Tutorials and Tips

Archived Tips and Tricks

• Tips and Tricks Archive

Align + Place

• Place On and Imprint 2D shapes
• Create 3D Text on a curved surface
• Align objects along a path with Place Along Path tool
• Align dimensions with Lock Reference Plane
• Align dimensions to an object face
• Copy objects along a path

Animate

• Export form•Z animations to a standard movie file
• Export Sun Animation to a video in real-time using Shaded Full
• Create Turntable Animation
• Create an animated view from existing views with Animate Entities tool
• Animate multiple objects with one Animation Group
• Animate camera along paths

Curves

• Toggle Arc Direction While Drawing
• Convert the Degree Elevation of a Path
• Convert any curve into a set of arcs with Convert to Arcs tool
• Blend between lines with Curve-Blend tool

Derive

• Using the Frame Tool
• Use Thicken tool on surface or solid objects
• Use Extract tool to create new shapes from parametric controls
• Use Move with Copy option to derive a new object
• Round To Holdline
• How to derive a quick frame from an opening

See all 11 articles

Efficiency

• Making formZ file more efficient
• Object Scatter Efficiency
• RenderZone Efficiency

Fix / Prep

• Automatically find and fix problem contour lines
• Export to STL for 3D Printing
• Favorites panel for quick tool access
• Fix Intersecting or Irregular Faces
• Fix missing faces with Object Doctor
• Using the Object Doctor

Generate

• Create a circular array with the Rotate tool
• Create an Object Array Along a NURBS Surface
• Create and 3D print a form generated from a voronoi diagram
• Create tangent walls with Tangent Loft tool
• Insert holes using 2D elevation drawing
• Numeric Hole Locations

See all 7 articles

Guides

• Add temporary guides while drawing
• Hold Shift Key to Lock Movement Along a Guide
• Use guides to control numeric input while drawing

Image / Material

• Create and manipulate a reference plane and Underlay an image
• Decal Bumps for ornate details
• Edit Textures in 3D
• Making Image Maps more efficient
• Map a single material across multiple objects or faces
• Organize materials in Groups

See all 10 articles

Key Controls

• Setting Key Shortcuts
• Tab Key Controls

Layout

• Add and fill out Title Block templates to Layout documents
• Create 2D Layout Files from 3D Project Files
• Dimension scale inside a frame
• Show Hidden Edges as dashed lines in 3D Model and 2D Layout

Lights

• Adding Environment Lights to a project
• Emulate soffit lighting using Line Lights
• Shadows
• Softer Lighting with Falloff

Measure

• Measure Quantity tool shows accumulated quantities of objects
• Use the Measure tool to scale objects and underlays
• Using Linear Dimensions : 2D vs 3D

Modify

• Add, edit, or remove rounding any time using Controlled Rounding
• Boolean multiple objects with Shift key
• Embossing
• Round To Holdline
• Slice object with line
• Trim a solid to match a surface using two methods

See all 7 articles

NURBS

• Blend between lines with Curve-Blend tool
• Edit thickened Nurbs using Derive Face
• Use Nurbs Blend tool on non-nurbs objects

Renderzone

• Adding Environment Lights to a project
• Create perforated and wire mesh objects using transparent materials
• Create Transparent Decals
• Decal Bumps for ornate details
• Emulate soffit lighting using Line Lights
• Enhance Reflections with Environment Maps

See all 14 articles

Reshape

• Offset Outline on faces or lines
• Reshape to delete holes and features from an object

Resolution

• Display Resolution of Smooth Objects
• Reduce the points of 2D vector lines with Reduce Mesh tool

Select

• Hold Shift to temporarily disable click and drag
• Save custom selections in Selection Sets palette
• Techniques to check for "Solid" Objects

Smooth

• Converting Smooth objects to Faceted
• Display Resolution of Smooth Objects
• Visibility of Facets and Iso Lines

Sub-D

• Achieve faster deformations on SubD objects
• Create a fluted column with Subdivision modeling
• Create the base and capital of a column with Subdivision modeling
• How to remove a subdivision bridge
• Use Subdivision Soften tool to soften objects
• Use Twist option in Bridge tool to control orientation of bridge

Sweep

• Sweep multiple sources simultaneously using Axial Sweep tool
• Use Boundary Sweep to automatically cap sweep objects

Transformation / Edit

• Apply multiple transformations simultaneously with the Macro tool
• Edit geometry of multiple objects simultaneously by moving points
• Edit Parameters of Multiple Objects Simultaneously
• Embossing
• Insert holes using 2D elevation drawing
• Move, rotate, and scale using a single Transform tool

See all 12 articles

Tutorial

• Add a Base to a Spiral Staircase
• Create a fluted column with Subdivision modeling
• Create a New York Times Square New Year’s Eve ball
• Create a solid 3D snowflake with Subdivision modeling
• Create a Voronoi Ornament
• Create an Object Array Along a NURBS Surface

See all 11 articles

Views

• Align any planar object with the active camera view
• Create an animated view from existing views with Animate Entities tool
• Move Eye Point and Center of Interest to create an Infinite Zoom

Visibility

• Each object can have their own Cross Section Attributes
• Isolate and Reveal objects in a project
• Manually and Automatically Ghost Objects
• Use the Scenes palette for a slideshow presentation