• Active: the object, face, edge or vertex is in color bright blue, the mouse is over it.
  Inactive: the mouse isn’t over it.
• Hidden: you can’t see the object, face, edge or vertex.
  Unhidden: you can see the object, face, edge or vertex.
• Selected: the object, face, edge or vertex is in color red. If you put the mouse over the selection it becomes active, color bright red.
  Deselect: an object, face, edge or vertex that isn’t selected.
• Enabled: you can modify the enabled object (all objects are enabled by default).
  Disabled: you cant modify the disabled object, his color is grey (in 3D view the color is normal).

• Front, back, right, left, top and bottom are very obvious, you see your model in front, back, right…
  To zoom in and out use + an – on your keyboard and to pan use the arrows on your keyboard.
• 3D view: you can see your 3D model in 3D with shading, reflections and textures.
  You can’t make any modification in this view.
  To zoom right click and drag, to rotate the 3D model left click and drag. To pan the view hold the two buttons of the mouse and drag.
• User view: it’s like 3D view but you can make modifications to your model.
  To zoom, rotate and pan do the same as in 3D view but holding ALT button on the keyboard at the same time you click with the mouse.
• UV Mapper: in this view you can see a texture and you will map the surfaces over it. To zoom in and out use + an – on your keyboard and to pan use the arrows on your keyboard.

• Relative modification
  This is very simple, you can make the modifications within the view that you are working: H (horizontal), V (vertical), D (depth).
  
  
  • H: you can make modifications in horizontal on the view. (for example move from right to left in your view bur no up and down).
  • V: you can make modifications in vertical on the view. (for example move from up an down in your view bur no from right to left)
  • H + V: you can make modifications in vertical and horizontally on the view
  • D: you can make modifications in depth on the view
  • X: is the center of the axis.
    You can put the center in any place on the view. To place the center of the axis put the mouse in the desired place and press “ . “ on your keyboard or go to Display -> Place Axis and click on the desired place with the mouse.
    To reset the axes origin to (0,0,0), go to Display -> Reset Axis.
    The axes center is a reference point to a lot of tools like mirror, rotate, scale … These tools work with regard to these point (the center, X).



• Absolute modification
  It’s very useful for the User View.
  The modifications are made in X, Y or Z (not two are the same time). These axes are the “global” axes by default, but you can change it (move, rotate…) using the Display ->Local Axis tools.
  This axes are a little axes that you can see with each object (each object has a local axis). The center of this axes is not the X, the center of the local axes is the origin of this little axes.
  

The Material Editor

You can go to the material editor by clicking on the tool bar or you can press “e” in your keyboard. The next image is the material editor:

By default you have one material: . To add more materials copy the and rename it.

If you work with TGA files you should keep the alpha parameters unused to avoid problems.

Finally, you can load textures for your materials. To do this check the Primary Texture box and go to Load Map button. Then the image manager will appear, click on Add… button and search your image, after that click on OK button.
To add a texture for the Reflection Map do the same as Primary Texture but check the Reflection Map box.

• To map a group of faces first you have to assign a material to the selection. To do this select a group of faces, activate SEL mode, go to the material editor, select a material (in the list of the existent materials at the top of the material editor). Finally click on the Assign to Selection Button and after that the selected material will be assigned to your selection.
  
  
• You can reload all the textures by pressing CTRL + R. This is very useful when you are painting the car: save the TGA file in your paint program, go to ZModeler and press CTRL + R, you will see the modified textures on your 3D car.

There are three different modes in ZModeler: EXT (extended), SEL (selected) and MUL (multy).

We will see an explanation about the modes:

• EXTended mode works with tools like move, rotate, scale… When you select the EXT mode in the menu bar (or when you press the “ , ” key on your keyboard), it will appear two circles at the cursor. The small circle will modify elements like normal modification but the big circle will modify less the element: the closer the element to the big circle the less the modification. Moreover, you can make bigger-smaller outter circle by pressing the up-down arrows in the keyboard. Ynd you can make bigger-smaller inner circle by pressing the right-left arrows in the keyboard.
  
  
• SELected mode mode forces ZModeler to work with selected elements, it’s to say, you have to select elements: objects, faces, edges or vertices and when you apply a modification it will be applied to the selected elements.
  You can activate the SEL mode by pressing the SEL button on the menu bar or press the SPACEBAR on the keyboard.
  
  
• MULty mode works with some tools like move, rotate, select… For example if you want to move or select two vertices that are close in the view, switch on the MUL button on the menubar or hit the “ / ” key on your keyboard and select the desired tool: move, select… After that, put the mouse over the close vertices and you will see that the two vertices are active (color bright blue), finally when you click and drag the two vertices will move (if you have selected the move tool) or the two vertices will be selected (if you have selected the select tool),
  
  

Snapping is when you move something (an object, vertex, face…) with the mouse an then it is automatically magnetically attracted to a spline, vertex, edger or gird.

Let’s see all the options (you can select several options at time, for example vertex and grid line snapping tools.):

• Spline Snapping tool.
  When you drag something with the mouse, it snaps to the nearest spline vertex.
  
  
• Vertex Snapping tool.
  When you drag something with the mouse it snaps to the nearest vertex.
  
  
• Edge Snapping tool.
  When you drag something with the mouse it snaps to the nearest edge.
  
  
• Grid Snapping tool.
  When you drag something with the mouse it snaps to the nearest view grid-line.
  
  
• 2D / 3D Snapping toggle switch.
  If you press this button you will activate the 3D mode. In 3D mode when you drag something with the mouse it will snap to the nearest spline vertex, vertex or edge (depending of the snapping toll that you are using) in the 3 dimensions.
  For example if you drag a vertex in vertex snapping tool and 3D mode, the vertex will snap with the nearest vertex in 3 dimensions but if you have activated the 2D mode, it only will snap in 2 dimensions (the dimensions of the current view).
  
  
• No Depht Snapping mode toggle.
  If you don’t press this button, when you snap something ZModeler will consider 3 dimensions on the vertex, edge… that you are moving and the vertex, edge… that you want to snap with.
  If you press this button ZModeler only will consider 2 dimensions (the dimensions of the current view within you are moving the vertex, edge…), it’s to say, the depth is not considered.
  
  

• Selecting tools.
  These buttons allow you to select something with the left mouse button instead the right button using the Select -> … commands.
  
  
• Zoom tool.
  Hold ALT and left click to zoom in, fight click to zoom out. If you hold ALT, left-click and drag, the rectangle you made will be zoomed in.
  You can also use + and – on the keyboard to zoom in and out.
  
  
• Panning tool.
  Hold ALT, click and drag to pan the view. You can also use the arrows on the keyboard to pan the view.
  
  
• Fit to view tool.
  Press this button, hold ALT and left click on an object to zoom it in the whole view or right click to fit your selection.
  
  
• Auto Scroller tool.
  Press this button and scroll the view by moving the mouse.
  
  
• Background image control tool.
  Pres this button and: left mouse click and drag to move the background image and right mouse click and drag to zoom the image.
  
  
• Predefined create objects tools.
  These tools allow you to create this 3D objects (cube, sphere, cylinder, cone, torus and tube). Select the desired object, left click and drag, your 3D object will be created.
  
  

• Modify -> Rotate:
  You can adjust how many degrees won to rotate.
  
  
• Modify -> Scale:
  You can adjust the % that you want to reduce or enlarge your object, edge…
  
  
• Modify ->Break:
  You can adjust the number of verts that you want to insert when you break an edge.
  
  
• Surfaces -> Normals ->Rotation
  You can adjust how many degrees you want to rotate the normals.
  
  
• Surfaces -> Normals ->Projection
  You can adjust the % of projection that will be applied.
  
  
• Create -> Splines -> NGon
  You can adjust the number of sides of the ngon.
  
  

• Create -> Surfaces
  
  • Create -> Surfaces -> Flat
    To create a new object with a flat surface: select this tool, left click and drag a rectangle. Type the number of horizontal and vertical steps and the name of the new object in the box that will appear.



• Create -> Objects
  
  • Create -> Objects -> Copy
    You can copy objects with this tool. You can copy a single object or several selected objects. The result is one object. Select his tool, switch to objects level, left click on the object or the selected objects and type the name of the new object in the box that will appear.
  • Create -> Objects -> Detach
    You can make a new object from one face or several selected faces. Select this tool, left click on the selected faces and type the name of the new object (it works on faces level).
  • Create -> Objects -> Unite Select
    You can unite objects and vertices. On objects level, select the objects that you want to unite, select the Unite Select tool and left click. Finally type the name of the new object.
    On vertex level, select two or more vertices and do the same as on objects, the result is one vertex. Hold CTRL for moving vertices into single point without uniting the vertices.
  • Create -> Objects -> By Material -> Split
    Apply this tool to selected objects to split them by material to multiple sub-objects.



• Create -> Faces
  The Create -> Faces tools work on vertex level. You must add faces to an existent object.
  • Create -> Faces -> Single
    This tool creates a single face. You can use an existing vertex (put the mouse over a vertex and the vertex will become blue, then left click) or create a new vertices to the face. To create the new vertices don’t click over a vertex.
  • Create -> Faces -> Strip
    This tool creates a strip of faces. You can use an existent vertex or create a new one. To create a Strip, select this tool, left click to create the first vertex and continue clicking to crate the other vertices. The last two vertices for the previous face are the two first vertices for the new face and so forth. To stop this tool, hold CTRL and left click.
  • Create -> Faces -> Fan
    This tool creates a fan of faces. The first left click creates the center vertex of the fan, the other clicks create the vertex (therefore the faces) of the fan with regard to the center vertex. To stop this tool, hold CTRL and left click.



• Create -> Spline
  
You can create splines with these tools.

• Modify -> Extended
  
  • Modify -> Extended -> Perspective
    Click and drag mouse up/down to change perspective factor.
  • Modify -> Extended -> Bend
    Right click for detailed help. Click and drag the mouse up-down to bend geometry (this tool is center and axis dependant)



• Modify -> Align
  
  • Modify -> Align -> Axis
    Select a group of vertices, activate SEL mode and left click. The selected vertices will be aligned to the save value on desired axis (H, V, D or X, Y, Z)
  • Modify -> Align -> Line
    Select a group of vertices, activate SEL mode and left click to create a line based on vertices. Finally hold CTRL and click to align the selected vertices to the line.
  • Modify -> Align -> Plane
    Select a group of vertices, activate SEL mode and left click to create a plane based on vertices. . Finally hold CTRL and click to align the selected vertices to the plane.
  • Modify -> Align -> View
    Select a group of vertices, activate SEL mode and left click to align the selected vertices to the plane of view.



• Modify -> Move
  You can move a single or some selected (in SEL mode) vertices, edges, objects and splines along your selected axis (H, V, D or X, Y, Z).



• Modify -> Rotate
  You can rotate a single or several selected vertices, edges, objects and splines around the axis center (X).
  To rotate a specific number of degrees put the number of degrees in the numeric box #1. This tool depends on the axis (H, V, D or X, Y, Z).



• Modify -> Scale
  You can scale vertices, edges and objects. This tool depends on the axis (H, V, D or X, Y, Z). and the axis center (X). The element or elements are scaled with regard to the axis center (X) and the axis mode (H, V, D or X, Y, Z).
  You can specify the % that you want to reduce or enlarge your element in numeric box #1.
  To 3D scale hold SHIFT.



• Modify -> Mirror
  You an flip vertices, edges and objects. The modification is made with regard to the axis center (X) and the axis mode (H, V, D or X, Y, Z).
  After mirroring an object you must reorient it because after mirroring the object is inside-out. You need flip the normals alse.



• Modify -> Break
  
You can break a vertex or several selected vertices (this tool works on SEL and MUL mode). When you break a vertex, new vertices are created (one for each face).

You can break an edge ( it doesn’t work with SEL, EXT and MUL mode) and a new vertex is created in the middle of the edge therefore two faces are created (You can add more vertex using the numeric box #1).

You can break a face or some selected faces (this tool works on SEL and MUL mode). A vertex is created in the center of the face and therefore three faces are created.


• Modify -> Reorient
  You can reorient edges, faces and objects. Reorient tool flips the faces inside-out in faces and objects level. In Edges level reorient tool changes direction of the edge inside quad to the opposite (you have to apply this tool only one edge at time).
  If you hold CTRL while clicking you will flip the normals.



• Modify -> Delete
  You can delete vertices, edges, faces, objects and splines. When you delete something in an object, ZModeler deletes the unused vertices that are connected to the vertices that you have deleted, if you don’t want to delete the unused vertices hold CTRL while clicking.

• Surface -> Mapping
  You can make some modifications to the UV mapping of your 3D model. Remember to assign a material to your faces before assign UV mapping.
  
  
  • Surface -> Mapping -> Assign UV
    With this tool you can assign the mapping at your 3D model. It depens on the view (left, top, front…) that you have clicked over your selected faces.
    If your face or faces are already mapped, when you apply this tool in the UV view you will see the UV mapping of these faces. I mean that mapped faces are not remapped if you apply a second time the Assign UV tool.
  • Surface -> Mapping -> Reset UV
    This tool deletes the UV mapping of the selected faces. This is useful when you want to remap a group of faces: select the desired faces, reset the current UV mapping and assign a new UV mapping.
  • Surface -> Mapping -> Flip UV
    This tool flips your UV mapping
  • Surface -> Mapping -> Rotate UV
    This tool rotates your UV mapping.



• Surface -> Normals
  You can make a lot of fine adjustments to the normals of your model. Remember that to see the effect of the normals on your car you have to switch off the flat shading and to see the reflections (environment mapping) you have to load a reflection map.
  You can see a good explanation of these tools in the ZModeler tutorial: Creating cars from scratch.
  
  
  • Surface -> Normals -> Bound Gismo
    Right click for detailed help about his tool in ZModeler.
  • Surface -> Normals -> Rotate
    Rotates the normals.
  • Surface -> Normals -> Scaeling
    This tool scales the normal length. The shorter the normal the less the brightness.
  • Surface -> Normals -> Flip
    This tool flips normal direction. Hold CTRL for non 3D flipping.
  • Surface -> Normals -> Calculate
    This tool calculates the normals.
  • Surface -> Normals -> Projection
    This tools projects the normals from axis center (X). You can adjust the % of projection in the numeric bar #1.
    Hold CTRL for parallel and SHIFT for 3D projection.
  • Surface -> Normals -> By Gismo
    This tool projects the normals but the center is the nearest vertex of an object (the gismo object).

• Select -> Single
  You can select faces, edges, vertices and objects one by one by right click. To deselect a selected element right click on the desired element.
• Select -> Quadr
  To select right click and drag, a rectangle will appear. To extend the selection hold SHIFT and select a new group of elements. To deselect a part of your selection hold CTRL right click and drag.
• Select -> Circle
  The same as QUADR but the shape is an ellipse.
• Select -> Separated
  It works on faces and vertex level only.
  On vertex level this tool selects the vertex your mouse is over and all the vertices connected by and edge.
  On faces level, this tool selects all the connected faces by an edge.
  Hold CTRL to deselect.
• Select -> All
  Selects all the objects on objects level, all the faces on faces level and all the vertices on vertex level.
  This tool selects only the visible elements.
• Select -> None
  Deselects all the objects on objects level, all the faces on faces level and all the vertices on vertex level.
• Select -> Invert
  Inverts the selection. Everything selected becomes deselected and everything no selected will be selected.
• Select -> By material
  This tool selects the faces that belong to a certain material (you can select the desired material from a bow that will appear after right click).
  This tool doesn’t clear the previous selection, it just adds the faces of the desired material to the previous selection.
  Hold CTRL to deselect.

Some useful ZModeler hotkeys:

ZModeler hotkeys are very useful to make faster the proces of modelling. To set up the hotketys read the explanation above the table and make sure that the ACTIVE button and Enabled is switched on.
Moreover there is one important restriction on Hot Keys:
Hotkey combination can only be accepted when NON-3D view is active and mouse cursor is inside the view.