Every icon, mouse gesture and key on one page - print it (it fits on two A4 sheets) and keep it beside your screen.
Hover over any icon in the app and it says what it does.
The idea
Everything is a sweep: a profile (the cross-section) pushed along a spine (the path). The
scale graph says how big the profile is along the way; the end profile lets it morph.
+ objects add, − objects cut, a combine joins them. Change any graph later and everything follows.
3D view - mouse
| Drag | turn round the model |
| Middle-drag | slide the view |
| Wheel | zoom |
| Click | select (empty space: nothing) |
| Shift-click | add to the selection |
| Ctrl-click | take out of the selection |
| Shift / Ctrl-drag | select with a band (adds / removes) |
| Double-click an object | curve editing on / off |
| Click a plane square | face that graph's plane and edit its points |
| Right-click | quick menu: selection, gizmo, pivot, curves, dials, place, measure, dimensions, + − ∩ = A= ×, copy, mirror |
| Right-click while a tool runs | done (finishes a route or drawing; cancels placing) |
Curves and points shown in 3D
| Drag a point | move it |
| Double-click a point | sharp ↔ smooth |
| Double-click the curve | add a point (while facing its plane) |
| Right-click a point | sharp / smooth / delete |
| Corner square | drag in to round, past it to chamfer; click to type |
| Fillet ring | drag a knot along it; drag the stem square for the radius; + adds a knot |
The gizmo and the dials
| Arrow tips | move along that axis (scale it, in scale mode) |
| Rings | turn about that axis |
| Centre - drag | move with the screen (in scale mode: scale evenly) |
| Centre - click | arrows switch between move and scale |
| Dials (β) | grab a dial's dots: spin (amber, first section), roll (middle), twist (violet, last section) |
Curve points win over the gizmo; the gizmo wins over the navigator.
The navigator (view cube)
| Click a face | look straight at that side |
| Drag the cube | turn the view |
| The four arrows | a quarter turn that way |
| Dot, lower left | back to the starting view |
| π click / double-click | zoom to the selection / fit everything |
| π drag sideways | fine zoom |
| β drag / double-click | slide the view / centre on the model |
| β₯ drag / double-click | move the navigator / put it back |
It stays faint until the pointer comes near.
Placing a new object
| + − ∩, then click | place it there |
| Drag from + or − | draw its profile instead: click points, drag for curves, click the first point to close |
| Wheel | turn it 15° a notch |
| Type a number | exact distance; Tab picks the next distance |
| Right-click + or − | placement settings |
| Esc or right-click | cancel |
With A= on (the default), a new object joins whatever is selected.
Measure and other tools
| βΊ measure | click two points; type a distance + Enter to move the selected object to it |
| β pivot | click a point: turning and scaling happen about it; Esc puts it back |
| β€³ route | click the start, Shift-click points to pass, click the end |
| β draw on the surface | drag draws, Shift-drag erases; clicked points + Enter make a smooth curve |
| π reposition | click a surface to move the selected object there |
Graphs - mouse
| Click a point | select it; drag to move |
| Shift-click | add a point to the selection |
| Drag on empty space | select with a band (Shift adds) |
| Double-click the curve | insert a point |
| Double-click empty space | add a point at the end (open curves) |
| Double-click a point | corner ↔ smooth (also Alt-click) |
| Drag a handle | both handles; Alt-drag: that handle only |
| Alt-drag a segment | bend it into a true arc |
| Shift / Ctrl while dragging | 15° steps / snap to the grid |
| R label at a corner | drag out to round, back past zero to chamfer; double-click to type |
| R label of a profile | click and type: the whole profile scales to that radius |
| Length, angle, x,y labels | click to type an exact value |
| Wheel / middle-drag | zoom / slide (also Ctrl+drag) |
With several points selected
| Ring / squares / centre | turn / scale x or y / move them; click the centre to switch |
Typing in a graph
| Point selected, type 40 Enter | the segment reaching it becomes 40 mm |
| Delete | delete the selected point |
Graphs - icons
| β€’ | fit the drawing |
| β | open / close the curve |
| dashed line | guide: measure to another object's curve |
| L with a square | constrain: horizontal, vertical, parallel, perpendicular, equal, tangent |
| β²βΌ | switch between the two scale curves |
| arc | arc mode: drag a segment to bend it; click for a tangent arc |
| two outlines | offset (Shift-click bakes it in) |
| mirrored shape | mirror; each click the next axis |
| picture | a reference image to trace |
| sheet, bottom right | the curve as a dimensioned PDF |
Above the graph
| preset / chooseβ¦ | starting shapes (circle, gear, thread, flutedβ¦) |
| import SVG⦠/ export⦠| a curve in from SVG; out to SVG or DXF |
| fit to mesh | profiles from a reference mesh |
| β / β | all graphs side by side / in their own window |
Scale graph
| one curve | β two | β two | one curve, or a second one top/bottom or left/right |
| scale about | the spine, or the profile's centre |
On the right edge, the ghost list shows other objects' curves to draw against.
Node editor - mouse
| Click / Shift-click | select / add to the selection |
| Drag a node | move it |
| Double-click the name | rename |
| Drag βΆ to an input | wire it in |
| Drag a wire off an input | re-route it, or drop it on empty space to disconnect |
| Curve port to curve port | link the curves (spine, profile, end, scale) |
| β attach port | click: attach dialog; drag to another β: attach |
| Right-click empty space | add an object, combine, array, stack or route |
| Right-click a node | duplicate, mirror, rename, colour, disconnect, delete |
| Wheel / drag empty space | zoom / slide (also middle-drag) |
Node editor - on a node
| Sign badge | click: + → − → ∩(+) → ∩(−) |
| π lock | can't be selected or moved |
| π eye | show / hide |
| blend (combines) | click cycles fillet / chamfer / none |
| ring | hollow: type a wall thickness (0 = solid) |
| eye-dropper | colour |
| two rings | open the profile in the shape builder |
| Ζ | follows a parameter: hover shows where from |
| key number | twist, blend radius or copies: click to change |
| G0 G1 G2 | how smooth a combine's seams came out |
Its toolbar
| β€’ + − ∩ = β β€ β β§ β β | frame all, the same makers as in the 3D view, own window |
3D view - icons
Top left - making things
| + − ∩ | new object that adds / cuts / keeps only what is inside it |
| = (A=) | combine two selected; A= (in its corner): new objects join the selection |
| β | array: copies along a curve or over a surface |
| β€ | import a CAD part or a mesh |
| β (β) | lattice; draw on the surface |
| β€³ | route: a tube between two points, round the parts |
| β§ β | copy / mirror the selected object |
Top right - the file
| βΆ β· π πΎ π«+ | undo, redo, open, save, save as |
| β³ π· | export (STEP, STL, 3MF, OBJβ¦) / a picture |
| Ξ£ group | stats and checks; casting, machining, unfold, struts, stacked sheets, lathe, bending, eggshell mould, lenses |
| β¨ β ? β | script / make it with AI, own windows, help, settings and menus |
Bottom left - handling the model
| β§ / β | a click selects the part / its whole assembly |
| β₯ (β, W/L) | gizmo: move+turn, move, turn, scale, off; pivot; world / local |
| β β | curves and plane squares / dials on or off |
| π βΊ (β’) | reposition / measure; kept dimensions |
Bottom middle and right
| X− Xβ’ X+ β¦ D | align and distribute (2+ selected); drop onto the floor |
| πΌ (β« β) | reference images and meshes; section; extract a line |
| β β β | how it is drawn; what is shown (+ axes, grid, ortho); light / dark |
| PAUSE FULL | stop rebuilding / build the real model now (in draft mode) |
A small β’ in an icon's corner holds more tools: click the corner.
Keys
| Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Shift+Z | undo / redo |
| Ctrl+N O S | new, open, save (Shift: add file / save as) |
| Ctrl+D | duplicate |
| A / S / C | add positive / negative / combine |
| Delete | delete the selection (over a curve point: that point) |
| X | disconnect the selected node |
| F | fit the model in view † |
| O | perspective ↔ flat |
| W | wireframe |
| P / B | pause rebuilding / full build now † |
| L | lens: the full model in a frame |
| Q E R | gizmo: move+turn, turn, scale |
| Esc | cancel / stop the current tool |
| Enter | finish a drawing; apply a typed value |
| Ctrl+R / F1 | script editor / help |
Every number field takes arithmetic: 360/7, 12+3. Keys can be changed in the settings (⚙).
† From the next version; in 0.9.9.1 F and P do nothing and full build has no key.