Hello there! Welcome to this new tutorial dedicated to Paint3D, a free
built-in App on Windows 10 to realize basic 2D sketches and 3D objects in
a very easy and intuitive user interface!
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When opening Paint3D a welcome screen shows up with three main ways to
start: create a new empty project with New; browse for an existing one
with Open or paste the current image you have copied with Paste. On the
right you also find tips and news from Microsoft. Let's just start from a
new project.
The interface is very simple and basic, showing the main preview and all
the tools and features available on top, including the editing panel on
the right, changing options depending on the tool enabled.
Any Paint3D project is made by 2D and 3D shapes. All 2D objects lay on
the 2D white canvas on the preview; whereas all 3D objects remain
completely independent from it. Let's see how to work with
2D objects.
If you have any image to import go to Menu, Open to browse for it or just
copy and paste it with the Paste button. With the Select tool enabled click
and drag to move it, use the white nodes to size, keeping the aspect ratio
with the Shift key and rotate with the top node. To apply, click elsewhere.
Pay attention this action is permanent: the image becomes part of the
canvas and not reselectable any more. If you need to edit it again you have
to undo with CTRL+Z and repeat the import.
You can also zoom in and out by using your mouse wheel.
To adjust the canvas enable the Crop tool and resize it, selecting precise
options on the right. Remember that you can undo with CTRL+Z.
You can also make great 2D drawings on the canvas. With Brushes you can
click and drag to draw freehand, selecting kind of brush and adjusting
thickness, transparency level and color on the right.
With 2D shapes you can drop precise 2D lines, curves and regular objects
by clicking once or clicking and dragging to size properly. Then you can
move, size and rotate it and also drag its internal handles to customize
it shape. On the right adjust filling and stroke color, size, opacity
and either rotate by 90 degrees or flip. You can also use the paste
button to apply the current drawing and work on its copy directly.
With Stickers you can import ready icons and text from the long list
provided by Paint3D.
All these 2D objects will be part of the canvas once you apply them. If
you want these independent you have to transform these into 3D items.
As you drop 2D shapes or stickers you can use Make 3D on the right to
turn these into 3D. At this point you can select and edit these any time
and also add these into your own sticker list by going to Make sticker.
Another way is to use the Magic select tool. When you enable it, define
the 2D object contours and adjust the default selection if you need.
After clicking on Done, the object is extracted from the 2D background,
becoming an independent 3D object. Paint3D also adjusts what remains from
the background itself.
Now let's see how to draw 3D objects. On top you can go to 3D library to
pick ready 3D models to import in your project including animals, flowers,
trucks and much more. Being 3D items these remain independent from the
canvas and you can move, scale and rotate these through all the three
different axes. This 3D rotation allows you to resize on different
directions, changing their extrusion and volume in different ways.
Another node called Z-axis position changes the distance between such
item and the canvas, very useful to adjust the order of visibility in
case multiple objects overlap.
You can check your 3D object properly by enabling the 3D view, holding
down your right-click to orbit and holding down the ALT key to pan around.
To draw 3D objects from scratch open the 3D shapes section, choosing between 3D
objects and models and clicking once or dragging to drop these.
You can also draw freehand with 3D doodle. Tube Brush allows you to draw
a 3D conductor freehand with a defined tube shape, thickness, brush
options and color. All tubes have a maximum length, as shown on the
preview, and also several handles on it to adjust it shape. Once you
apply the tube by clicking elsewhere, you won't be able to adjust it
shape anymore.
You can also make multiple brushes before applying. All these will be
treated as a unique brush.
Besides Tube brush you can enable Soft edge and Sharp edge to drop custom
shapes by drawing their contour. With your cursor you can click to specify
each vertex and straight sides or click and drag to define each curve
freehand. The final 3D object will be built from such contour, softer in
case of Soft edge and much sharper if you use Sharp edge. Then use the
Select tool to adjust its extrusion and final shape.
To adjust the 3D object appearance select it with the Select tool and use
the options on the right panel. You can edit its color, rotate it by 90
degrees or flip it.
You can also draw on its surface directly with all the 2D tools just seen.
If you apply any brush, 2D shape or sticker these will all lay on the 3D
object surface, following it shape. This editing is permanent.
Paint3D does not have advanced 3D editing tools. To make complex shapes
you have to combine multiple 3D objects together into a unique one by
moving and overlapping these properly. Once they are in the right place
you can enable the Select tool and hold down the CTRL key to select all
of them together, using Group to treat these as a unique object to move,
scale and edit properly. You can make these independent by using Ungroup
any time.
With Text you can add 2D and 3D pieces of text. Click and drag to define
the text area where text can spread and type in, adjusting font, size,
color and shape on the right. Remember that 2D text will be part of the
canvas, whereas 3D text remains independent with options to move, scale
and rotate in order to resize it or adjust its extrusion depth. If you do
not see the piece of text make sure to check its depth level in respect
to all the other objects.
You can go to Effects to change the light direction and the general
appearance. Whereas with Canvas you can adjust or hide the 2D canvas. This
also affects all the 2D drawings you have on it.
To preview your project click on Mixed reality. This opens the 3D Viewer
of Windows showing your 3D objects and your webcam together. You can also
turn off your webcam and preview all adjusting environment, light or
adding animation.
If your project is ready, save it by going to Menu, Save As. You can save
it as a Paint 3D project to edit it later or render it into an image or
export it as a 3D model.
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