The Tools Menu

The Tools menu is a 3D Canvas specific menu that provides access to 3D Canvas scripting and application options..

Use Plug-in (Available with 3D Canvas Pro)

Use the selected plug-in.

Plug-ins are functions that extended the features of 3D Canvas. Plug-ins can be provided by Amabilis or by a third party. Developers can create new ActiveX plug-ins for 3D Canvas Pro using the 3D Canvas Application Programmer's Interface (API).

If you have 3D Canvas Plus you will find several of these plug-ins are also available. These are special versions of 3D Canvas Pro plug-ins that are made available to 3D Canvas Plus users.

Standard plug-ins supplied with 3D Canvas include:

Butt Objects (Available with 3D Canvas Pro)

Precisely butts two objects together.

Crease All (Available with 3D Canvas Plus/Pro)

Creases all objects in the scene using the entered creasing angle.
 

Normalize Groups (Available with 3D Canvas Plus/Pro)

Sets all of the scene's groups to the default orientation while retaining the appearance of the scene.
 

Split Faces (Available with 3D Canvas Pro)

Moves the selected faces to a new object.
 

Reset Animation Position (Available with 3D Canvas Plus/Pro)

When an object with a rotational animation is resized in modelling mode the position in animation mode is unchanged. This plug-in corrects the animated positions of the object.
 

Shift Center on Selection (Available with 3D Canvas Plus/Pro)

Centers the object on the selection.
 

Weld To Range (Available with 3D Canvas Plus/Pro)

Used to weld together points that are within a specified range.
 

Information

Count Triangles (Available with 3D Canvas Pro)

Counts the number of triangles an object or hierarchy uses. This is the number of triangles there would be after triangulation. This number is useful since some game formats recommend a maximum number of triangles, not faces or points.


Print Hierarchy (Available with 3D Canvas Pro)

Used to print the hierarchy of a scene.
 

Show Untextured (Available with 3D Canvas Pro)

Shows what objects have untextured faces.
 

Scene Details (Available with 3D Canvas Plus/Pro)

Provides details about all of the objects in the scene including the number of faces, points and materials used.
 

Material

Fill Untextured (Available with 3D Canvas Pro)

Fills all untextured faces with the current material from the material palette.
 

Swap Texture Files (Available with 3D Canvas Pro)

Used to replace a texture a model uses with a new texture.
 

Update Material (Available with 3D Canvas Pro)

Updates the selected object, or object faces with the current material in the Material Palette.
 

Object Builder

Bridge Engineer (Available with 3D Canvas Pro)

Automates the building of bridges.
 

Create Face (Available with 3D Canvas Pro)

Creates a face using the number of entered points.
 

Foundry (Available with 3D Canvas Pro)

Quickly creates common structural elements, such as I-Beams.
 

Pipe Engineer (Available with 3D Canvas Plus/Pro)

Creates pipes that follow the direction of the selected edge(s).

Piper (Available with 3D Canvas Pro)

Used to create bending and twisting pipes from a base section of pipe.
 

Train Simulator

Animate Rods/Pistons (Available with 3D Canvas Pro)

Automatically generates animations for train wheel links, connecting rods and piston objects.
 

Buffer Engineer (Available with 3D Canvas Pro)

Automates the building of train buffers.
 

Cab Engineer (Available with 3D Canvas Pro)

Automates the building of selected parts of locomotives.
 

Fit Boiler Curve (Available with 3D Canvas Pro)

Adjusts the base of an object to fit a boiler shape along the Z axis
 

Handrail Engineer (Available with 3D Canvas Pro)

Automates the building of train handrails.
 

Train Simulator Engineer (Available with 3D Canvas Pro)

Automatically generates wheels, chassis and bogies. Includes options for spoked wheels and transparency masks (generated) and driving wheel and link animations.

Train Simulator Wizard (Available with 3D Canvas Plus/Pro)

A wizard that assists in configuring and exporting models to Microsoft Train Simulator format. For more information see the Microsoft Train Simulator FAQ at the Amabilis web site.
 

 

Run Script (Available with 3D Canvas Pro)

Runs the selected script. See Scripting for more information on 3D Canvas scripting.
 

Create Script (Available with 3D Canvas Pro)

Creates a new script. See Scripting for more information on 3D Canvas scripting.
 

Edit Script (Available with 3D Canvas Pro)

Edits the selected script. See Scripting for more information on 3D Canvas scripting.
 

Delete Script (Available with 3D Canvas Pro)

Deletes the selected script. See Scripting for more information on 3D Canvas scripting.
 

Select Highlight Mode

Alternate way to select a Highlight Mode.
 

Select Rendering Mode

Alternate way to select a Rendering Mode.
 

Select Tool

Alternate way to select a Tool.
 

Options...

Opens the Options window which provides a number options for configuring how 3D Canvas works and looks.