{"id":2361,"date":"2022-09-21T13:03:28","date_gmt":"2022-09-21T13:03:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/3dcoat.com\/documentation\/?post_type=manual_documentation&p=2361"},"modified":"2026-04-11T10:53:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T10:53:32","slug":"voxel-tools","status":"publish","type":"manual_documentation","link":"https:\/\/3dcoat.com\/documentation\/manual\/workspaces-rooms\/sculpt\/voxel-mode\/voxel-tools\/","title":{"rendered":"Voxel Tools"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When you\u2019re in the Voxel Room, there are a robust set of tools on the left-side tool panel that you can use for sculpting and performing different operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These brushes were manufactured using the brush engine from version 4. The brush engine was improved in newer versions, but these brushes have been retained to ease the migration of users from V4 to the newer versions. Over time, these brushes will be phased out, and only brushes manufactured with the new brush engine will remain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can always access the Voxel Tool Panel by pressing \u201cSpacebar\u201d anywhere on the screen. As with any other panel, you can dock it for your convenience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tools<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Vox Clay<\/a>:<\/strong> Expand surface with smoothing. This options increases the surface area beneath the cursor, and simultaneously smooths it.
It lets you blend expansive strokes quickly on the surface of your model. It will also simultaneously smooths the surface after you\u2019ve applied it.
Grow:<\/strong> Expand the surface outward or reduce the surface inwardly. Use LMB to increase the surface area beneath the cursor. Brush alpha does not affect, but brush size does. Use CTRL+LMB to reduce (collapse) the surface area.
Increases or decreases the surface beneath the cursor. None of the Brush Alphas affect \u201cGrow\u201d, just the brush size and the intensity. Press \u201cLMB\u201d and move the mouse to produce an expanded section.
CTRL+RMB to produce a contracted section. On the top panel, the \u201cGrowth power\u201d slider controls the intensity of the expansion, and the \u201cThaw power\u201d slider controls the intensity of the contraction.
Build:<\/strong> The build tool grows the surface constantly when you move the brush. This is a deprecated brush from 4.9, so it may be replaced with another brush based on Voxel Brush Engine.
Airbrush:<\/strong> Airbrush tool from the 4.9 toolsets.
Smooth:<\/strong> A dedicated tool for evening out any irregular areas of a sculpture. See also Smoothing Options.
Fill:<\/strong> Voxel based fill tool. This option fills and softens cavities in the surface beneath the cursor. Use CTRL+LMB to flatten protrusions.
Fills any cavities or voids that you apply the brush to. Its action is similar to the \u201cSmooth\u201d tool but more precise. It\u2019s useful when making cavities shallower but not fully level with the rest of the surface. It sometimes requires very high-intensity settings to fill areas.
Carve:<\/strong> Carve with brush alpha. This tool uses a brush alpha to expand an area. Use the Depth slider to adjust the strength of the carve. Use CTRL to scoop into the surface, and SHIFT to smooth it.
It lets you place high peaks and deep gouges quickly on your model, but with no smoothing.
Blob:<\/strong> Very much like the \u201c2D Paint\u201d tool, but with fewer options. Button “Do Filling” was added. The slider Density was added for Filling.
Sphere:<\/strong> Draw spheres. Single LMB clicks to place a sphere in 3D space. Drawing with LMB produces cylindrical volumes across the screen plane.
This tool is a quick way to create bubbles, bodies, eyeballs, etc. The size of the sphere is dependent on the size of the brush. You can also make it dependent on stylus pressure: click on the icon near the Sphere extrusion slider. The maximum size will be the maximum size of the brush.
You can create separate spheres, and long, \u201cpill-shaped\u201d cylinders rounded at the ends by the Left click-dragging in open space. Because of this, regular, \u201cbutton-based\u201d viewport navigation needs to be accompanied by holding down the \u201cAlt\u201d key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This tools paints voxel thickness on two axes you specify by right-clicking anywhere in space or on the surface of an object. Notice first that as you rotate the view and move the brush, it\u2019s moving along the two axes. When you change your view, new strokes will always face the camera. Pick any Brush Alpha you like and just paint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plane:<\/strong> This tool acts just like a carpenter\u2019s wood plane does. It allows to cut off everything in front of a specifically defined plane and scrape the volume away from the set position and the normal of the brush cursor. You set the brush cursor\u2019s position and normal by clicking and holding the RMB and then dragging along the surface of a voxel object.
Use RMB and tool options to align the plane. This tool respects rectangle painting. CTRL will invert the action and fill the hole behind the plane. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2D-Paint:<\/strong> Sculpt in the plane. This option provides a 2D plane as a reference for sculpting new volumes. LMB draws with the current brush, and the depth slider adjusts the thickness.
Use RMB to define the plane location. (Orientation will always be parallel to the screen view.) Use SHIFT to smooth the surface independent of the plane. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2D paint is a useful tool combined with Stamp Drag mode using different alphas. Use it to add ornaments to your sculpture.
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The Panel Parameters ><\/strong> Type of Surface<\/strong> show modes by which you decide the position of the brush:<\/p>\n\n\n

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If you click quickly, the RMB menu appears. Click longer to select a point and a plane. Hold RMB to move the plane’s central point over the surface, but keep it normal. Press CTRL to move the plane along the normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plane:<\/strong> What action will be performed when the RMB is pressed?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There are five modes by which you decide the position of the brush:<\/p>\n\n\n

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