4.
Creating & manipulating basic
shapes (cubes, Spheres, cylinders)
1. Creating Basic Shapes
Cube
Create a Cube:
o Go to the Polygon Primitives shelf (usually at the top of the
interface).
o Click on the Cube icon, or use the menu: Create → Polygon
Primitives → Cube.
o A cube will appear in the viewport.
Sphere
Create a Sphere:
o Go to the Polygon Primitives shelf.
o Click on the Sphere icon, or use the menu: Create → Polygon
Primitives → Sphere.
o A sphere will appear in the viewport.
Cylinder
Create a Cylinder:
o Go to the Polygon Primitives shelf.
o Click on the Cylinder icon, or use the menu: Create → Polygon
Primitives → Cylinder.
o A cylinder will appear in the viewport.
2. Manipulating the Shapes
Select an Object
Left-click on the object (cube, sphere, or cylinder) in the viewport to select it.
Move, Rotate, and Scale (Transform)
Move:
o Press the W key (or click the Move Tool icon) to move the object.
o Use the arrows that appear around the object to move it along the X, Y,
or Z axes.
Rotate:
o Press the E key (or click the Rotate Tool icon) to rotate the object.
o Use the colored rings around the object to rotate it along specific axes.
Scale:
o Press the R key (or click the Scale Tool icon) to scale the object.
o Use the squares around the object to scale it uniformly or along
individual axes.
Change Shape Parameters (e.g., for a Cube, Sphere, Cylinder)
Adjusting the Cube:
o With the cube selected, go to the Channel Box/Layer Editor on the
right.
o Under the polyCube tab, you can change the dimensions by adjusting
the width, height, and depth.
Adjusting the Sphere:
o With the sphere selected, go to the Channel Box/Layer Editor.
o You can change the radius, subdivisions, and other properties of the
sphere in the polySphere tab.
Adjusting the Cylinder:
o With the cylinder selected, go to the Channel Box/Layer Editor.
o You can change the radius, height, and subdivisions for the cylinder
under the polyCylinder tab.
3. Other Basic Operations
Duplicate Objects
Duplicate (Ctrl + D or Cmd + D on Mac) to make a copy of the object and
move it.
Combine Objects
Select multiple objects (Shift + left-click to select multiple), then go to Mesh
→ Combine to merge them into one object.
Delete Objects
To delete an object, select it and press the Delete key.
4. Viewing and Navigating the Scene
Use the Alt + Left Mouse Button to rotate the camera around the scene.
Alt + Middle Mouse Button to pan the view.
Alt + Right Mouse Button to zoom in and out.