3D Builder

The project remembers the 3D Builder tool tab, side-panel visibility and scroll position in this browser. Switching away or reopening the project returns to that workspace; scene content continues to use the project save.

3D Builder is a reusable stage inside your project. Place characters, props and cameras before spending on a finished image or video.

1. Create a set

   Open 3D Builder in the left rail. Name your set and choose New set, or Create first set in an empty project. Switch between sets using Set. Duplicate makes an independent copy with its cameras and animation.

   The built-in library includes four mannequin characters and 121 poses. Add primitives to block walls, tables and other props. Import self-contained GLB objects or compatible rigged characters, and FBX motion. Browse generated GLB models reuses models from your Sandbox library.

2. Direct the shot

   Start with the largest shapes so you can judge the room's proportions before adding detail. Select an item in the object tree or viewport; the inspector follows your selection. Move, Rotate and Scale show handles for direct manipulation. Type exact values in Transform when objects need matching sizes or spacing. Place on ground corrects a floating object; Place on object asks you to pick its support, such as a tabletop. Lock completed set dressing in the object tree.

   Use the scene hierarchy, transform controls, camera presets and lens settings to arrange your scene. Add multiple cameras to preserve the same spatial relationships across wide shots, close-ups and reverse angles. The animation timeline supports keyframes, character movement, camera paths and camera sequencing.

   In Set → Project connections, select a scene object and link it to a project Character, Object or Space. Linked Characters supply their approved character sheets during generation. A mannequin controls staging; its appearance does not replace your character's identity sheet.

   Pose and motion controls need a compatible rig. A mesh without one can still be placed as an object. Imported files stay bound to your device. Use Relink when reopening a set on another device or when file access needs restoring.

3. Build with the scene assistant

   Open Assistant and describe a scene or an edit, such as “two people facing each other across a table; add an over-the-shoulder camera.” Optionally supply a reference image. Without an uploaded reference, the assistant uses a snapshot of your current camera view.

   Hover, focus or press and hold Build proposal to review its estimated price. Review the proposed scene before Apply proposal. Apply is one undoable edit. If you change the scene while the assistant works, create a fresh proposal rather than applying stale changes. An incomplete or invalid response leaves your scene unchanged.

   An image gives approximate, editable blocking—not an exact reconstruction. Large scenes may need simplifying before they fit the assistant's context limit.

4. Capture references

   Select the camera you intend to export and check its preview. The free editing view helps you navigate, but the camera defines the reference. Set the aspect ratio before fine-tuning framing so a later portrait crop does not hide your subjects.

   In Generate, capture the current camera frame, first or last frames, or export an animated reference. The studio's export dialog also offers camera views, frame lists and animation exports.

   Each reference records the set revision, camera, frame range and output format. Changing the set marks an older reference as outdated; it never changes the saved picture or clip.

   Exports enter Assets. Connect export folder saves them to a local folder for automatic reopening. Without a connected folder, download the export and relink it after reload. Export editable set saves scene settings separately; it does not bundle imported model files.

5. Generate and review

   Choose either route:

   • Direct reference: use a blocking frame or supported motion reference to generate a video.
   • Finished image first: generate and review an image from the blocking, then select it as the video's first frame. Add a last frame when your selected model supports it.

   The model determines which references and durations are accepted. Unsupported combinations are explained before submission. Hover, focus or press and hold a paid button to review its estimated price; final charges follow supplier usage plus the configured fee.

   Review the result, then choose Add to Assets to keep a row in the library. A finished image added this way also becomes your selected video first frame. Select a storyboard shot and choose Apply to selected shot only after review. Link blocking reference associates the shot with its editable set without replacing generated media. The shot's Open in 3D Builder action returns to that set.

   If a request is interrupted, use Check existing generation or Check existing request. These read the original job and do not submit another paid request. An AI video model uses your blocking as guidance; exact camera motion and spatial reconstruction are not guaranteed.

Find your way around

The project workspace has Set, Generate and Assistant controls around the embedded studio. Inside the studio:

| Area | Use it for | | --- | --- | | Top bar | Choose aspect ratio, undo edits, export, open this Tutorial or view Shortcuts. | | Left sidebar | Select scene objects and browse Characters, Props, Cameras, Camera moves and Motions. | | Main viewport | Inspect the stage, select objects and manipulate their handles. | | Camera preview | Check the composition through the active camera while you edit. | | Inspector | Change the selected object's properties, or scene background and ground when nothing is selected. | | Animation timeline | Scrub time and edit transform keys, poses, motion clips, paths and camera moves. |

Collapse or resize the side panels to make room for the viewport. Show the animation timeline with its viewport toolbar button when you need movement. This timeline belongs to the set; it is separate from the project's main video editor.

Navigate without changing the stage

Right-drag orbits, left-drag looks around, and the wheel zooms. Middle-drag or Space plus left-drag pans. Use W A S D to travel, Q / E to descend or ascend, and Shift for faster travel. Select an object and press F to bring it back into view. The viewport's view controls offer standard angles and a reset.

Use the Select tool to pick objects without transforming them. Shift-click changes a multi-selection. A locked object must be unlocked in the tree before editing. For platform-specific mouse, touch and keyboard controls, open Shortcuts in the top bar.

Pose and animate characters

Select a built-in mannequin, then open Pose in its inspector. Choose a preset as your starting point and refine the body controls. Edit Pose exposes joints in the viewport; leave that mode with Done before selecting other objects. Pose controls require a compatible character rig.

For an animated performance, select the character, move the playhead to the desired start and choose a clip in Motions. An imported compatible FBX motion can supply your own performance. Play the timeline to see it; a still pose does not show what the character will do over time.

Select the motion clip to adjust its frame range, source trim, speed, looping and repeat or ping-pong playback. A motion controls the character while its clip is active, so adjust that clip if a pose edit appears to have no effect.

Move an object along a path

Choose Path in the viewport tools and draw the route. Select the path, choose its Apply to object in the inspector (or Select from viewport), then apply it from the current frame. The resulting path clip controls travel over time. Edit the path's anchors to revise the route and adjust the clip's timing to change the travel speed.

For a walking mannequin, combine the path with a walk motion and enable In-place motion to keep the motion's own displacement from adding extra travel. Check the object's facing during playback. If dragging a bound object is blocked, choose Unbind before repositioning it manually.

Add your own keyframes

Set the timeline's frame rate and end frame first. Select a prop or camera, move the playhead to the beginning and press I to record its starting state. Move to a later frame, change the transform and insert another keyframe. Scrub between them to check the interpolation.

Auto keyframe records property edits at the playhead automatically when enabled. Turn it off while making static layout corrections. Select a keyframe to adjust its value or interpolation, and use timeline snapping to align edits. Alt+V toggles playback; the arrow keys step through frames.

Frame and move cameras

Use Cameras to add a composition preset or a camera based on the current view. Give each camera a useful name, such as Wide or Table close-up. The active camera preview lets you check subject placement while continuing to edit in the main viewport.

Adjust the camera transform and lens in the inspector. A shorter focal length includes more of the stage; a longer one narrows the picture. Control camera lets you frame directly using navigation controls; exit the mode to keep the result. A look-at target helps maintain the subject's framing as it moves.

For a preset move, select the camera, position the playhead and choose Camera moves. Select its timeline clip to change duration, easing and move-specific settings. Chain camera moves lets the next move begin from the preceding move's end position.

While a camera-move clip is active it takes control of that camera. Remove or retime the clip before expecting manual camera keyframes to drive the same interval. Preview the entire move to catch subjects leaving frame or the camera crossing scenery.

Assemble several camera angles

Add to Timeline opens the studio's sequence workspace. Create a version, browse a source camera, select a useful source range and add it as a shot. Reorder shots and trim their ranges on the sequence track. Duplicate a version to try another cut while keeping the original.

These cuts reuse the same animated set: change the source performance in Scene, and change shot order in the sequence. Use the sequence's Export video for a single movie with cuts. For one camera, use the studio's Export → Render instead. Exporting a sequence does not insert clips into the project's main timeline automatically; its output enters Assets for you to use.

Practice: a short table conversation

Build this example manually to learn the controls without submitting a paid request.

1. Create a set named Table conversation, choose 16:9 and set a short animation range, such as frames 0–119 at 24 fps (five seconds).
2. Add a box for a table and scale it into a low, wide shape. Add two mannequins on opposite sides, rotate them to face each other, and choose seated or standing poses that fit the table's height.
3. Create a wide camera that includes both figures. Add a second camera over one figure's shoulder. Check the second figure's face is visible in the preview, then rename the cameras.
4. Give the wide camera a gentle push-in. Play the full range and adjust its distance until it stops before entering the table. Keep the second camera still so you have another usable angle.
5. In Generate, capture the wide frame and then the other camera's frame. Compare them in Assets: both should describe the same layout. Export an animated reference if your next model accepts motion guidance.
6. If you want finished character identities, link the mannequins under Set → Project connections to project Characters with approved sheets before generating. Use the generation steps above to review the price and submit only when ready.

An example generation instruction for your own scene:

Keep the table, seating positions and camera framing of the blocking reference. Use the linked character sheets for appearance. One person listens while the other makes a small hand gesture; preserve their eyelines and the space between them. Keep the camera move slow and continuous, with no cuts or text.

Adapt the action and duration to your selected model. A motion-reference input is useful only when that model supports it; a still frame conveys composition without specifying the full movement.

Save, reopen and troubleshoot

Set edits use the project's normal save and recovery flow. Check the project save status before closing. Export editable set is an extra copy of the editable staging, while exported PNGs and videos are references you can use independently. Keep imported model and motion files available: the editable JSON does not package those originals. Use Relink after moving devices or losing access to a local file.

| Problem | What to check | | --- | --- | | An object will not move | Unlock it in the object tree, or Unbind its path. | | A camera ignores a manual edit | Check whether a camera-move clip controls the current frame. | | A character ignores its pose | Check for an active motion clip and whether the model has a compatible rig. | | A motion does not apply | Select an unlocked character first and check the source motion's compatibility. | | The export uses the wrong angle | Select the intended camera and inspect its preview before capture. | | A reference is marked outdated | Capture again after scene edits; the previous exported file stays unchanged. | | A model is missing after reopening | Relink the original file and restore browser file permission when requested. | | A generation appears interrupted | Check the existing request before deciding whether another submission is needed. |

Use Ctrl+Z to undo and Ctrl+Shift+Z to redo studio edits; on macOS use ⌘ in place of Ctrl. Open Shortcuts for the complete list.

Inspect generated models

Choose Inspect 3D model on a generated-model preview. Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom, and right-drag to pan. Reset framing, Show wireframe and Lighting help inspect geometry and materials. The explicit download links remain available.

The built-in characters and poses are Scene3D built-in assets © Topview, CC BY 4.0. See Open-source licences for notices.