NCH Software MeshMagic 3D Modeing Software This user guide has been created for use with MeshMagic 3D Modeing Software Version 1.xx NCH Software
Technica Support If you have difficuties using MeshMagic 3D Modeing Software pease read the appicabe topic before requesting support. If your probem is not covered in this user guide pease view the up-to-date MeshMagic 3D Modeing Software Onine Technica Support at www.nchsoftware.com/meshmagic3d/support.htm. If that does not sove your probem, you can contact us using the technica support contacts isted on that page. Software Suggestions If you have any suggestions for improvements to MeshMagic 3D Modeing Software, or suggestions for other reated software that you might need, pease post it on our Suggestions page at www.nch.com.au/suggestions/index.htm. Many of our software projects have been undertaken after suggestions from users ike you. You get a free upgrade if we foow your suggestion.
MeshMagic 3D Modeing Software Contents Introduction... 2 Mode Fies... 3 Fie Tab... 4 Home Tab... 5 Edit Tab... 7 Toos Tab... 10 View Tab... 12 Object Seection... 14 Right-Cick Context Menu... 16 Controing the Camera... 20 Object Properties... 21 Keyboard Shortcuts... 22 NCH Software Suite... 23 Software License Terms... 24 1
Introduction MeshMagic 3D is an easy to use too for viewing and making quick editing changes to meshes in the common.stl fie format, MeshMagic 3D aso supports.3dp,.3ds,.3mf,.obj and.ply fie formats. STL fies are commony used for the meshes created for 3D printing. MeshMagic 3D features Read and write to the standard.stl fie format used for 3D printing Read and write 3DP, 3DS, 3MF, OBJ and PLY fie formats Seect and edit mesh trianges and vertices, incuding deetion and dupication Add simpe cube, sphere and torus shapes Change the coor of mesh object Extrude 3D meshes from 2D ine drawings Create 3D meshes from 2D ines drawings by a combination of sicing the drawing then rotating each sice to form a 3D soid Dispay both the 3D perspective and 2D orthogona views for the meshes. Create new parts ranging from simpe cubes and spheres to 3D shapes converted from 2D outine drawings System Requirements Operating System Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8 / 8.1 / 10 Video Card RAM Recommended Windows Vista or ater DirectX 9.0c compatibe 3D acceerated, with up-to-date drivers 2 GB 2
Mode Fies MeshMagic 3D supports reading and writing fies in the STL fie format. The STL fie format is commony supported by different 3D printing and modeing interfaces. Thingiverse.com offer many modes in STL format, and severa popuar 3D printers accept STL fies to prepare modes for fabrication. MeshMagic 3D aso supports reading and writing fies in the 3DP, 3DS, 3MF, OBJ and PLY fie formats. 3DS is a common fie format for transferring modes between 3D programs. Pease note that a coors wi be ost when saving to 3DS fie format. 3MF fie format known as 3D Manufacturing Format is a new 3D printing format designed to aow appications to share 3d modes. The 3MF Consortium manages the 3MF specifications. The format is designed to fuy describe a 3D mode for the use with 3D printing appications. 3MF is supported by 3D Buider on Windows. There are a growing number of 3MF modes avaiabe for downoad. OBJ fie format is commony used to contain 3D mesh and texture data for game content. The meshes that have been created for non 3D printing purposes may require extra work to make them suitabe for 3D printing. Pease note that a coors and textures wi be ost when saving to OBJ fie format. PLY fie format known as the Poygon Fie Format or the Stanford Triange Format. The format is designed to store 3D data from 3D scanners. 3DP fie format known as 3D Pad format is designed to contain 3D meshes and other properties for modes mainy for the use with MeshMagic 3D. Have a ook on Thingiverse.com for some interesting 3D modes. 3
Fie Tab The Fie tab contains options for working with your fies. New Fie (Ctr + N): Seect this option to begin a new mesh fie. The currenty opened fie wi be cosed, you wi be prompted to save any unsaved changes. Open Fie (Ctr + O): Seect this option to open an existing mesh fie. The current opened fie wi be cosed, you wi be prompted to save any unsaved changes if there are any. Cose Fie (Ctr + W): Seect this option to cose the current fie. This option wi prompt you to save any unsaved changes. Save Fie (Ctr + S): Seect this option to save the current fie. This option wi keep the current fie open. Save As (Ctr + Shift + S): Seect this option to save the currenty opened fie to a new fie. The currenty opened fie wi become the new fie. Fie Properties: Seect this option to view the properties of the currenty opened mesh fie. Exit (At + F4): Seect this option to exit the program. 4
Home Tab The Home tab contains options for working with and editing your fies. Fie Options Common fie operations for working with the mode fies. New Fie (Ctr + N): Seect this option to begin a new mesh fie. The currenty opened fie wi be cosed, you wi be prompted to save any unsaved changes. Open Fie (Ctr + O): Seect this option to open an existing mesh fie. The current opened fie wi be cosed, you wi be prompted to save any unsaved changes if there are any. Save Fie (Ctr + S): Seect this option to save the current fie. This option wi keep the current fie open. Save As (Ctr + Shift + S): Seect this option to save the current fie with a new name. This option wi change the currenty opened fie to the new fie. Undo/Redo Options The Undo / Redo operations aow you undo the ast set of changes that you have made to the fie. Undo (Ctr + Z): Seect this option to undo the ast change made to the fie. Redo (Ctr + Y): Seect this option to redo the ast change that the undo command has undone to the fie. Pease note that there is a imit to number of operations remembered in the Undo history and that the Undo / Redo history is reset at the start of a new session. Object Seection Pease refer to the Object Seection section for this button's usage. Create 3D Objects Add simpe objects to the mode space. Add Cube: Seect this option to add a simpe cube mesh. The new mesh wi be paced on the edit grid at the origin Add Sphere: Seect this option to add a simpe sphere mesh. The new mesh wi be paced on the edit grid at the origin. Add Icosahedron: Seect this option to add a simpe 20 sided icosahedron mesh. The new mesh wi be paced on the edit grid at the origin. 5
Add Torus: Seect this option to add a simpe torus mesh. The new mesh wi be paced on the edit grid at the origin. Object Properties Properties: Seect this option to show the properties of the seected object. 6
Edit Tab The Edit tab contains options for working with and editing your fies. Undo/Redo Options The Undo / Redo operations aow you undo the ast set of changes that you have made to the fie. Undo (Ctr + Z): Seect this option to undo the ast change made to the fie. Redo (Ctr + Y): Seect this option to redo the ast change that the undo command has undone to the fie. Copy/Cut/Paste/Deete Options These options aow you to copy and deete the seected items. Copy (Ctr + C): Seect this item to copy the seected items to the copy buffer. Cut (Ctr + X): Seect this item to cut the seected items from the mode to the copy buffer. Paste (Ctr + V): Seect this item to paste the items from the copy buffer in to the mode. Deete (Deete): Seect this option to deete the seected items. Object Properties Properties: Seect this option to show the properties of the seected object. Object Seection Pease refer to the Object Seection section for this button's usage. Set and Seect Coors The coor of mesh trianges, incuding the whoe mesh may be changed. Coor Button: This button shows the current coor used when creating new shapes and aows you to choose a new custom coor. Any meshes and trianges that are seected wi have their coors changed once the coor is accepted in the coor chooser. To change the coor of a part of a mesh object seect the faces and/or trianges you want to change then choose Appy coor from the right-cick context menu. Coor Picker: 7
This button gives you a coor picker too which wi set the current coor to the coor of the mesh object you cick on. You can use this to copy the coors from one part of the mesh to another. You may pick a coor from anywhere onscreen for exampe from a photo being dispayed by another program. Coor Appy: This button wi appy the current coor to the seected objects. Note: The Coor Appy button wi ony be enabed after you have chosen a new coor with either the Coor Button or the Coor Picker. Object Transations Move Object Button: This button wi aow you to easiy move the seected objects by using the mouse to drag them. Hint: You can restrict the movement to a singe axis by seecting the axis with the Aow Axis button on the Edit Tab on the toobar. Rotate Object Button: You have the option to rotate to an arbitrary orientation by dragging the mouse or to seect one of the discrete anges from the ist. Rotate by dragging: Choose this option to set the editing mode to rotate mode. The Rotate Too wi be shown encompassing the seected item, use the eft mouse button to drag the seected object to its new orientation. Hint: You can restrict the rotation to a singe axis by seecting the axis with the Aow Axis button on the Edit Tab on the toobar. Rotate X-Axis 45 : This wi rotate the object 45 around the X-Axis. Rotate Y-Axis 45 : This wi rotate the object 45 around the Y-Axis. Rotate Z-Axis 45 : This wi rotate the object 45 around the Z-Axis. Rotate X-Axis 90 : This wi rotate the object 90 around the X-Axis. Rotate Y-Axis 90 : This wi rotate the object 90 around the Y-Axis. Rotate Z-Axis 90 : This wi rotate the object 90 around the Z-Axis. Rotate X-Axis 180 : This wi rotate the object 180 around the X-Axis. Rotate Y-Axis 180 : This wi rotate the object 180 around the Y-Axis. Rotate Z-Axis 180 : This wi rotate the object 180 around the Z-Axis. Rotate X-Axis 270 : This wi rotate the object 270 around the X-Axis. Rotate Y-Axis 270 : This wi rotate the object 270 around the Y-Axis. Rotate Z-Axis 270 : This wi rotate the object 270 around the Z-Axis. Hint: You may use a series of rotation steps to get your desired orientation. Scae Object Button: This button wi aow you to easiy scae the seected objects. The Scaing Too wi now be shown encompassing the seect item, use either the mouse whee or drag the eft mouse button up and down to change the scaing. Hint: There is a imit to how sma the scaing too wi et you go, if you need to go smaer try appying Reset Object Origin to its own Center which appy the current scaing to the objects vertices and reset the scaing too. Aow Axis Movement The movement of seected items may be restricted to each of the axes. For exampe if you ony want to move an item aong the X axis then ony have Aow X Movement seected. Aow X Movement: Seect this option to aow the seected object to be moved aong the X axis. When this option is turned off the seected object cannot be dragged aong this axis. 8
Aow Y Movement: Seect this option to aow the seected object to be moved aong the Y axis. When this option is turned off the seected object cannot be dragged aong this axis. Aow Z Movement: Seect this option to aow the seected object to be moved aong the Z axis. When this option is turned off the seected object cannot be dragged aong this axis. 2D Drawing Modes The foowing options take effect on the 2D drawing panes when they are shown. 2D Draw Mode Not Drawing: This is the defaut option and simpy indicates you are not within one of the 2D drawing modes beow. Draw 2D Circe: Seect this option draw a circe in one of the 2D views. Start the circe by Left-Cicking on the point for the circe's center then Left-Cick where you wish to have the Circe's edge. Draw 2D Eipse: Seect this option draw an eipse in one of the 2D views. The eipse is drawn to fit a bounding rectange. Start the bounding rectange by Left-Cicking a point for one corner then Left-Cick the opposite corner point. Draw 2D Line: Seect this option draw a series of continuous ines on one of the 2D views. Start the ines by Left-Cicking at the starting point of the first ine then Left-Cicking on each joining point, to finish the ines cick the Right mouse button or press the Escape key. Draw 2D Rectange: Seect this option draw a rectange in one of the 2D views. Start the rectange by Left-Cicking a point for one corner then Left-Cick the opposite corner point. Once you have a 2D object you can seect from the foowing options: Extrude 3D from 2D outine: Seect this option to create a 3D mesh by extruding a new surface from the surface formed by the 2D drawing. Form 3D from 2D outine (horizonta sices): Seect this option to create a 3D mesh from the 2D drawing by effectivey rotating each horizonta sice around its vertica axis. Form 3D from 2D outine (vertica sices): Seect this option to create a 3D mesh from the 2D drawing by effectivey rotating each vertica sice around its horizonta axis. Deete 2D outine: Seect this option deete the 2D drawings eaving any 3D meshes in pace. 9
Toos Tab Face Normas The foowing options wi modify the orientation of the faces in regard the inside/outside surfaces of the object. Note: When the Backface Cuing, found on the View Tab, is set to Do not cu anything faces with their normas pointing inwards wi appear back, whereas when the Backface Cuing mode is set to Cu backfaces then they wi appear transparent. When the Backface Cuing mode is set to Draw doube sided then reversed faces wi sti be rendered with their fu coor. Invert Normas: Seect this option to invert the normas for each face on the seect objects. Inverting the normas wi fip the direction of the face in regards to which side is treated as its outside surface. This does not change the winding order of the trianges that make up object, that is, it does not change the order of the vertices that make up each triange. Recacuate Normas: Seect this option recacuate the normas of the faces based on the cockwise winding order of the trianges on the seected objects. Reverse Winding: Seect this option to reverse the current winding order of the faces on the seected objects. Note that this wi reverse the normas as we. This wi actuay wi turn the object inside out since it changes both the triange winding order as we as the direction of the face normas. Mesh Operations The foowing toos aow you to perform operations on the seected objects. Dupicate Objects: Seect this option to create copies of the seected objects. The new objects wi be paced next to their originas. Group Objects: Seect this option to join the seected objects in to a singe object. Spit Objects: Seect this option to spit the seected objects in to their separate meshes. Ceanup: Seect this option to ceanup the mesh objects. Remove Dupicated Trianges: Seect this option to remove any dupicate trianges from within the seected objects, this may take some time on arger objects. Remove Dupicated Vertices: Seect this option to remove any dupicate vertices from within the seected objects, this may take some time on arger objects. Booean Operations The foowing toos aow you to perform booean operations on the seected objects. Intersection: Choose this option to reduce the seected meshes to a singe mesh which represents the intersection of a the seected meshes. Intersection may aso be referred to as "A AND B". 10
Subtract: Choose this option to cut away from the first seected mesh a the remaining meshes. Subtraction may aso be referred to as "A NOT B". Union: Choose this option to create a singe mesh which is formed from the surfaces of a the seected meshes. Union may aso be referred to as "A OR B". Fie Format Converter 3D Converter: Seect this option to run Spin 3D to convert the currenty opened mode to any supported 3D fie format. Note that a copy of the currenty opened mode wi be transferred to Spin 3D incuding a of the unsaved edits. 11
View Tab The View tab contains options for 3D and 2D view windows. Object Drawing Mode You may render the mode meshes as either soid or wire frame. Soid: Seect this option to show the mesh objects in soid form. Wire Frame: Seect this option to show the mesh objects in wire-frame form. Backface Cuing Seect this option to choose whether to hide any hidden trianges using backface cuing. Do not cu anything: Seect this option to aways show a faces. This aows you to view a faces whie in Wire Frame mode. Cu Backfaces: Seect this option to hide the faces that are behind other faces. Whie in Wire Frame mode ony the front-most face edges wi be drawn. Draw doube sided: Seect this option to draw both sides of each face. Whie in Soid mode both sides of each face wi be drawn with the face's materia coors. This may be usefu if the imported mesh faces do not have consistent orientation as regard to the inside/outside surfaces of the object. Pease note that trianges are cued if the vertices defining the shape form a counter-cockwise ange. This property is aso referred to as the trianges Winding Order. Specuar Seect this option enabe or disabe specuar highighting of the drawn objects. Perspective View Window Reset View (Ctr + R): Seect this option to center the drawing grid in the Perspective View window. This wi aso reset the grid orientation. Show Grid (Ctr + G): Seect this option to show the edit grid in the Perspective View window. The X, Y and Z axes are aways visibe. 2D and 3D Window Layout Seect this option to choose the window ayout for showing the 3D and 2D views. Hide 2D Views: Seect this option to show ony the 3D view. Show 2D Views on Right Side: Seect this option to show the 2D views down the Right Side. Show 2D Views at Bottom: Seect this option to show the 2D views aong the bottom of the window. 12
Show 2D Views in Quadrants: Seect this option to show a four views as equay sized panes in the window. Object Properties Properties: Seect this option to show the properties of the seected object. Note: Properties can ony be shown for a singe seected object. 13
Object Seection Object Seection You are abe to seect objects and portions of objects through various methods. Seecting mutipe objects To seect mutipe objects seect each object whie hoding down the Shift key. Togge seections by hoding the Ctr key down whie eft-cicking on the object, aowing unseected objects to be seected and seected objects to be unseected to and from the seection group. Mutipe objects may aso be seected from the 2D views by dragging a seection rectange around them by hoding down the Left mouse button whie moving the mouse to draw out a seection rectange around the objects you wish to seect. Actions may be performed on mutipy seected objects by hoding the Shift key to perform actions such as moving, rotating, or scaing a seected objects simutaneousy. 3D Views The 3D Object Seection button on the Home Tab wi aow you to change the seection mode of the type of items that may be seected. The foowing 3D seection modes aow you to seect part of the drawing from the Perspective View window: Seect Object (Ctr + Shift + O): Seect this option to seect whoe 3D meshes within the mode. Seect Face (Ctr + Shift + F): Seect this option to seect groups of trianges that form a common fat face. Seect Triange (Ctr + Shift + T): Seect this option to seect individua mesh trianges. Seect Edge (Ctr + Shift + E): Seect this option to seect individua mesh ines. Seect Vertex (Ctr + Shift + V): Seect this option to seect individua mesh vertices. Once you have a 3D item seected you may perform operations from the right-cick context menu. For seected objects you can Deete, Scae, Rotate, Move and Center to the grid origin. Seected faces and trianges can be reversed, deeted and dupicated. Seected ines may be deeted, dupicated and moved, whie seected vertices may ony be deeted or moved. When you dupicate a face or triange the new trianges are attached to the mesh at the same points the origina trianges were using a set connecting trianges around the outside edge of the seection. You can use this to extrude a new surface from the mesh. Whie in Seect Object mode you may Copy and Cut seected objects. You may Deete any seected item at any time. You may Paste 14
a copy of the current object from the copy buffer at any time. Pasted objects wi be paced at the ocation next to the origina object from which it was copied even if the origina object has been moved or deeted. Seect A (Ctr + A): Whie in Seect Object mode seects a objects. Copy (Ctr + C): Copy the currenty seected objects to the copy buffer. Cut (Ctr + X): Cut the currenty seected objects to the copy buffer, removing the currenty seected objects from the mode. Paste (Ctr + V): Paste the objects from the copy buffer to the mode. Deete (Deete): Deete the currenty seected objects from the mode. 2D Views If you have begun to draw a 2D outine by seecting a 2D Drawing Mode eft-cicking within any of the 2D views wi seect the shape you have begun to draw, and wi present you with options for either deeting the shape, or converting the 2D outine into a 3D object. If you are not currenty drawing a 2D outine, eft-cicking wi seect any other object beneath the mouse cursor. You are abe to seect many objects simutaneousy from within the 2D views by using a seection rectange. To use a seection rectange, simpy cick and hod the Left mouse button within the 2D View, and then drag out the desired rectange over the objects you wish to seect. If you have more than 1 object seected, hod the Shift key to perform an actions such as moving, rotating, or scaing a seected objects simutaneousy. Statusbar Dispay Whie in the object move, rotate or scaing modes the corresponding vaues wi be dispayed on the statusbar at the bottom of the main window. If there is more than one object seected then ony the vaues for one of the objects wi be shown. In move mode the position vaue shown wi be the point of seection on that object. 15
Right-Cick Context Menu Object Right-Cick Context Menu This menu appears when Right-Cicking within the Perspective View Window whie there are objects seected. Seect a (Ctr + A): Choose this option to seect a of the objects in the scene. Deseect a: Choose this option to deseect the current seections. This is the same as Left-Cicking on an empty space in the scene. Copy seected (Ctr + C): Choose this option to copy the currenty seected objects to the copy buffer. Cut seected (Ctr + X): Choose this option to cut the currenty seected objects to the copy buffer. Deete seected (Deete): Choose this option to deete the currenty seected objects. Move seected: Choose this option to set the editing mode to move mode. You wi be abe to drag seected items with the mouse. Hint: You can restrict the movement to a singe axis by seecting the axis with the Aow Axis button on the toobar. Rotate seected: Choose this sub-menu to rotate the seect objects. You have the option to rotate to an arbitrary orientation by dragging the mouse or to seect one of the discrete anges from the ist. Rotate by dragging: Choose this option to set the editing mode to rotate mode. The Rotate Too wi be shown encompassing the seected item, use the eft mouse button to drag the seected object to its new orientation. Hint: You can restrict the rotation to a singe axis by seecting the axis with the Aow Axis button on the toobar. Rotate X-Axis 45 : This wi rotate the object 45 around the X-Axis. Rotate Y-Axis 45 : This wi rotate the object 45 around the Y-Axis. Rotate Z-Axis 45 : This wi rotate the object 45 around the Z-Axis. Rotate X-Axis 90 : This wi rotate the object 90 around the X-Axis. Rotate Y-Axis 90 : This wi rotate the object 90 around the Y-Axis. Rotate Z-Axis 90 : This wi rotate the object 90 around the Z-Axis. Rotate X-Axis 180 : This wi rotate the object 180 around the X-Axis. Rotate Y-Axis 180 : This wi rotate the object 180 around the Y-Axis. Rotate Z-Axis 180 : This wi rotate the object 180 around the Z-Axis. Rotate X-Axis 270 : This wi rotate the object 270 around the X-Axis. Rotate Y-Axis 270 : This wi rotate the object 270 around the Y-Axis. Rotate Z-Axis 270 : This wi rotate the object 270 around the Z-Axis. Hint: You may use a series of rotation steps to get your desired orientation. Scae seected: Choose this option to change the seected object's scaing. The Scaing Too wi now be shown encompassing the seect item, use either the mouse whee or drag the eft mouse button up and down to change the scaing. 16 Hint: There is a imit to how sma the scaing too wi et you go, if you need to go smaer try appying Reset Object Origin to its own Center which appy the current scaing to the objects vertices and reset the scaing too.
Center on Grid Origin: Choose this option to move the seected object to center it on the drawing grid's origin. Reset Object Origin to its own Center: Choose this option to change the object's center of rotation to be the center the seected object. Note: This wi aso appy a rotation, scaing and transations directy to the object's vertices and reset these toos. Reset Object Origin to Grid Origin: Choose this option to change the object's center of rotation to be the drawing grid's origin. Pease note that the object's new origin is reative to the object so the center wi move with the object when the object is moved. Note: This wi aso appy a rotation, scaing and transations directy to the object's vertices and reset these toos. Appy coor: Choose this option to change the seected object's coor to the current defaut coor as seected by the Coor button in the too bar. See Coor Button and Coor Picker for more detais about choosing the current coor. Dupicate Objects: Choose this option to make a copy of the seected objects, the newy created dupicates wi be paced next to the originas as separate new objects. Group Objects: Choose this option to group a the seected objects in to a singe seectabe object. This is usefu when you want the grouped object to behave as a singe object even though it is made up of separate meshes. Spit Objects: Choose this option to separate the object in to separate objects where each object contains just a singe separate mesh. Remove Dupicate Trianges: Choose this option to ceanup any dupicated trianges within the seected meshes. Remove Dupicate Vertices: Choose this option to ceanup any dupicated vertices within the seected meshes. Subdivide a trianges into 3: Choose this option to subdivide a of the trianges of the seected objects into 3 trianges each. This wi create a new vertex at the center of each triange and then join this vertex to each of the three existing vertices, creating three new trianges to cover the area of the origina triange. The origina triange is repaced by the three new trianges. Subdivide a trianges into 4: Choose this option to subdivide a of the trianges of the seected objects into 4 trianges each. This wi create a new vertex at the center of each edge, joining each of these new vertices to each other creating a new triange at the center of the origina triange aong with three new trianges in the remaining areas. The origina triange is repaced by the four new trianges. Booean Intersect: Choose this option to reduce the seected meshes to a singe mesh which represents the intersection of a the seected meshes. Booean Subtract: Choose this option to cut away from the first seected mesh a the remaining meshes. Booean Union: Choose this option to create a singe mesh which is formed from the surfaces of a the seected meshes. Object Properties: Choose this option to open the properties for the seected object. Face Right-Cick Context Menu This menu appears when Right-Cicking within the Perspective View Window whie there are faces seected. Reverse face: Choose this option to turn the seected faces inside-out. This is usefu when there are faces that appear to be facing towards inside the mode instead of facing towards the outside. 17
Coapse face: Choose this option to deete the currenty seected faces by coapsing each triange that make up the faces to a singe point. Remove face: Choose this option to deete the currenty seected faces from the object, this wi eave a hoe where the faces used to be. Dupicate face: Choose this option to dupicate the currenty seected faces. This wi pace copies of the seected faces overaying the originas, joined to the originas aong their edges. Use this as the first step in extruding a portion of the mesh. Subdivide face: Choose this option to subdivide the seected faces so that each contained triange is divided into 3 trianges. This wi create a new vertex at the center of each triange and then join this vertex to each of the three existing vertices, creating three new trianges to cover the area of the origina triange. The origina triange is repaced by the three new trianges. Appy coor: Choose this to change the seected face's coor to the current defaut coor as seected by the Coor button in the too bar. See Coor Button and Coor Picker for more detais about choosing the current coor. Triange Right-Cick Context Menu This menu appears when Right-Cicking within the Perspective View Window whie there are trianges seected. Reverse triange: Choose this option to turn the seected trianges inside-out. This is usefu when there are trianges that appear to be facing towards inside the mode instead of facing towards the outside. Coapse triange: Choose this option to deete the currenty seected trianges by coapsing each triange to a singe point. Remove triange: Choose this option to deete the currenty seected trianges from the object, this wi eave a hoe where the trianges used to be. Dupicate triange: Choose this option to dupicate the currenty seected trianges. This wi pace copies of the seected trianges overaying the originas, joined to the originas aong their edges. Use this as the first step in extruding a portion of the mesh. Subdivide triange into 3: Choose this option to subdivide a of the currenty seected trianges into 3 trianges each. This wi create a new vertex at the center of each triange and then join this vertex to each of the three existing vertices, creating three new trianges to cover the area of the origina triange. The origina triange is repaced by the three new trianges. Subdivide triange into 4: Choose this option to subdivide a of the currenty seected trianges into 4 trianges each. This wi create a new vertex at the center of each edge, joining each of these new vertices to each other creating a new triange at the center of the origina triange aong with three new trianges in the remaining areas. The origina triange is repaced by the four new trianges. Appy coor: Choose this to change the seected triange's coor to the current defaut coor as seected by the Coor button in the too bar. See Coor Button and Coor Picker for more detais about choosing the current coor. Line Right-Cick Context Menu This menu appears when Right-Cicking within the Perspective View Window whie there are ines seected. Coapse ine: Choose this option to deete the currenty seected ines by coapsing them to singe points. This wi repace to two end points for each seected ine with a singe point near the center position of the ine, arranging the trianges around them. Dupicate ine: 18
Choose this option to dupicate the currenty seected ines. This wi pace copies of the seected ines overaying the originas, joined to the originas at their ends to form a sheet. This new sheet may be extruded into a soid by seecting the face/trianges that make up the sheet then choosing Dupicate face from the context menu for the seected faces. Move ine: The seected ines may be dragged to a new position by dragging the eft mouse button whie the ines are seected. Subdivide ine: Choose this option to subdivide the currenty seected ines into 2. This wi effectivey divide the trianges that share this ine as an edge into two trianges each. This wi pace a new vertex at the center of the ine then join this new vertex to the opposite vertex of each triange which shares this ine as one of their edges. The origina trianges are repaced by the new trianges. Point/Vertex Right-Cick Context Menu This menu appears when Right-Cicking within the Perspective View Window whie there are points/vertices seected. Deete vertex: Choose this option to deete the currenty seected vertices. Move vertex: The seected vertices may be dragged to a new position by dragging the eft mouse button whie the vertices are seected. Paste Right-Cick Context Menu This menu appears when Right-Cicking within the Perspective View Window whie there is nothing seected and there is something in the copy buffer or there are objects to seect. Paste from Copy Buffer: Choose this option to Paste the objects from the copy buffer to the mode. This option wi ony be enabed when there is something in the copy buffer to paste. Seect a (Ctr + A): Choose this option to seect a of the objects in the scene. This option wi ony be enabed when there are objects in the scene to seect and the seection mode is set to Seect Object. 19
Controing the Camera Controing the Camera in the Perspective View Window The camera can be controed in a number of ways to get the exact view needed. Using the mouse: The easiest way to contro the camera is using the mouse. The camera may be rotated to view the drawing space from another ange by cicking and dragging the right mouse button. The camera may be panned by cicking and dragging the midde mouse button. The camera can be zoomed in and out by scroing the mouse whee up or down. Using the keyboard: The foowing keys perform camera actions: Arrow Keys: Pan the camera in the direction of the arrow key Shift+Arrow Keys: Rotate the camera in the direction of the arrow key Page Up: Raise the eevation of the camera Page Down: Lower the eevation of the camera Home: Zoom the camera in End: Zoom the camera out The camera view may be reset to the defaut orientation by cicking the Reset View button in the View tab or by pressing the Ctr + R keys. 20
Object Properties Object Properties This is an interactive dispay of the currenty seected object's properties. The object wi be modified as you change the vaues in the properties diaog. You may revert back to the origina vaues by cicking the Cance button or by pressing the Escape key on the keyboard. Position: The object's X, Y & Z position using its current origin reative to the Grid origin. Rotation: The object's rotation reative to its current origin. Scae: The object's scaing. You may change the X, Y & Z to different vaues to change the object's aspect ratio. Number of trianges: This shows the current number of trianges that make up the object. Defaut button: This wi set the properties to the foowing pre-sets: Position set to the Grid origin (X = 0.0, Y = 0.0 & z = 0.0) Rotation set to the unrotated state (X = 0.0, Y = 0.0 & Z = 0.0) Scae set to unscaed (X = 1.0, Y = 1.0 & Z = 1.0) Pease note that the Object Properties option is enabed ony when there is a singe object seected. 21
Keyboard Shortcuts MeshMagic Keyboard Shortcuts Toobar Seection: At + F: Fie Tab At + H: Home Tab At + E: Edit Tab At + T: Toos Tab At + V: View Tab Camera Contros: Arrow Keys: Pan the camera Shift + Arrow Keys: Rotate the camera Page Up/Page Down Keys: Move the camera up and down Home/End Keys: Zoom the camera in and out Shortcut Keys: Ctr + A: Whie in Seect Object mode this wi seect a of the objects in the scene Ctr + C: Copy the currenty seected objects to the copy buffer Ctr + X: Cut the currenty seected objects to the copy buffer, removing the currenty seected objects from the mode Ctr + V: Paste the objects from the copy buffer to the mode Ctr + P: Dispay the properties for the seected object Ctr + N: Create a new fie, prompt to save changes to the current fie if any Ctr + O: Open an existing fie, prompt to save changes to the current if any Ctr + S: Save the current fie Ctr + Shift + S: Save the current fie with a new name (Save As) Ctr + W: Cose the current fie, prompt to save changes if any Ctr + G: Togge the dispay of the Drawing Grid in the Perspective View Ctr + R: Reset the camera view in the Perspective View Window Ctr + Z: Undo the ast change Ctr + Y: Redo the ast Undo Deete: Deete the seect item Ctr + Shift + O: Set Object Seection mode Ctr + Shift + F: Set Face Seection mode Ctr + Shift + T: Set Triange Seection mode Ctr + Shift + E: Set Edge Seection mode Ctr + Shift + V: Set Vertex Seection mode F1: Open hep menu At + F4: Exit the program 22
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Software License Terms 1. The copyrights in this software and any visua or audio work distributed with the software beong to NCH Software and others isted in the about box. A rights are reserved. Instaation of this software and any software bunded with or instaed-on-demand from this software is icensed ony in accordance with these terms. 2. By instaing, using or distributing this software you, on your own behaf and on behaf of your empoyer or principa, agree to be bound by these terms. If you do not agree to any of these terms, you may not use, copy, transmit, distribute, nor insta this software - return it to the pace of purchase within 14 days to receive a fu refund. 3. This software, and a accompanying fies, data and materias, are distributed "as is" and with no warranties of any kind, whether express or impied except as required by aw. If you intend to rey on this software for critica purposes you must test it fuy prior to using it, insta redundant systems and assume any risk. 4. We wi not be iabe for any oss arising out of the use of this software incuding, but not imited to, any specia, incidenta or consequentia oss. Your entire remedy against us for a caims is imited to receiving a fu refund for the amount you paid for the software. 5. You may not use this software in any circumstances where there is any risk that faiure of this software might resut in a physica injury or oss of ife. You agree to indemnify us from any caims reating to such unauthorized use. 6. You may copy or distribute the instaation fie of this software in its compete unatered form but you may not, under any circumstances, distribute any software registration code for any of our programs without written permission. In the event that you do distribute a software registration code, you wi be iabe to pay the fu purchase price for each ocation where the unauthorized use occurs. 7. Use of statistics coected by the software is subject to the NCH Software Privacy Statement which aows automatic anonymized coection of usage statistics in imited circumstances. 8. The contract arising out of this agreement is governed by the aws and courts of the Austraian Capita Territory. 24