Creating Shapes and Modes
How to create a parametric shape and how the three Scene view modes — Draw, Edit and Object — work.
Parametric shapes are created with the New button on the Scene view toolbar, and handled in the Scene view through three modes — Draw, Edit and Object.
Creating a shape
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Right-click the New button on the UModeler X Scene view toolbar.
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Choose Parametric Shape from the create-mode list. (Editable Mesh / Curve Object / Parametric Shape)
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A new shape is created 10 m in front of the camera as a Box, and immediately enters Draw mode.
From then on, left-clicking New keeps creating with the last mode you picked (Parametric Shape).
You can also assign a key to the global function UModeler X/GameObject/Create Parametric Shape to create shapes without the toolbar. (No default binding.)
The three modes
Selecting a shape shows a Draw / Edit / Object button group on the Scene toolbar.
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Draw | Drag in empty space to redraw the shape from scratch. |
| Edit | Adjust dimensions with the size parameter handles (arrows). |
| Object | Hide the parametric handles and use only Unity's Transform tools. |
Draw redraws a single target, so it is unavailable while two or more shapes are selected.
Draw mode — drawing by dragging
In Draw mode you press in empty space and drag through a sequence of stages. The stages depend on the shape type.
| Order | Stage | Shapes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Base — drag out the base footprint (or radius) | All |
| 2 | Secondary radius — set the inner radius | Pipe, Torus |
| 3 | Height — move up to set the height (or extrusion depth) | Box, Cylinder, Capsule, Cone, Stair, Spiral Stair, Room, Wedge, Arch, 3D Text, Superellipsoid, Gear, Quad Strip, Layout, N-gon, Pipe |
| 4 | Thickness — finalize thickness through the inner radius | Arch |
Types defined by a single radius — Sphere, Icosphere, Dome, Regular Polyhedron, NURBS Surface — finish at the base stage.
Left-click confirms each stage and moves to the next. After the last stage Draw mode ends and, depending on the Edit Mode After Draw preference, Edit mode is entered.
Edit mode — size handles
In Edit mode an arrow handle is drawn on both faces (+/-) of each local axis, one pair per size parameter. Handles are anchored to the mesh's local bounds, so they always sit on the surface.
| Input | Result |
|---|---|
| Drag | Only the dragged face follows the mouse. The opposite face stays fixed in space and the pivot moves. |
| Shift + drag | Change the parameter without the position correction — a symmetric adjustment around the pivot. |
| Ctrl + drag | Unity's incremental snapping applies. (Synced with the UMX snap settings.) |
| Hold V | Vertex snapping — match the face to a vertex near the mouse. |
One drag collapses into one undo step.
NURBS Surface, Quad Strip and N-gon (curved) use control point handles instead of size handles. See Using the Inspector.
Object mode — Transform only
Object mode hides the parametric handles and modifier gizmos, leaving only Unity's move, rotate and scale gizmos. Use it while placing objects, when you do not want to grab a size handle by accident.
The chosen mode is remembered for the session, so the next shape you select opens in the same mode. Newly created shapes always start in Draw mode.
Preferences
Found under UModeler X > Preferences > Parametric Shape.
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Gizmo Size | 1.0 | Size multiplier for the Scene view resize handles (0.1 – 3.0) |
| Shape Menu Type | Both | How the shape type buttons are shown (Icon / Text / Both) |
| Edit Mode After Draw | On | Whether leaving Draw mode enters Edit mode. When off, the previous mode is kept. |