3dCMS Knowledge Base
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Building Scenes

Adding objects

Four ways to add things to a scene, the full menu of object types you can create, and the one object that works a little differently.

Open in the interactive manual →

The interactive version has full-text search, a table of contents, and light/dark themes.


There are four ways to drop a new object into your scene — use whichever is closest to your hand:

  1. The Create menu in the top bar.
  2. Scene Tree ▸ "+ Add object", right inside the hierarchy.
  3. The Tools rail — the slim floating panel — has a + Create object button.
  4. Right-click empty space in the viewport and use the Create and Presets sections.

However you do it, the new object appears at the centre of your current view (repeat adds nudge along so they don't stack) and becomes your selection, ready to move.

The editor learns your defaults For lights, 3D text, and particles, if you set the same control (a light's color, a text size, a particle count…) to the same value three times in a row, that value quietly becomes the default for the next one you create. These sticky defaults live in your browser and follow you across scenes and sessions — they're never baked into a published scene.

What you can create

ObjectWhat it is
Box, Sphere, Cylinder, Plane, TorusThe five parametric primitives — the raw clay of any scene. Each has size and segment controls in Properties, and each can be poly-modeled.
TextCrisp 3D text you can place anywhere in space.
CameraA camera object that defines a viewpoint for your published scene.
ParticlesA particle emitter — smoke, sparks, grass, dust. Comes with ready-made presets.
Force FieldA force field that pushes, pulls, or swirls nearby particles.
Point / Spot LightA placeable lamp that adds to the scene's sun & sky — a bulb or an aimed cone, with optional shadows.
GroupAn empty container for organizing other nodes.
NURBS CurveA spline you draw point-by-point, then revolve or loft into a surface.
Page surfaceA panel-shaped content page — the building block of multi-page 3D sites (usually created by web import).
What isn't in the Create menu Imported models and images come in through File ▸ Import or the Asset Library, not Create. And while you can place point & spot lights here, the scene's base sun & sky lives in Settings ▸ Lighting instead.

Geometry presets

Under the Scene Tree's add menu (and the right-click Presets section) you'll find one-click furnished objects — Hero sphere, Ground plane, Display torus, Studio cube, Backdrop, and a showcase Pedestal. They're ordinary primitives, pre-sized into useful roles to save you a few clicks.

Drawing a NURBS curve

NURBS curves are the one object that doesn't just appear. Choosing Create ▸ NURBS Curve puts you in a draw mode: a small HUD reads "Drawing NURBS Curve", and you click in the viewport to place control points. Press Enter to finish the curve (you need at least two points) or Esc to cancel. From there you can revolve or loft it — see NURBS curves, revolve & loft.

Spotted something off, or want a topic covered? Email buck.rackley@gmail.com.