First steps with 3D

In this tutorial, we'll explore a basic workflow with 3D models.

Open 3D models

To open a 3D model, you can navigate through the top bar File > Open..., or you can directly drag and drop the file from your computer onto the PixelOver project page.

PixelOver handles 3D models in two ways:

For formats containing only one mesh like OBJ or voxel, it will create a simple mesh object.

For formats containing one or multiple meshes, bones, animations, etc., like glTF/GLB, FBX, DAE, or BLEND, it will create a packed object called a scene.

Meshes or scenes contain materials visible on the Materials tab. You can follow the material editing tutorial to learn how to edit them directly in PixelOver.

Finally, you can scale up your model to the desired size (shift + left click) using the gizmo tool.

You can always select the canvas to know the size in pixels of the result.

Setup 3D layer and camera

The 3D layer also has shader properties like in 2D but also has specific properties.

The first important property is the MSAA anti-aliasing. If you don't want to make a pixel art render, you can put an MSAA value here to smooth the result.

The second important properties are camera properties. You can set the camera projection mode and the FOV value in perspective mode, and also the camera angle.

The camera angle can be easily modified thanks to the layer gizmo in the right of the main view. You can also check the 3 dots menu for default presets.

Finally, you have the environment's properties. You can set the default environment color and also enable a default directional light.

Export

For 3D, the export has a property to automatically rotate the 3D view in different directions, allowing you, for example, to export 8 directions for your character in one click.

To go further

3D scenes can have built-in rigged bones. You can edit 3D Model Bones Pose and use inverse kinematics directly in PixelOver.