Boxville for Mac: The Complete Guide

Step 1: Create or Open a Project

Method: After launching Boxville, you will see the project startup window.

• Create New Project: Click “New Project,” and in the pop-up dialog, set the project name, save path, canvas size (voxel count), and base grid spacing. Click “Create” to enter the main interface.
• Open Existing Project: Click “Open Project” and select an existing .box project file in the file browser. Or simply double-click the project file in Finder.
• Shortcuts: Cmd + N (New), Cmd + O (Open).

Step 2: Basic Modeling and Editing

Use the brush tool in the left toolbar to start building your model.

1. Select the brush tool: Click the brush icon on the toolbar (or press the shortcut B).
2. Adjust brush properties: In the left tool panel, set “Size” to 3, “Shape” to Cube, and “Mode” to “Add”.
3. Start drawing: In the central viewport, click and drag with the left mouse button to add voxels. Hold the Option key while drawing to switch to “Erase” mode and remove voxels.
4. Move/Rotate/Scale objects:
   • Use the select tool (shortcut V) to click and select a model or an object in the scene.
   • Click the Move (W), Rotate (E), and Scale (R) tools on the toolbar.
   • In the viewport, drag the differently colored handles that appear on the object (red-X axis, green-Y axis, blue-Z axis) to perform transformation operations.

Step 3: Add Materials and Lighting

Give the model color and texture, and set up scene lighting.

1. Apply materials:
   • Select the model, and the “Material” section will appear in the properties panel on the right.
   • Click the “Diffuse” color swatch to pick a color from the color picker.
   • You can adjust physical-based rendering (PBR) parameters such as highlights and roughness.
2. Add Lights:
   • Click “Create” in the top menu bar -> “Light” -> “Point Light” or “Directional Light”.
   • The new light will appear in the scene; use the move/rotate tools (W/E) to position it appropriately.
   • In the properties panel on the right, you can adjust the light’s intensity, color, and falloff range.

Step 4: Set Up the Camera and View

Determine the viewing angle for the final render.

1. Adjust the perspective view: Use right-click drag and the scroll wheel to adjust the view to your desired angle.
2. Create a camera object: Click “Create” -> “Camera” to add a camera icon to the scene.
3. Create a camera from the current view: After adjusting the view, click the menu “View” -> “Create Camera from Current View” to quickly generate a camera that matches the current angle.
4. Switch camera views: In the scene panel on the right, double-click the camera object to switch the main view to that camera’s perspective. Double-click the perspective view tab again to return to the free view.

Step 5: Render and Export the Final Artwork

After completing the scene setup, proceed with the final output.

1. Render Preview: Click the “Render Preview” button on the toolbar (or press Cmd + R), and a quick render of the current view will be generated in a new window.
2. Final Render Settings:
   • Click the menu “Render” -> “Render Settings”.
   • In the dialog box, set the output resolution, sampling rate (which affects render quality and time), and file format (e.g., PNG, JPEG).
   • Make sure the “Camera” option is set to the camera you configured.
3. Start Rendering and Export:
   • Click the menu “Render” -> “Start Render” (Cmd + Shift + R).
   • Once rendering is complete, an image preview window will pop up. Click the “Save” button in the window, choose the path and format, and export the final image.
4. Export Model: If you need to export a 3D model file for use in other software, click “File” -> “Export” -> “3D Model”. Supported formats include OBJ and STL, and you can choose whether to include material information.