Make your first 3D object

Needs MNodes 1.1.5 or newer

Scene and all of its nodes are new in MNodes 1.1.5. They do not exist in older versions, so a project that uses them will not work there until you update.

No code required. Start with a box, give it a colour, then change its finish.

Need help connecting nodes? Start with Pins and colours. Click pictures to enlarge them.

1. Add three nodes

Open an empty project in Edit mode. Right-click empty space and search for each exact name:

Add this	What it does
Scene 3D Shape	Makes the box.
Scene 3D View	Provides the viewpoint and basic lighting.
Scene	Shows the picture.

Place them left to right in that order.

2. Connect the two drawing cables

1. Shape — Object → View — Objects.
2. View — Object → Scene — Objects.

These pins are violet in the default theme. The View sits between Shape and Scene.

3. Set up the box

Select Shape. Set Shape = Box, Rot X = 15, Rot Y = 25.

In its Inspector, set Width = 1.4, Height = 1, Depth = 0.7.

Select View. Set Distance = 3.5. Environment = Studio is already selected in a new View. The environment lights the object; no support lights are added. Choose None if you want to add all lighting yourself.

You should see: a lit grey box.

Open the grey-box project

4. Add a material

A material is the object's finish: its colour, shine and reflections.

Add Scene 3D Material. Connect Material — Material → Shape — Material. Both pins are orange.

Material output

Shape input

Keep the two violet cables connected.

5. Choose its colour

On Material, click the colour swatch. Choose purple. To match the example, enter FFBD81E8.

Set Metal = 0 and Rough = 0.8.

You should see: a purple box with a soft finish. The little sphere inside Material is only a preview of that finish.

Open the purple-box project

6. Make it shiny

On Material, change Rough to 0.12 and Metal to 0.7.

You should see: sharper reflections on the same box.

• Rough: higher is softer; lower is shinier.
• Metal: adds a metallic finish.
• Environment: gives a reflective object something to reflect.

Open the shiny-box project

7. Turn the box

On Shape, change Rot Y from 25 to 70.

You should see: the box turns. Its material stays attached.

Open the rotated-box project

Shape Rot X/Y/Z turns the object. View Yaw/Pitch moves your viewpoint.

Try a ready-made finish

1. Click the sphere preview inside Material.
2. Choose a preset in the material browser.
3. Click Apply material. The browser closes and your object changes.

Put your own picture on the box

1. On Material, set Picture = File.
2. Use Picture File to choose your image.
3. Set Colour to white to keep the image's original colours.

Repeat repeats the image. Offset X/Y moves it across the surface.

For a separate image node, use Scene 3D Texture — Image → Material — Picture. See these two pins.

If it does not work

Problem	Fix
Empty Scene	Check both violet cables and keep Bypass off.
Very dark box	Choose Environment = Studio on View. Check Colour, Opacity and Surroundings Light.
Colour changes do nothing	Check the orange cable goes to Shape Material.
Box does not move	Change Shape X/Y/Z, not the node's graph position.

Next: add patterns, images and environment lighting.