Sculpt Mode
Guides
Useful guides and helpers to make it easier to sculpt your creations. Some of these you will recognise from assembly, but some are unique to sculpt mode.
Surface Snap
Helps you sculpt straight on to surfaces, by snapping your shape to an object. This means you can easily follow the surface of object(s) while sculpting.
Note that wherever you grip the shape is where it will snap to the surface, so you may need to adjust your grip in the shape editor (press + while holding a shape).
Terrific for doing stuff like covering a rock with moss, adding hair to a head, and so on.
Helps you sculpt straight on to surfaces, by snapping your shape to an object. This means you can easily follow the surface of object(s) while sculpting.
Note that wherever you grip the shape is where it will snap to the surface, so you may need to adjust your grip in the shape editor ( on + on while holding a shape).
Terrific for doing stuff like covering a rock with moss, adding hair to a head, and so on.
Tentacle Snap
Makes your sculpture snap to the place you start sculpting, but then won't attempt to snap to any other surfaces after that. Great for making trees, plants and yes - tentacles.
Basically, if you need to snap to begin your sculpture, but don't want to be snapping to everything around you after you've started, use this.
Note that wherever you grip the shape is where it will snap to the surface, so you may need to adjust your grip in the shape editor (press + while holding a shape).
Makes your sculpture snap to the place you start sculpting, but then won't attempt to snap to any other surfaces after that. Great for making trees, plants and yes - tentacles.
Basically, if you need to snap to begin your sculpture, but don't want to be snapping to everything around you after you've started, use this.
Note that wherever you grip the shape is where it will snap to the surface, so you may need to adjust your grip in the shape editor ( on + on while holding a shape).
Grid Snap
Want everything arranged in nice precise lines? Then grid snap is for you. You'll get a visual representation of the grid, following you around as you grab and move things.
When you move something, it'll snap to the grid, and you'll get a plumb line showing you how you've moved it. All this makes it easy to lay everything out neatly.
By default the origin of the grid is dead centre of the scene, but you can change it to centre on a specific object by pressing + over the object.
If you grab something which is not aligned to the grid, the visual will turn orange. Press and the object will align to the grid.
Is the grid too precise? Not precise enough? Make it coarser or finer using the buttons on the right.
Try using floor with the grid, as it'll remind you where the scene origin is at all times. Note that precise move is disabled while using grid snap.
Want everything arranged in nice precise lines? Then grid snap is for you. You'll get a visual representation of the grid, following you around as you grab and move things.
When you move something, it'll snap to the grid, and you'll get a plumb line showing you how you've moved it. All this makes it easy to lay everything out neatly.
By default the origin of the grid is dead centre of the scene, but you can change it to centre on a specific object by pressing on + on over the object.
If you grab something which is not aligned to the grid, the visual will turn orange. Press on and the object will align to the grid.
Is the grid too precise? Not precise enough? Make it coarser or finer using the buttons on the right.
Try using floor with the grid, as it'll remind you where the scene origin is at all times. Note that precise move is disabled while using grid snap.
Grid Snap > Finer
Click this to make the spaces between the dots in your grid smaller. Keep clicking till you're happy. For a shortcut, press +
Click this to make the spaces between the dots in your grid smaller. Keep clicking till you're happy.
Grid Snap > Coarser
Click this to make the spaces between the dots in your grid bigger. Keep clicking till you're happy. For a shortcut, press +
Click this to make the spaces between the dots in your grid bigger. Keep clicking till you're happy.
Grid Snap
> Scale With Zoom
Motion Controllers Only
When enabled, the grid will automatically get finer as you zoom in, and coarser as you zoom out.
Stay Upright
Works just like stay upright does in assembly, but here it will keep your shape edit upright in relation to the Y axis (up/down) in your scene.
Stay Upright > Right Angles
In addition to staying upright, right angles lets you rotate objects by 90˚, aligned to the Y axis in your scene.
Mirror
Perfect symmetry isn't always necessary. But when it is, mirror gives you just that. When you turn it on, it's as if you have an invisible mirror twin copying everything you do.
So for example you can use it with smear shape to create one side of something, and the other side will be created simultaneously, exactly matching the first.
Just turn it on and start working. The mirror will appear wherever you start and all of your actions are copied. Turn it off when you want to stop mirroring your actions.
The mirror will always be in the place you started working, so if you need it elsewhere, start a new sculpture. You can always group them when you're done.
Perfect symmetry isn't always necessary. But when it is, mirror gives you just that. When you turn it on, it's as if you have an invisible mirror twin copying everything you do.
So for example you can use it with smear shape to create one side of something, and the other side will be created simultaneously, exactly matching the first.
Just turn it on and start working. The mirror will appear wherever you start and all of your actions are copied. Turn it off when you want to stop mirroring your actions.
The mirror will always be in the place you started working, so if you need it elsewhere, start a new sculpture. You can always group them when you're done.
For a shortcut to turn the mirror on, tap the bottoms of and together.
Mirror > Clipped Mirror
With this on, any part of your work that crosses the mirror disappears, rather than being replicated on the other side. Try turning it on and off to see the difference.
Mirror > Hide Mirror
Turn this on to hide the mirror.
Kaleidoscope
Mirror isn't enough for you? Try this on for size. It works in a similar way, but rather than mirroring your actions on a flat plane, kaleidoscope mirrors from a central point.
It's quite a mind-bending concept, so give it a go. Select the smear shape tool, pick a shape, switch on kaleidoscope and start smearing.
It's great for making complex stuff like flowers, intricate mandalas and diabolical many-legged monsters, but even a simple thing like a bracelet is easier with this on.
Like mirror, the kaleidoscope point stays where you put it, so start a new sculpture if you want it elsewhere. Increase and decrease the number of copies using less and more.
Kaleidoscope > Less
Reduce the number of copies.
Kaleidoscope > More
Increase the number of copies.
Precise Move
For serious pinpoint accuracy about where you put things, this guide is essential. It will help you move things in straight lines, and rotate them in precise increments.
For straight lines, it assumes your direction, based on movement and camera position, keeping you in a straight line on a flat plane unless you move away deliberately.
Select precise move, grab the object with , and move your imp left/right for the X axis and up/down for the Y axis. Push up/down for the Z axis. Keep holding
You'll see arrow visuals for the axes (red for X, green for Y and blue for Z) as you move in a given axis. If you move away from an axis at 90˚ while it's visible, you'll trigger another.
For example, while moving to the right in X, if you move up, you'll trigger Y. You can now move freely in X and Y, but on a flat plane, indicated by the white right-angled line.
If you then push up on , you'll trigger Z. You can move freely, but the axes will indicate your direction, and you'll snap to a plane or an axis when you're on one.
Hold while moving along a plane or axis to lock to that plane or axis. Also helpful is match face. It lets you align the faces of objects as if lined up using a ruler.
Grab the object by the face to match. Start moving on the desired axis. Press and hold to lock. Now move your imp away, to hover over the correct face on the object to match.
Notice you'll get a snap as it matches it. Let go of and your objects will be aligned. It may all sound rather complicated, but it's worth mastering! Rotation is much simpler.
This time, grab with , keep it held, and push left/right to rotate. An angle indicator appears to help you be as precise as you like.
You can also rotate by moving your controller, but it's less precise.
For serious pinpoint accuracy about where you put things, this guide is essential. It will help you move things in straight lines, and rotate them in precise increments.
For straight lines, it assumes your direction, based on movement and camera position, keeping you in a straight line on a flat plane unless you move away deliberately.
Select precise move, grab the object with on , and move your imp left/right for the X axis, up/down for the Y axis, and forward/back for the Z axis. Keep holding
You'll see arrow visuals for the axes (red for X, green for Y and blue for Z) as you move in a given axis. If you move away from an axis at 90˚ while it's visible, you'll trigger another.
For example, while moving to the right in X, if you move up, you'll trigger Y. You can now move freely in X and Y, but on a flat plane, indicated by the white right-angled line.
If you then move the imp forward, you'll trigger Z. You can move freely, but the axes will indicate your direction, and you'll snap to a plane or an axis when you're on one.
Hold on while moving along a plane or axis to lock to that plane or axis. Also helpful is match face. It lets you align the faces of objects as if lined up using a ruler.
Grab the object by the face to match. Start moving on the desired axis. Press and hold on to lock. Now move your imp away, to hover over the face on the object to match.
Notice you'll get a snap as it matches it. Let go of on and your objects will be aligned. It may all sound rather complicated, but it's worth mastering!
Rotation is much simpler. Simply rotate as you hold the object. An angle indicator will appear so that you can be precise.
Precise Move > Local Space
This option will align the precise move axes with the object you are moving.
Precise Move > Grid Space
This option will align the precise move axes with the grid.
Studio Lighting
When you're working on a particularly moody scene, with low lighting and fog and so on, it can be tricky to see what you're doing. That's when this comes in handy.
It'll give you a high, bright ambient light and switch off all the moody stuff, so you'll see into the distance, colours will be correct, and shapes won't be obscured in shadow.
Floor
A visual frame of reference, to help you keep track of scale, the scene origin, and position and orientation in scene space. When on, a patch of floor follows you around.
The Z and X axes are the strongest white lines. The origin is a circle. Squares are 2m² and disappear when you grab something, to avoid clashing with the grid.
With grid snap on, the floor is dimmer to avoid confusion with the grid. If anything intersects with the floor, it's faded on the other side to make that clear.
The Dreams User Guide is a work-in-progress. Keep an eye out for updates as we add more learning resources and articles over time.