How to add objects to a 3D scene?

In this tutorial, you will learn about how to add characters and props into a scene and how to move them around. (This tutorial assumes that a scene is already created.)

1. Adding characters and items

Right click in void or press [Space] when nothing is selected to open a generic radial menu. Left click on [add character] to add your first actor/character.

A window with templates of characters appears, navigate with the scroll bar on the right of window or you can scroll or drag with middle mouse wheel to navigate. Left click on any character template and you notice that you can toggle multiple character buttons, left click [Add] when you have at least one character selected.

Now let's add an prop fitting to the scene. Open the generic menu by right click in space or press [Space] when nothing is selected, then left click [add prop] to add props to the scene.

Since this is a desert, apparently, we might add a cactus. So look for a cactus item in the [plants] category and [Open].

2. Manipulate objects in 3D scene

It seems the cactus is now added to the scene, but it might not be at a place where you want it. So we have to move the cactus. Left click on the cactus, a soft green glow appears around the tree and a [widget] with arrows at right angles to each other now appears. Mouse over the [widget] to see different parts of [widget] that can be manipulated. Each straight arrow on [widget] represents moving in one direction in 3D space, red for X-axis, green for Y-axis and blue for Z-axis. The curved lines represents rotation around one axis, red for X-axis, green for Y-axis and blue for Z-axis. Try left click dragging them and see the effects for yourself. Lastly, there's a purple pyramid in the middle of the [widget], it's the grabbing tool, it represents moving in both X-axis and Z-axis on the ground, while always keeping the object on the terrain. Move the cactus with the grabbing tool and you'll see the cactus is always at ground-level or on the actor's head when they collide.

Tip: If you rotate an object and end up confused about its orientation, press [Alt] + [R] to reset the selected object's orientation.

There are keyboard hotkeys for grabbing too:

• [G] – moving the object around while always clamped to terrain or other objects on the terrain. Same as left click dragging the purple pyramid in [widget].

• [G] followed by [X] or [Y] or [Z] – move restricted to either X-axis, Y-axis or Z-axis. Similar to left click dragging any of the arrows on [widget], except this transformation is respective to global axes, the the direction does not change when object rotates.

• [R] followed by [X] or [Y] or [Z] – rotate around either X-axis, Y-axis or Z-axis.

• [Esc] – cancel.

For the extra cool people out there:

• [G] followed by [X][X] or [Y][Y] or [Z][Z] – move restricted to the X, Y, Z normal axes of the object. The same set of axes as moving by dragging on straight arrows in [widget].

For duplicating a character/item and place them in the scene quickly, left click on the character/item you want to duplicate, then press [M], and a copy of the same character/item will appear near your mouse cursor, and on the terrain.

Tips:

• The axes alignment in our system (Y-axis pointing up) is different to conventional axes alignment you learn from school in maths (Z-axis pointing up).

• To place objects in the air, it's faster to move the object by grabbing it around on the terrain, followed by elevating it into the air.

Save the current scene by right click in space, or pressing [Space] when nothing is selected then left click [save]. Give it a meaningful name and click [Save].

Back to tutorials page