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Draw Guide 7.4

Chapter 7
Working with 3D Objects

Copyright

This document is Copyright © 2023 by the LibreOffice Documentation Team. Contributors are listed below. This document maybe distributed and/or modified under the terms of either the GNU General Public License (https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html), version 3 or later, or the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), version 4.0 or later. All trademarks within this guide belong to their legitimate owners.

Contributors

Contributors for this edition:

Peter Schofield

Contributors for previous editions:

Claire Wood

Elzett Kotze

Jean Hollis Weber

John A Smith

John Cleland

Martin Fox

Peter Schofield

Regina Henschel

Feedback

Please direct any comments or suggestions about this document to the Documentation Team mailing list: loguides@community.documentfoundation.org.

Note

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Publication date and software version

Published January 2023. Based on LibreOffice 7.4 Community.
Other versions of LibreOffice may differ in appearance and functionality.

Using LibreOffice on macOS

Some keystrokes and menu items are different on macOS from those used in Windows and Linux. The table below gives some common substitutions used in this document. For a detailed list, see LibreOffice Help.

Windows or Linux

macOS equivalent

Effect

Tools > Options
menu selection

LibreOffice > Preferences

Access setup options

Right-click

Control+click, Ctrl+click, or right-click depending on computer setup

Open a context menu

Ctrl or Control

⌘ and/or Cmd or Command, depending on keyboard

Used with other keys

Alt

⌥ and/or Alt or Option depending on keyboard

Used with other keys

F11

+T

Open the Styles deck in the Sidebar

Introduction

Although Draw does not match the functionality of leading drawing or image editing programs, it is capable of producing and editing 3D drawings. In Draw, two types of 3D objects are available: 3D scenes and extruded 3D shapes. The Status Bar indicates when a 3D scene has been selected (Figure 1), but only indicates a shape has been selected (Figure 2) when an extruded 3D shape is selected.

Depending on which type is selected, there are different possibilities for further editing of the object (rotation, illumination, perspective, and so on). Extruded 3D shapes are simpler to set up and edit, but 3D scenes allow for greater customization.

3D objects are created using one of the following methods:

Notes

Before creating 3D objects in a drawing, it is recommended that the extra 3D tools (To 3D; To 3D Rotation Object; Toggle Extrusion) are added to the Drawing toolbar using Visible Buttons or the Customize dialog. For more information on using Visible Buttons and the Customize dialog, see Appendix B, Toolbars and the Getting Started Guide.

After installing the 3D tools onto the Drawing toolbar, the tools only become available for use when a 2D object is selected in a drawing.

Figure 1: Status Bar — 3D scene selected

Image2

Figure 2: Status Bar — shape selected

Image3

Figure 3: Drawing toolbar with 3D tools installed and highlighted

Image4

Figure 4: Shapes deck on Sidebar

Image1

3D object types

3D scenes

3D scenes are created from objects with dimensions using x, y, and z coordinates and can contain object types, such as cube, sphere, extrusion object or rotation object. These object types do not exist outside a 3D scene.

The Status Bar displays 3D scene selected when a 3D object is selected that has been created from a 2D object using body rotation or conversion, or it is a ready-made 3D object that has been inserted into a drawing.

A 3D scene is similar to a group. Just like a group, a 3D scene can be entered for editing an individual object in the 3D scene and then exit after editing is completed. See Chapter 5, Combining Multiple Objects for more information on entering, editing and exiting groups.

When a 3D scene is created from a selection of more than one 2D object, a group is automatically created as a single 3D scene. This 3D scene can be entered so that individual objects within the 3D scene can be changed, edited and rotated.

Note

Individual objects cannot be ungrouped when a 3D scene has been created from a selection of 2D objects.

3D shapes

2D shapes are flat with only width and height dimensions, but 3D shapes are solid objects that have three dimensions: depth, width, and height.

A 3D shape is created when a 2D shape or an object from the Fontwork Gallery is turned into 3D using Toggle Extrusion. The Status Bar displays Shape selected when this type of 3D object is selected.

A 3D shape can be viewed and edited in 3D or 2D mode. To edit in 2D mode, switch off extrusion, make the editing changes, and switch back to 3D mode using Toggle Extrusion.

Note

Toggle Extrusion can only be used when a 2D shape, a 3D object that has been extruded from a 2D shape, or an object from the Fontwork Gallery is selected in a drawing. It is not available for text, lines, arrows, curves, and polygons.

Creating 3D objects

3D ready made objects

3D ready made objects are 3D scenes and are inserted into a drawing using one of the following methods. The selection and drawing of 3D objects is the same for all methods of inserting a 3D ready made object.

Note

Ready made 3D objects can be repositioned, resized, and edited in the same way as 2D objects. See Chapter 3, Working with Objects for more information.

Figure 5: 3D Objects toolbar

Image5

Figure 6: Example of 3D conversion using extrusion

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Figure 7: Example of 3D conversion using rotation

Image7

Extrusion

Extrusion converts a 2D object into a 3D scene by extruding the 2D object toward the observer. The scene is rotated by 20 degrees around the horizontal axis to make the 3D effect more visible. Examples of 3D conversion using extrusion are shown in Figure 6. After selecting a 2D object, convert it to a 3D scene using one of the following methods:

Rotation

To 3D Rotation Object or Convert to Rotation Object converts a 2D object into a 3D scene by rotating the object using the left edge of the bounding box around the object as the axis of rotation. Examples of 3D conversion using either of these rotation tools are shown in Figure 7. The actual 3D scene created depends on the angle and shape of the object being rotated.

After selecting a 2D object in a drawing, convert it to a 3D scene using rotation with one of the following methods:

Toggle Extrusion

Extrusion is where parallel surfaces are moved to create a 3D shape. In Draw, the 2D surface is moved forwards out of the drawing level. At the same time the object is slightly tilted and central projection turned on, creating the impression of a 3D shape. Draw uses a default value for this extrusion (body depth) based on the size of the 2D object. The value can be changed after the extrusion, see “Editing 3D objects” on page 1.

Extrusion conversion is carried out using Toggle Extrusion. Extrusion only works on Basic Shapes, Symbol Shapes, Block Arrows, Flowcharts, Callouts, Stars and Banners, and Fontwork that are included as a part of the default set of tools on the Drawing toolbar or in the Shapes deck on the Sidebar. Examples of toggle extrusion are shown in Figure 8.

1)  Select a 2D object in a drawing that has been created from Basic Shapes, Symbol Shapes, Block Arrows, Flowcharts, Callouts, Stars and Banners, or Fontwork.

2)  Click on Toggle Extrusion on the Drawing toolbar to convert the 2D object into a 3D shape.

3)  To convert a 3D conversion back into a 2D object, select the 3D object and click on Toggle Extrusion on the Drawing toolbar.

Note

Extrusion cannot be used on text objects created using Insert Text Box or Insert Vertical Text.

Figure 8: Example of 3D conversion using toggle extrusion

Image8

Editing 3D objects

Note

Where 3D scenes have been created from more than one 2D object, a 3D scene group is automatically created. This 3D scene group cannot be ungrouped and any editing carried out will affect all 3D objects within the group. To edit an individual 3D object within this 3D scene group, enter the group. For more information on working with groups, see Chapter 5, Combining Multiple Objects.

Position, Size and Rotation

Editing the position, size and rotation of 3D objects is similar to 2D objects. See Chapter 3, Working with Objects for more information.

3D settings

To open the 3D‑Settings toolbar (Figure 9), go to View > Toolbars > 3D‑Settings on the Menu bar. The 3D‑Settings toolbar only becomes active when a 3D shape is selected that has been created from a 2D object using “Toggle Extrusion” on page 1.

The result of any changes made using the editing tools on the 3D‑Settings toolbar is applied to the selected 3D shape immediately displaying the effect of the 3D setting applied. Figure 10 shows an example of tilting left, increasing extrusion depth, and changing 3D color using the 3D‑Settings toolbar.

The tools available for editing 3D shapes are as follows.

Tilt Down

Tilts the selected object downward (horizontal axis rotation) by 5 degrees each time the icon is used.

Figure 9: 3D-Settings toolbar

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Figure 10: Example of changing 3D settings

Image10

Tilt Up

Tilts the selected object upward (horizontal axis rotation) by 5 degrees each time the icon is used.

Tilt Left

Tilts the selected object left (vertical axis rotation) by 5 degrees each time the icon is used.

Tilt Right

Tilts the selected object right (vertical axis rotation) by 5 degrees each time the icon is used.

Depth

Opens a pop-up menu where the extrusion depth can be set from an object by a fixed or custom amount.

Direction

Opens a pop-up menu where the view direction can be set to create an extrusion in either a perspective or parallel projection.

Lighting

Opens a pop-up menu where the direction and intensity of the lighting can be set when creating an extrusion.

Surface

Opens a pop-up menu where the surfaces of the object can be set as Wire Frame, Matt, Plastic, or Metal display.

3D Color

Opens a pop-up menu where the color used for the extrusion can be set. This color does not have to be the same as the color used for the original 2D object.

3D effects

The 3D Effects dialog (Figure 11) offers a wide range of possible settings for editing 3D ready made objects or 3D scenes. This dialog can also be used to convert a 2D object to 3D using the tools in the bottom left corner of the dialog.

To open the 3D Effects dialog, click on 3D Effects on the Line and Filling toolbar, or go to Format > 3D-Effects on the Menu bar. Any 3D effects applied to a 3D scene are not carried out until Assign is clicked in the top right of the 3D Effects dialog. This allows for all 3D effect changes to be carried out before applying them to a 3D scene.

Notes

The 3D Effects dialog cannot be used on 3D shapes created using Toggle Extrusion because the correct formatting results will not be achieved. If the 3D Effects dialog is used in error, remove any incorrect formatting by going to Format > Default Formatting on the Menu bar.

Any options on the pages in the 3D Effects dialog that are grayed out cannot be used for the selected object.

3D conversion

In the bottom left corner of the 3D Effects dialog are tools for converting a 2D object into a 3D scene and changing the projection used in a 3D scene.

Convert to 3D

Converts the selected object into a 3D scene. This tool works in the same way as using “Extrusion” on page 1.

Figure 11: 3D-Effects dialog — Geometry page

Image11

Convert to Rotation Object

Converts a 2D object into a 3D scene using body rotation. This tool works in the same way as using “Rotation” on page 1.

Perspective On/Off

Switches perspective projection on or off for a 3D scene. Perspective projection is a technique to create a linear illusion of depth. As objects get further away from the viewer, a perspective drawing decreases in size at a constant rate.

Note

The 3D Effects dialog has five pages to provide options for Geometry, Shading, Illumination, Textures, and Material. The tools to change pages for the different types of 3D effects are located at the top of the 3D Effects dialog.

3D Effects — Geometry

Click on Geometry in the 3D Effects dialog (Figure 11) to open the Geometry page and use the options available to change the geometry of a 3D object.

Geometry

Defines the properties of an object in a 3D scene.

Rounded edges

Enter the amount required to round the corners of a 3D shape as shown by the example in Figure 12. The default setting for rounded edges is 10%.

Scaled depth

Enter the amount required to increase or decrease the frontal area of a selected 3D object. Figure 13 shows an example where the scaled depth has been increased to 150% and then decreased to 50%. The default setting for scaled depth is 100%.

Figure 12: Example of rounded edges

Image12

  1. 10% rounded edges (default)

  2. 75% rounded edges

Figure 13: Example of changing scaled depth

Image13

  1. 100% scaled depth (default)

  2. 50% scaled depth

  3. 150% scaled depth

Figure 14: Example of changing rotation angle

Image14

  1. 2D circle

  2. Converted using To 3D Rotation Object

  3. Rotation angle changed to 180 deg

Rotation angle

Enter the angle in degrees to rotate a 2D object that has been converted to 3D using To 3D Rotation Object. Figure 14 shows an example of a 2D circle where the rotation angle is changed to 180 degrees.

Depth

Enter the extrusion depth for the selected 2D object that has been converted to 3D using To 3D. Figure 15 shows an example of a 2D circle converted to a 3D cylinder with the extrusion depth increased to 3 cm.

Figure 15: Example of increasing depth

Image15

  1. 2D circle

  2. Converted using To 3D

  3. Depth increased to 3cm

Segments

Changes the number of segments that Draw uses to draw a 3D rotation object. The higher the number of segments, the smoother the object surface will be. However, a high segment number may increase the time it takes to generate the 3D object on a display. Figure 16 shows the difference on a 3D sphere when the segments have been increased from 10 to 30 segments horizontally and vertically.

Horizontal

Enter the number of horizontal segments used in the selected 3D rotation object.

Vertical

Enter the number of vertical segments used in the selected 3D rotation object.

Figure 16: Example of using segments

Image16

  1. 10 segments

  2. 30 segments

Normals

Modifies the rendering style of the 3D surface.

Object-Specific

Renders the 3D surface according to the shape of the object. For example, a circular shape is rendered with a spherical surface (Figure 17).

Figure 17: Examples of using object specific, flat and spherical effects

Image17

  1. Object Specific

  2. Flat

  3. Spherical

Flat

Renders the 3D surface as polygons (Figure 17).

Spherical

Renders a smooth 3D surface regardless of the shape of the object (Figure 17).

Invert Normals

Inverted normal is a normal that is pointing in the wrong direction (Figure 18). This tells a computer that an outside face is actually an inside face when it is not. If there is a hollow design, an inverted normal can be indicated because both surfaces facing are in and out in the same model.

Double-Sided Illumination

Lights the outside and the inside of the object (Figure 18). This has only an effect, if the inside is drawn at all, see Double-Sided. This is a setting for the whole of the 3D scene and not for a single object within the scene.

Double-Sided

3D object has outside (front) and inside (back) faces (Figure 18). With Double-Sided switched off, only the outside face of the object is rendered. The effect, when looking from outside, is that the object is solid, but, when looking from inside, the front face is transparent. If there is no view to the inside face, normal for an extruded 3D object with solid texture, Double-Sided should be switched off to improve performance during rendering. Any 3D object created using rotation often allows an inside view and it is recommended that Double-Sided is switched on.

Note

Figure 18 demonstrates the 3D effect of using Invert Normals in conjunction with using the 3D effect Double-Sided Illumination.

Figure 18: Examples of invert normals and double sided illumination

Image18

  1. Invert Normals off; Double Sided Illumination off

  2. Invert Normals on; Double Sided Illumination off

  3. Invert Normals off; Double Sided Illumination on

  4. Invert Normals on; Double Sided Illumination on

Figure 19: 3D Effects dialog — Shading page

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Figure 20: Examples of shading mode

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  1. Gouraud

  2. Phong

  3. Flat

3D Effects — Shading

On the Shading page of the 3D Effects dialog (Figure 19) provides options to set the shading, shadow, and camera effects on a selected 3D object.

Shading

Specifies the mode of shading applied to a 3D object (Figure 20).

Gouraud

This shading mode is a method used in computer graphics to simulate the differing effects of light and color across the surface of an object. In practice, it is used to achieve smooth lighting on low-polygon surfaces without the heavy computational requirements of calculating lighting for each pixel.

Phong

This shading mode is an interpolation technique for surface shading calculating the normal of a point in the polygon by interpolating the normals of the vertices. The angle between normal and lighting direction determines how much of the lighting is used to color the pixel.

Flat

This shading mode refers to the depiction of depth perception in 3D models or illustrations by varying the level of darkness. It assigns a single color of shading to a single segment on the surface of the object.

Shadow

Adds or removes a shadow from a selected 3D object (Figure 21). A shadow is generated only from the first light source. Enter a Surface Angle from the light source to the surface between 0 to 90 degrees to cast a shadow.

Figure 21: Examples of shadow surface angle

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  1. 0 deg shadow

  2. 50 deg shadow

Figure 22: Example of changing camera angle

Image22

  1. Default settings — distance 2.6 cm; focal length 10 cm

  2. Distance 10 cm; focal length 100 cm

Camera

Sets the camera options for a selected 3D scene as if a camera is being used to take a photograph (Figure 22). The settings affect only central perspective and not parallel projection.

Distance

Enter the distance to leave between the camera and the center of the selected 3D scene. The default setting for distance is 2.6cm.

Focal length

Enter the focal length of the camera lens, where a small value corresponds to a fisheye lens and a large value to a telephoto lens. The default setting for focal length is 10cm.

3D Effects — Illumination

The Illumination page of the 3D Effects dialog (Figure 23) defines how a 3D scene is lit and the settings apply to all 3D objects in a scene. The direction of the light source, color of the light source, and the ambient light can be specified for the 3D scene.

By default, one light source is already selected when the Illumination page is opened. More light sources can be selected for illumination. A maximum of eight sources can be used and each light source can use a different color.

Figure 23: 3D Effects dialog — Illumination page

Image23

The light source location and color are shown in the lower right corner of the Illumination page. The vertical slider bar adjusts the lighting angle and the horizontal slider bar rotates the light about the object. Alternatively, click on the light point and drag the light source to the required position.

To change the preview from a sphere to a cube, click on the small square to the right of the horizontal slider bar and below the vertical slider bar.

Each light source selected is shown as a small colored sphere in the color specified for it. The larger colored sphere indicates the active light source.

1)  Select a Light source to turn the light source on. The icon changes to an illuminated bulb.

2)  Click again on the selected light source to adjust the color for the light source.

3)  Select a color for the light from one of the color palettes in the Light source drop-down list. A different color can be used for each light source selected.

4)  Select a color from one of the color palettes in the Ambient light drop-down list to set the color of the surrounding light.

5)  To deselect a light source, select a light source already selected and click on it again.

Figure 24: 3D Effects dialog — Textures page

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3D Effects — Textures

On the Textures page of the 3D Effects dialog (Figure 24) the properties of the surface texture can be set for a selected 3D object. Textures is only available after the area fill of a 3D object is set to Gradient, Image, Pattern, or Hatch. For more information on changing area fill, see Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes.

Type

Sets the color properties of the texture.

Black & White

Converts the texture to black and white.

Color

Converts the texture to color.

Mode

Shows or hides shading.

Only Texture

Applies the texture without shading.

Texture and Shading

Applies the texture with shading to lighten or darken the illumination.

Projection X

Sets the options for displaying the texture along the X axis. Only one of the three following options can be selected.

Object-Specific

Automatically adjusts the texture for best fit based on the shape and size of the object. This is the default setting except for extrusion objects.

Parallel

Applies the texture parallel to the horizontal axis and is mirrored on the rear side of the object. This is the default setting for extrusion objects.

Circular

Wraps the horizontal axis of the texture pattern around an object.

Projection Y

Sets the options for displaying the texture along the Y axis. Only one of the three following options can be selected.

Object-Specific

Automatically adjusts the texture for best fit based on the shape and size of the object. This is the default setting except for extrusion objects.

Parallel

Applies the texture parallel to the vertical axis and is mirrored on the rear side of the object. This is the default setting for extrusion objects.

Circular

Wraps the vertical axis of the texture pattern around an object.

Filtering

Filters out noise that can occur when a texture is applied to a 3D object.

Filtering On/Off

Applies a soft focus filter blurring the texture slightly to remove unwanted speckles.

Figure 25: 3D Effects dialog — Material page

Image25

3D Effects — Material

On the Materials page of the 3D Effects dialog (Figure 25) the appearance of a 3D object can be changed to represent different materials. Materials and Textures can be combined with each other and it is a matter of trial and error to achieve the desired result.

Material

Assigns a color from a color palette. For custom colors, see Chapter 11, Advanced Draw Techniques for more information on creating custom colors.

Favorites

Select a material type for the selected object from the Favorites drop-down list.

Object color

Select a color from one of the color palettes in the Object color drop‑down list to apply to the object.

Illumination color

Select a color from one of the color palettes in the Illumination color drop-down list. This illuminates the object and brightens parts of the object which lie in shadow making the object seem more illuminated.

Specular

Sets the light reflection properties for the selected object simulating the reflecting capacity of the surface. The position of the illuminated point is determined by the setting of the first light source.

Color

Select a color to be reflected from the object from one of the color palettes in the Color drop-down list.

Intensity

Enter the intensity of the specular effect as a percentage.

Colors Dialog

Opens the Pick a Color dialog where custom colors are defined using the 2D graphic and numerical gradient chart. Any colors created are stored in the custom palette. See Chapter 11, Advanced Draw Techniques for more information on creating custom colors.

Note

Metallic and glass surfaces do not simulate well because the appearance of these materials is produced using reflection.

Tip

Do not use a very high brightness value for individual colors. Colors are additive and it is easy to end up with a colored area that is white.

Figure 26: Example of creating a 3D object from multiple 2D objects

Image26

  1. Multiple 2D objects

  2. 3D object created using To 3D

  3. 3D object created using To 3D Rotation Object

Combining objects

Multiple 3D objects cannot be combined using Shape > Combine on the Menu bar or the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+K (macOS ⌘+Shift+K). Multiple 2D objects have to be created first, then a single 3D object created as follows (see Chapter 5, Combining Multiple Objects for more information on combining objects):

1)  Create multiple 2D objects and carry out all the necessary editing changes.

2)  Make sure that all 2D objects are selected to create a single 3D object.

3)  Create a single 3D object combining the multiple 2D objects using one of the following methods (examples of 3D objects are shown in Figure 26):

Assembling 3D objects

3D objects that each form a separate 3D scene can be combined or assembled into a single 3D scene. An example procedure for assembling 3D objects is as follows and shown in Figure 27:

1)  Select a 3D object (for example, a cube) from 3D Objects on the Drawing toolbar, or Shapes deck on the Sidebar and place it in a drawing.

2)  Select a second 3D object (for example, a sphere) from 3D Objects on the Drawing toolbar, or Shapes deck on the Sidebar and place it in the drawing.

3)  If necessary, set the area fill to None and the lines to Continuous to create wire frame objects. This makes it easier to position both objects in the assembled 3D scene.

Figure 27: Example of assembling 3D objects

Image27

4)  Select the second 3D object (sphere) and go to Edit > Cut on the Menu bar, or right-click on the object and select Cut from the context menu.

5)  Double-click the first 3D object (cube) to enter the group, or go Shape > Group > Enter Group on the Menu bar.

6)  Go to Edit > Paste on the Menu bar, or right-click on the first 3D object and select Paste from the context menu. The sphere now appears inside the cube and is now part of the same group.

7)  If required, edit the individual objects, or change their position within the group.

8)  Double-click outside the 3D assembled scene to exit the group, or go to Shape > Group > Exit Group on the Menu bar.

Note

The second object also reappears in its original position when Paste is carried out. This object is NOT part of the assembled 3D scene and can be deleted if necessary.

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