3D Builder user’s guide
Loading an object
3D objects can be loaded using 3 different methods. One can either pick a model from the 3D Builder Library, load them from an external file or create a new one from a Kinect v2 Sensor scan.
Loading an object from a file can be done by pressing the Load image icon. 3D Builder currently supports the following file formats:
3MF (load and save) OBJ (load and save) STL (load and save)
VRML (load only) PLY (load and save)
Take pictures with your webcam and make them 3D, or use BMP, JPG, PNG, and TGA files.
Keyboard Accessibility
See a complete list of keystrokes and key combinations available within the 3D Builder app.
Camera movement
Action: Rotate camera
Mouse: Left button drag
Touch: 1 finger drag
Action: Camera pan
Mouse: Right button drag
Touch: 2 finger drag, 3 finger drag
(with zoom lock)
Action: Camera zoom
Mouse: Mouse scroll
Touch: Pinch and stretch
Action: Focus
Mouse: Double-click
Touch: Double-tap
Object mode
Control: Object mode
Description: Activate/deactivate object mode.
Shortcut: None
Control: Clone
Description: Create a duplicate of the selected 3D object.
Shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + C
Control: Delete
Description: Delete the selected object.
Shortcut: Ctrl + X
Control: Settle
Description: Allows you to position and lay the selected 3D object flat on the print bed.
Shortcut: None
Control: Group
Description: Group the selection.
Shortcut: Ctrl + G
Control: Ungroup
Description: Ungroup the selection.
Shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + G
Control: Center view
Description: Center the camera on the selected 3D object.
Shortcut: Ctrl + O
File mode
Control: File
Description: Activate/deactivate file mode.
Shortcut: Right-click
Control: New scene
Description: Deletes all objects in the current scene.
Shortcut: Ctrl + N
Control: Add a piece
Description: Add a new file to the model.
Shortcut: Ctrl + L
Control: Save
Description: Save your 3D model to a 3MF, STL, OBJ or PLY file.
Shortcut: Shortcut
Control: About this model
Description: Allows you to change information about the model (for example, title and description).
Shortcut: Ctrl + B
Alt + Enter
Control: Report a problem
Description: Allows you to provide feedback to Microsoft about a problem.
Shortcut: None
Control: Settings
Description: Allows you to change scene settings (for example, units and 3D rendering settings).
Shortcut: Ctrl + T
Edit mode
Edit mode: General controls
Control: Emboss
Description: Enters emboss mode which allows you to emboss text or contour to the selected 3D object.
Shortcut: None
Control: Split
Description: Enters plane cut mode, which allows you to cut the selected 3D object.
Shortcut: None
Control: Simplify
Description: Reduces the number of triangles used to render the selected 3D object.
Shortcut: None
Control: Smooth
Description: Averages the surface of the selected 3D objects to smooth it.
Shortcut: None
Control: Subtract
Description: Suppress anything that is currently intersecting the selected 3D object.
Shortcut: None
Control: Intersect
Description: Keeps the intersection of multiple selected 3D objects.
Shortcut: None
Control: Merge
Description: Creates one object by merging multiple selected 3D objects.
Shortcut: None
Control: Extrude Down
Description: Allows you to select a height threshold on your model, and extrude materials below this threshold until the build plate is reached.
Shortcut: None
Edit mode: Emboss
Control: Text emboss
Description: Allows you to input text to be embossed.
Shortcut: None
Control: Contour emboss
Description: Allows you to create an embossment based on an icon or a file.
Note: Contour emboss works best with simple binary icons.
Shortcut: None
Control: Plane projection
Description: Optimize the embossment for a plane surface.
Shortcut: Z
Control: Cylindrical projection
Description: Optimize the embossment for a cylindrical surface.
Shortcut: X
Control: Spherical projection
Description: Optimize the embossment for a spherical surface.
Shortcut: C
Control: Accept
Description: Apply the embossment to the 3D object.
Shortcut: Enter
Control: Cancel
Description: Exit emboss mode.
Shortcut: Escape
Edit mode: Plane cut
Control: Move mode
Description: Allows the plane to be moved in one dimension.
Shortcut: R
Control: Rotate mode
Description: Allows the plane to be rotated.
Shortcut: E
Control: Keep top
Description: Cut the object and keep only the part on top of the plane.
Shortcut: Z
Control: Keep bottom
Description: Cut the object and keep only the part below the plane.
Shortcut: X
Control: Keep both
Description: Cut the object and keep both parts.
Shortcut: C
Control: Accept
Description: Applies the plane cut to the object.
Shortcut: Enter
Control: Cancel
Description: Exits plane cut mode and discards the operations.
Shortcut: Escape