🧭 Navigating the Viewport
The big 3D window is called the viewport. Think of it like a camera you can fly around freely. You never touch the objects to move the view — you use your mouse buttons instead.
Orbit — spin the view
Hold Right Mouse Button and drag. The camera rotates around the center of your scene. This is how you look at your model from different angles.
Pan — slide the view
Hold Middle Mouse Button and drag. The whole view slides up, down, left, right — like sliding a piece of paper on a table.
Zoom
Scroll the Mouse Wheel up to zoom in, down to zoom out. Works smoothly — you can get very close or very far away.
Frame Selected F
Press F or click ⊙ Frame in the toolbar. The camera automatically moves so the selected object fills the view perfectly. Very useful after you've scrolled off and lost track of your model.
Frame All A
Press A or click ⊞ All. Zooms out far enough so every object in your scene is visible at once.
Preset views: Top / Front / Right / Perspective
The T · F · R · P buttons in the top-right corner snap the camera to exact orthographic angles. T = looking straight down, F = looking straight at the front, R = looking from the right side, P = back to normal 3D perspective. Orthographic views have no perspective distortion — great for precise modelling.
Quad View
Click ⊞ Quad in the toolbar to split the viewport into 4 panels simultaneously — Perspective, Top, Front, and Left by default. This is how professional modellers work: you shape a model while watching it from all four angles at once. Click the label in any panel (e.g. "Top ▾") to cycle to a different view. Click Quad again to go back to single view.
Double-click to enter Edit Mode
Double-clicking an object is a shortcut for entering Edit Mode (same as pressing Tab). This is the fastest way to start reshaping a model.
📦 Adding & Managing Objects
A scene is made up of objects. You add primitive shapes (building blocks) and combine or reshape them into anything you want.
Adding shapes
Click any shape in the left sidebar: BOX, SPH (Sphere), CYL (Cylinder), CON (Cone), TOR (Torus), PLN (Plane). The shape drops into your scene and is automatically selected. You can also drag a shape from the sidebar and drop it anywhere in the viewport.
Geometry parameters
With an object selected, open the Modify panel (right side). Under Geometry you can adjust parameters like Width, Height, Depth, Segments, Rings, and Radius. Changing Segments/Rings adds more polygons — more loops and rings you can later sculpt.
Scene list
The panel on the top-left lists every object in your scene. Click a name to select it. The currently selected object is highlighted in orange. Use this when objects overlap and are hard to click directly in the viewport.
Duplicate Ctrl+D
Creates an identical copy of the selected object, placed directly on top. Switch to Move W and drag it aside. The copy is independent — changes to one won't affect the other.
Copy / Paste Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V
Copy an object to the clipboard and paste it. Useful for copying objects between sessions or adding several identical objects.
Delete Del
Removes the selected object permanently. You can undo with Ctrl+Z immediately after.
Undo / Redo Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y
Undo steps back through your changes one at a time. The 9/9-style counter in the toolbar shows your current position in the undo history (e.g. "7/9" means you're 2 steps back and can redo forward). Works for object transforms, material changes, and all Edit Mode operations.
Save / Load scene Ctrl+S
Save exports your entire scene as a .json file you can store on your computer. Load brings it back. This preserves everything: shapes, positions, materials, custom mesh edits.
✏️ Edit Mode — Shaping Your Mesh
Edit Mode is where the real modelling happens. Instead of moving whole objects, you push and pull the individual building blocks of a 3D shape: Vertices (corner points), Edges (the lines connecting them), and Faces (the flat polygons they form). Every 3D model is made of these three things.
Entering and exiting Edit Mode Tab
Select an object, then press Tab — or double-click the object. The mesh turns green and a banner appears at the top. Press Tab again, click ✕ in the banner, or press Escape to exit. When you exit, the orange selection outline updates to match your new shape.
Sub-modes: Vertex 1 · Edge 2 · Face 3
Vertex mode (1): Green dots appear at every corner. Click a dot to select it. Drag it to reshape the mesh — like pushing a pin into clay.
Edge mode (2): The edges (lines) light up. Click an edge to select it. Move it with W, or use Chamfer, Loop Select, Loop Cut etc.
Face mode (3): Polygons highlight when you hover. Click to select a face. Use Extrude, Inset, or Delete Face to reshape.
Selecting elements
Click to select one element (it turns yellow). Shift+Click to add more to the selection without losing the previous ones. Click-drag on empty space to draw a box and select everything inside it. Click empty space to deselect everything.
Moving elements — W / Arrow Keys / M
After selecting, press W to get the Move gizmo and drag. Or use Arrow Keys to nudge in small steps. Hold Shift+Arrow for ultra-fine steps. Press M to open the XYZ Move panel for typing exact positions.
Rotating and scaling elements — E / R
Select vertices/edges/faces, then press E for the rotation gizmo or R for scale. The gizmo pivot is the centre of your selection. This lets you rotate just one face on a model, or scale a ring of vertices inward to taper a shape.
X-Ray mode for editing inside shapes
Click ✦ X-Ray in the toolbar. The object becomes semi-transparent, so you can see and click vertices/edges/faces that are on the back side or hidden inside the mesh. Essential for complex shapes.
🔧 Polygon Operations
These are the power tools for reshaping geometry. Enter Edit Mode first, select the relevant element, then use these operations from the Modify panel on the right.
Extrude Face E
Select a face in Face mode, then click Extrude (or press E). The face pushes outward, pulling new walls behind it — like squeezing toothpaste or pulling a knob from clay. Use it to grow arms, legs, pipes, towers, or any protruding feature.
Inset Face I
Select a face, click Inset (or press I). A smaller copy of the face appears inset inside it, with connecting polygons forming a border ring. Like a picture frame. Use it before extruding to create clean insets, like a recessed button or an alcove.
Ring / Loop Cut
Adds a new edge loop encircling the whole object on a parametric shape (Box, Cylinder, etc.) — like slicing a sausage. More edge loops = more geometry to sculpt detail into. Works along X, Y, Z, or radial axes depending on the shape.
Select Loop (Edge mode)
Switch to Edge mode, click one edge, then click ⟳ Select Loop. Forge automatically walks the mesh and selects the entire ring of edges running parallel to yours — like selecting one latitude line on a globe. Saves you from clicking each edge individually.
Select Ring (Edge mode)
Click one edge, then click ⦿ Select Ring. Selects all edges running perpendicular to yours — like selecting a longitude line. Use Ring + Move to evenly space detail cuts around a cylindrical shape.
Loop Cut (Edge mode)
Select an edge (or a ring/loop), then click ✂ Loop Cut. A slider HUD appears — drag to choose how many parallel cuts to insert (1–10). The cuts are evenly spaced. Click ✓ Apply to commit, or Cancel/Escape to undo. More cuts = more detail you can sculpt in that area.
Chamfer
Select a vertex or edge, click ✦ Chamfer. A live-preview slider lets you drag to control the bevel amount. In Vertex mode: the sharp corner is replaced by a small polygon (like cutting the point off a diamond). In Edge mode: the sharp edge is replaced by two edges with a flat face between them (like bevelling the corner of a box). Hit ✓ Apply when it looks right.
Subdivide & Smooth
Splits every polygon into 4 smaller ones and softens all angles. One click on a low-poly cube gives you a rounded box; three clicks gives you an almost perfect sphere shape. Warning: polygon count multiplies by 4 each time — use sparingly on complex meshes.
Delete Face / Edge / Vertex
Select an element then press Del or click Delete. In Face mode: removes the polygon, leaving a hole. In Edge mode: dissolves the edge and merges the neighbouring faces. In Vertex mode: removes the vertex and all faces that used it.
Delete Half + Mirror — symmetrical modelling workflow
The fastest way to build symmetrical models (characters, vehicles, creatures):
1. Click ✂ Delete −X Half to remove the left side.
2. Enable ⧟ Mirror in the toolbar — your edits are mirrored live to the other side.
3. Shape the remaining half in Edit Mode. The mirrored side updates in real time.
4. Click ⧟ Mirror Object when finished to bake the symmetry into real geometry.
🎨 Materials & Appearance
Select an object and look at the Modify panel on the right. Scroll down to the Material section to change how the object looks.
Colour
Click the colour swatch to open the colour picker, or type a hex code directly (e.g. #FF6600 for orange, #1A1A2E for dark navy). The colour updates live as you drag in the picker.
Roughness
Controls how shiny or matte the surface is. 0.0 = mirror-smooth (polished chrome), 0.5 = plastic or painted surface, 1.0 = completely dull (chalk, unfinished concrete). Most real-world objects are between 0.3 and 0.7.
Metalness
Controls whether the surface looks metallic. 0 = non-metal (skin, plastic, wood, paint), 1 = pure metal (chrome, gold, brushed steel). Most real objects are either 0 or 1 — metals are 1, everything else is 0.
Opacity
Controls transparency. 1.0 = fully solid, 0.5 = half-transparent (tinted glass), 0.1 = nearly invisible (ghost effect). Pair with low roughness for realistic glass.
Flat Shading
Toggle flat shading to give the surface a faceted, angular look — each polygon face shows as a distinct flat surface. Great for low-poly stylised art. Turn it off for smooth, organic-looking surfaces.
Wireframe (per object)
Shows just this object's structural edges as lines, hiding the solid surfaces. Different from Wire All — this only affects the selected object.
Wire All (viewport)
Click ⬡ Wire in the toolbar to show all objects as wireframes at once. Useful for checking proportions, counting polygons, or seeing through surfaces to edit hidden geometry.
X-Ray mode
Click ✦ X-Ray in the toolbar to make every object semi-transparent at 22% opacity. Essential for Edit Mode when you need to select or move things that are hidden inside a mesh.
🖥 Viewport & Scene Tools
Version History snapshots
Click 🗂 Versions to open the version panel. Click + Save Version and give it a name (e.g. "before chamfer pass"). You can restore any saved version at any time — even after page refresh, unlike Ctrl+Z which only works for the current session. Save a version before any major destructive operation.
Export your model
Click ⬆ Export. Choose from:
— OBJ: Universal format. Works in Blender, Maya, Cinema 4D, Unity, Unreal, and almost every 3D app.
— glTF 2.0: Modern web and game engine format. Smaller file, preserves materials. Use for Three.js, Babylon.js, Godot, or web viewing.
— STL: 3D printing format. Required by slicing software like Cura, PrusaSlicer, or Bambu Studio.
Render
Click ● Render (or the Render button in the toolbar) to capture a high-quality screenshot of your scene. The image is saved to your Downloads folder as a PNG. Position and light your scene the way you want it to look, then render.
Mirror mode
Click ⧟ Mirror to enable live X-axis mirroring. Any edits you make to one side are automatically reflected on the other. This is non-destructive — your mesh only has half the geometry. Click ⧟ Mirror Object in the Modify panel to bake the mirror into real geometry when you're done.
Stats counter (top-left of viewport)
The OBJ · VRT · PLY numbers show how many objects, vertices, and polygons are in your scene. Keep an eye on PLY (polygon count) — game assets typically stay under 10,000, while cinematic models can be millions.
Axis gizmo (bottom-right)
The small XYZ axis indicator in the bottom-right corner shows you which direction you're looking. Red = X axis, Green = Y axis, Blue = Z axis. It rotates as you orbit, so you always know your orientation.
⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts
Viewport Navigation
Orbit viewRight-drag
Pan viewMid-drag
ZoomScroll
Frame selected objectF
Frame all objectsA
Top viewT button
Front viewF button
Right viewR button
Perspective viewP button
Tools (Object Mode)
Select toolQ
Move toolW
Rotate toolE
Scale toolR
Toggle grid snapS
Object Management
DuplicateCtrl+D
Delete selectedDel
CopyCtrl+C
PasteCtrl+V
UndoCtrl+Z
RedoCtrl+Y
Save sceneCtrl+S
Save named versionCtrl+Shift+S
Open this help?
Deselect / close HUDEscape
Edit Mode
Enter / Exit Edit ModeTab
Vertex sub-mode1
Edge sub-mode2
Face sub-mode3
Move selectedW
Rotate selectedE
Scale selectedR
Extrude faceE (Face mode)
Inset faceI (Face mode)
Delete elementDel
Nudge selectionArrow Keys
Fine nudge (0.001 steps)Shift + Arrow
XYZ move panelM
💡 Workflow Tips
Tips from professional 3D artists. These habits will make you faster and less frustrated.
Start rough — add detail later
Block out your model with simple shapes first. Get the overall proportions feeling right before you go into Edit Mode. Beginners often waste hours trying to make a rough shape perfect — don't. Rough first, detail second, polish third.
Control your polygon count
Only add edge loops where you actually need them. Every extra loop multiplies the work of editing the surrounding area. Start with a low-segment object (e.g. a 6-segment cylinder) and add loops only where you need curves or detail. Keep the rest of the mesh clean and simple.
Use Quad View for accurate modelling
Turn on Quad View and use the orthographic Top, Front, and Side panels when turning a reference image into 3D. Orthographic panels show true proportions without perspective distortion. Shape in two views at once to nail accurate silhouettes.
Save versions before risky operations
Before any operation you're unsure about (Subdivide, Loop Cut, Delete Half), click 🗂 Versions → Save Version and name it. If things go wrong you can always come back. Ctrl+Z only works in the current session — versions survive page refresh and closing the browser.
Symmetrical modelling — the half-and-mirror trick
For anything symmetrical (characters, vehicles, furniture): model just the right half.
1. Click ✂ Delete −X Half (Modify panel → Edit Mode section).
2. Enable ⧟ Mirror in the toolbar — your work mirrors live.
3. Edit the right side freely. Adjust, reshape, iterate.
4. Click ⧟ Mirror Object to finalise.
This cuts your work exactly in half and guarantees perfect symmetry.
The Inset + Extrude combo
This is one of the most used techniques in game art. Select a face, Inset it to create a border, then Extrude the inner face. You get a clean recessed or protruding feature with sharp edges — perfect for windows, panels, vents, buttons, and armour plates.
Edge loops control curves
In 3D modelling, a tight cluster of edge loops near a corner makes that corner sharp. Edge loops spread far apart give you a soft, broad curve. This is how professional modellers control the shape of curved surfaces — by placement of loops, not by pushing vertices individually.
Export formats for different apps
— Blender: use OBJ or glTF
— Unity / Unreal / Godot: use glTF or OBJ
— 3ds Max / Maya: use OBJ
— 3D Printing (Cura, PrusaSlicer): use STL
— Web / Three.js: use glTF
Always check your model is closed (no holes) before 3D printing — open meshes won't slice correctly.
