a project into the current project.
• Save: Save the current project in the defined path.
• SaveAs: Save the current project in a path to define.
• Export: Save the project in an external format.
• Export selection: Save the selected elements in an external format.

Images

• Render: Render the scene.
• Export: Export the current render in a path to define.

Textures

• Render: Render the texture.
• Export: Export the current texture in a path to define.

The View menu lets you to configure your workspace:

• Select the viewpoint and the perspective.
• Ajust the grid size, the subdivisions count and location.
• Define the visibility of the scene elements.

Views

• Up: Up view.
• Down: Down view.
• Left: Left view.
• Right: Right view.
• Front: Front view.
• Back: Back view.
• Orbit: Orbit view.
• Free: Free view.

Zooms

• Zoom in: Increase the zoom in isometric views.
• Zoom out: Decrease the zoom in isometric views.

Modes

• Perspective: Natural-like view mode.
• Orthographic: Schematic-like view mode.

Style

• Textured: Display lines and faces.
• Illuminated: Display lines, faces, and shadows.

Grids

• Main: Display the main grid.
• Contextual: Display the contextual grid.

• Decimal grids: Indicate if grid subdivisions are a multiple of 10.
• Snap to grids: Indicate if construction snaps into the grid intersections.

• Size: Increase or decrease the grid size in the space.
• Subdivisions: Increase or decrease the grid case subdivisions count.
• Height: Increase or decrease the grid height in space.

Sketches

• Show All Guides: Activate all sketch guides display.
• Points: Activate points display.
• Lines: Activate lines display.
• Faces: Activate faces display.
• Models: Activate volumes display.

Models

• Show All Guides: Activate all model guides display.
• Points: Activate points display.
• Lines: Activate lines display.
• Faces: Activate faces display.
• Models: Activate volumes display.

Others

• Entities: Activate entities guides display.
• Armatures: Activate armatures guides display.
• Weights: Activate weights guides display.
• Lights: Activate lights guides display.
• Cameras: Activate cameras guides display.
• Paths: Activate paths guides display.
• Groups: Activate groups guides display.

The Prepare menu lets you to create sketches:

Points

Point

• To create a point: Click on the scene to place the point.
• To create a point in height: Press the mouse left button, keep it pressed and move the mouse in height.

Lines

Line

• Click on the scene to place the starting point.
• Click on the scene to place the ending point.
• Press Shift key and click in the scene to place an intermediary point

Arc

• Click on the scene to place the starting point.
• Click on the scene to place the ending point.
• Click on the scene to define the height.

Faces

Rectangle

• Click on the scene to place the top left corner.
• Place the top right corner.
• Place the bottom right corner.

Polygon

• Click on the scene to place the first point.
• Place points in the scene to set the polygon sides.
• Press Enter key or click on the first point to end the polygon.

Disc

• Indicate in the menu the sides count.
• Click on the scene to place the top left corner.
• Place the top right corner.
• Place the bottom right corner.

Ring

• Indicate in the menu the sides count and the inner diameter.
• Click on the scene to place the top left corner.
• Place the top right corner.
• Place the bottom right corner.

Colors

Color

• Paint: Click on a face to paint it with the defined color.
• Drop: Click on a face to drop it’s color.

The Modelize menu lets you to create models:

Points

Point

• To create a point: Click on the scene to place the point.
• To create a point in height: Press the mouse left button, keep it pressed and move the mouse in height.

Lines

Line

• Click on the scene to place the starting point.
• Click on the scene to place the ending point.
• Press Shift key and click in the scene to place an intermediary point

Arc

• Click on the scene to place the starting point.
• Click on the scene to place the ending point.
• Click on the scene to define the height.

Faces

Rectangle

• Click on the scene to place the top left corner.
• Place the top right corner.
• Place the bottom right corner.

Polygon

• Click on the scene to place the first point.
• Place points in the scene to set the polygon sides.
• Press Enter key or click on the first point to end the polygon.

Square

• Click on the scene.

Disc

• Indicate in the menu the sides count.
• Click on the scene to place the top left corner.
• Place the top right corner.
• Place the bottom right corner.

Ring

• Indicate in the menu the sides count and the inner diameter.
• Click on the scene to place the top left corner.
• Place the top right corner.
• Place the bottom right corner.

Volumes

Box

• Click on the scene to define the back left corner.
• Place the back right corner.
• Place the front right corner.
• Click on the scene to define the height of the box.

Polyhedron

• Place each point of the polyhedron base.
• Click on the first point or push Enter key.
• Click on the scene to define the height of the polyhedron.

Cube

• Click on the scene.

Cylinder

• Indicate in the menu the sides count.
• Click on the scene to define the back left corner.
• Place the back right corner.
• Place the front right corner.
• Click on the scene to define the height of the cylinder.

Tube

• Indicate in the menu the sides count and the inner diameter.
• Click on the scene to define the back left corner.
• Place the back right corner.
• Place the front right corner.
• Click on the scene to define the height of the tube.

Sphere

• Indicate in the menu the vertical and horizontal sides count.
• Click on the scene to define the back left corner.
• Place the back right corner.
• Place the front right corner.
• Click on the scene to define the height of the sphere.

Arch

• Click on the scene to define the back left corner.
• Place the back right corner.
• Place the front right corner.
• Click on the scene to define the height of the arch.

Others

Entity

• Click on the scene to define the back left corner.
• Place the back right corner.
• Place the front right corner.
• Click on the scene to define the height of the entity.

Armature

• Press the mouse left button to define the first point position on the ground.
• Keep the mouse left button pressed to move the mouse vertically.
• Release the mouse left button to define the first point position.
• Do the same for each point.
• Validate the armature creation by pressing Enter key.

Light

• Press the mouse left button to define the light position on the ground.
• Keep the mouse left button pressed to move the mouse vertically.
• Release the mouse left button to define the light position.

Camera

• Press the mouse left button to define the camera position on the ground.
• Keep the mouse left button pressed to move the mouse vertically.
• Release the mouse left button to define the camera position.
• Do the same for the camera target.

Path

• Press the mouse left button to define the first point position on the ground.
• Keep the mouse left button pressed to move the mouse vertically.
• Release the mouse left button to define the first point position.
• Do the same for each point.
• Validate the path creation by pressing Enter key.

Colors

Color

• Paint: Click on a face to paint it with the defined color.
• Drop: Click on a face to drop it’s color.

The Select menu lets you to select elements and transform their position:

• Activate the selection of points, lines, faces and volumes.
• Select elements by clicking on them or drawing a square around them.
• Move, rotate, scale or adjust the position of the selected elements.

Select

• Select: Place the application in selection mode.
• Clear selection: Deselect all selected elements.

Sketches

• Select All Guides: Activate all sketch guides selection.
• Points: Activate points selection.
• Lines: Activate lines selection.
• Faces: Activate faces selection.
• Models: Activate volumes selection.

Models

• Select All Guides: Activate all data guides selection.
• Points: Activate points selection.
• Lines: Activate lines selection.
• Faces: Activate faces selection.
• Models: Activate volumes selection.

Others

• Entities: Activate entities selection.
• Armatures: Activate armatures selection.
• Lights: Activate lights selection.
• Cameras: Activate cameras selection.
• Paths: Activate paths selection.
• Groups: Activate groups selection.
• Projects: Activate projects selection.

The Update menu lets you to transform and organize selected elements:

• Move, rotate, and scale elements.
• Extrude and section elements.
• Join or separate elements.
• Hide selection and show hidden elements.
• Create external projects from selection.

Actions

• Undo: Cancel the last action.
• Redo: Restore the last cancelled action.

Edit

• Cut: Cut the selection.
• Copy: Copy the selection.
• Paste: Paste the selection.
• Delete: Delete the selection.

Display

• Hide: Hide the selected elements.
• Show: Show the hidden elements.

Transforms

• Move: Move the selection according to:
  • The coordinates indicated in the menu.
  • The mouse moves in the scene.

• Rotate: Rotate the selection according to:
  • The coordinates indicated in the menu.
  • The mouse moves in the scene.

• Scale: Scale the selection according to:
  • The coordinates indicated in the menu.
  • The mouse moves in the scene.

Operations

• Extrude: Create a volume from a face.
• Section: Cut a face in two parts.
• Subdivide: Create a smoother model from the selected model.

Links

• Join: Join separate elements into one.
• Fuse: Fuse colinear elements into one.
• Separate: Transform the faces of the selected volume into distinct volumes.

Lines

• Bevel: Transform a line linking two faces into a face.
• Round: Transform a line linking two faces into a set of faces.

Faces

• Create: Create a face from selected lines.
• Offset: Create a face inside the selected face.
• Invert: Invert the selected faces.

Armatures

• Set weights: Set the links between armature and models.
• Clear weights: Clear the links between armature and models.

Camera

• Position: Position the viewpoint according to the selected camera.

Mirror

• Create: Create a mirror model of a selected model according to the YZ plane.

Convert

• To model: Transform the selection in models.
• To ssketch: Transform the selection in sketches.

Projects

• Create a project: Create an external project from selection.
• Uncompose: Uncompose the selected project into the current project.
• Reload selection: Reload the selected project.
• Reload instances: Reload all the instances of the selected project.
• Reload project: Reload all the projects of the current scene.

The Texture menu lets you to select textures to place on models:

• Select textures in the browser.
• Click on the model faces to place them.

Modes

• Paint: Activate the paint mode: |- Click on a face will apply the selected texture in the menu.
• Drop: Activate the drop mode: |- Click on the face to see it’s texture selected in the menu.

Folders

• Add: Add a folder in the textures folders list.
• Remove: Delete a folder from the textures folders list.

The Map menu lets you to adjust the textures on the faces of the models:

• Move, rotate, scale, or adjust a texture on a face model.
• Position the texture on the face with the Face perspective.
• Position the face on the texture with the Texture perspective.

Modes

• Drop: Activate the drop mode. Click on a face to see it’s texture coordinates in the menu.
• Paint: Activate the paint mode. Click on a face to apply the texture coordinates defined in the menu.

Perspectives

• Face: Update the texture coordinates according to the face perspective.
• Texture: Update the texture coordinates according to the texture perspective.

Paint

• Coordinates: Paint coordinates. Apply texture coordinates to the surface.
• U: Paint U. Apply U coordinate and adapts V to the length of the surface to paint.
• V: Paint V. Apply V coordinate and adpats U to the length of the surface to paint.
• Density: Paint density. Adapt U and V coordinates to the lengths of the surface to paint.

Tools

• Move: Move the selected texture coordinates.
• Rotate: Rotate the selected texture coordinates.
• Scale: Scale the selected texture coordinates.
• Flip: Invert the selected texture coordinates.
• Reset UVs: Reset textures coordinates.

The Paint menu lets you to create textures to place on the models:

• Create textures with drawing tools.
• Click on the faces to place them.

File

• New: Create a new picture.
• Open: Open a picture.
• Save: Save the updates of the current picture.
• Save As: Save the picture in the defined path.

Modes

• Tools: Activate the Tools mode. Click on the tools in the menu and draw the texture.
• Faces: Activate the Faces mode. Click on faces in the scene to affect them the current texture.
• UVs: Activate the UVs mode. Click on the faces in the tree to see their coordinates on the texture.

Tools

• Pen:
• Line:
• Arc:
• Rectangle:
• Polygon:
• Disc:
• Square:
• Path:
• Text:

Tool options

• Border color:
• Back color:
• Size: Border size.
• Brush: Activate the Brush mode. The brush is a picture used as a pattern for textures.

Text options

• Font:
• Bold:
• Italic:
• Underline:

Tool Operations

• Select: Select shapes.
• Move: Move selection.
• Rotate: Rotate selection.
• Scale: Scale selection.
• Add point: Click on a shape line to add a point.
• Delete point: Click on a point to remove it from shape.

UV Operations

• Select: Select texture coordinates.
• Move: Move selection.
• Rotate: Rotate selection.
• Scale: Scale selection.
• Copy UVs: Copy current textures coordinates.
• Paste UVs: Apply textures coordinates on current face.
• Reset UVs: Reset textures coordinates.

Layers

• Diffuse: The diffuse map shows colors.
• Normal: The normal map shows the reliefs.
• Specular: The specular map shows the luminosity.

The Animate menu lets you to create animations:

• Select elements to animate.
• Define transformations.
• Launch the animation.

Animations

• +: Add an animation.
• –: Delete the selected animation.

Animation

• Start: Navigate to the animation beginning.
• Previous second: Navigate to the previous second.
• Previous frame: Navigate to the previous frame.
• Play: Read the animation.
• Pause: Pause the animation.
• Stop: Stop the animation.
• Next frame: Navigate to next frame.
• Next second: Navigate to the next second.
• End: Navigate to the animation ending.
• Select: Navigate to the selected instant.

Items

• +: Activate the Add Item mode. Click on elements on the scene to add them in the animation.
• –: Delete the selected element from the animation.

Parent

• +: Activate the Add Parent Item mode. Click on an animation element to set it as the parent of the current element.
• –: Delete the selected relationship from the animation.

Transformations

• ++: Import transformations from a selected path.
• +: Create a transformation.
• –: Delete the selected transformation.
• —: Delete all transformations.

Animations

• +: Connect the selected inner animation.
• –: Disconnect the selected inner animation.

Output

• Read: Read the animation in an external window.
• Save: Save the animation as a list of pictures.

The Script menu lets you to create interactive simulations:

• Define conditions and actions.
• Start the simulation.
• Move through triggers to activate animations.

Variables

• +: Add a variable.
• –: Delete the selected variable

Scripts

• +: Add a script.
• –: Delete the selected script

Conditions

• +: Add a condition.
• –: Delete the selected condition

Actions

• +: Add an action.
• –: Delete the selected action

Simulation

• Play in scene: Start the simulation in the scene.
• Play in window: Start the simulation in an external window.
• Stop: Stop the simulation.

• Add folders where models are stored.
• Select models in the browser.
• Place and replace models in the scene.

Modes

• Place: Activates the place mode:
  • Select a project in the browser.
  • Click on the scene to place the project.

• Replace: Activates the replace mode:
  • Select the replacement project in the browser.
  • Click on the project to replace in the scene.
  • The replacement project appears at the place of the preceding project.

• Replace All: Activates the replace all mode:
  • Select the replacement model in the browser.
  • Click on the project to replace in the scene.
  • The replacement project appears at each occurence of the preceding project.

Folders

• Add: Adds a folder in the projects folders list.
• Remove: Deletes a folder from the projects folders list.

• Version number
• Edifice 3D website address

Help:

• Display Getting started guide: Display getting started guide.
• Display contextual info: Display hovered button description.

Themes:

• Select light theme: Display the interface with light tones.
• Select dark theme: Display the interface with dark tones.

Languages:

• English: Set English as current language.
• French: Set French as current language.