Tools

Collection of modal operators for direct editing of points, points container object or mesh. If operator is running all panels but Tools are disabled. To switch tool, click its button on panel.

All Retopology and Transform tools and Place 3D Cursor (GPU) are GPU accelerated. They utilize GPU for point selection. Points are selected in Detection Radius around mouse pointer, point closest to screen space center is selected. Point selection works best if points are that dense so they cover points behind them. If your points are too sparse, there are several options how to prevent selection of points behind those on "surface". Increase point pixel size, or enable Display > Points > Adaptive Size and adjust point size so they cover space between them, or enable Use Depth (D key shortcut) at running tool panel to utilize gpu depth buffer to determine which points are closest in tool Detection Radius.

All tools when running shows help panel in viewport with all modal shortcuts. This help panel can be toggled with H key or disabled in preferences Show Help Panel At Tool Start.

Tools (all of them depends on selecting point on screen) will not work on Windows and Linux with Vulkan GPU Backend in Blender 4.5 - 5.0. Change to OpenGL GPU Backend in Blender Preferences in order to make it work. Reported issue and it has been fixed. Blender 5.1 works fine with Vulkan backend.

3D Cursor

3D Cursor tools operate only on 3d Cursor.

3D Cursor Tools Panel

Place 3D Cursor

Place 3D Cursor on closest point in cloud under mouse cursor. CPU variant, faster on smaller datasets.

  • LMB: Place
  • Shift+LMB: Place and align with normal
  • LMB+drag: Continuous place
  • H: Toggle Help panel
  • ESC: Exit

Place 3D Cursor (GPU)

Place 3D Cursor on closest point in cloud under mouse cursor. GPU accelerated variant, faster on large datasets.

  • LMB: Place
  • Shift+LMB: Place and align with normal
  • LMB+drag: Continuous place
  • D: Toggle using depth buffer for point selection
  • H: Toggle Help panel
  • ESC: Exit

Transform

Transform tools operate on points container object. They will not modify points only container transformation in world coordinates.

Transform Tools Panel

Translate

Translate points container so selected point is at chosen location.

  • LMB(+drag): Set point
  • F: Translate
  • D: Toggle using depth buffer for point selection
  • RMB: Cancel current transform
  • CTRL(+SHIFT)+Z: Undo(Redo)
  • H: Toggle Help panel
  • ESC: Exit

Rotate XY

Rotate points container to align AB and BC lines between chosen 3 points and world Y and X axes.

  • LMB(+drag): Set 3 points
  • F: Rotate
  • C: Toggle Use Corner
  • D: Toggle using depth buffer for point selection
  • RMB: Cancel current transform
  • CTRL(+SHIFT)+Z: Undo(Redo)
  • H: Toggle Help panel
  • ESC: Exit

Align Z

Rotate points container to align tow selected points with world Z axis.

  • LMB(+drag): Set 2 points
  • F: Align
  • C: Toggle Use First
  • D: Toggle using depth buffer for point selection
  • RMB: Cancel current transform
  • CTRL(+SHIFT)+Z: Undo(Redo)
  • H: Toggle Help panel
  • ESC: Exit

Scale

Scale points container to make length between two selected points equal chosen value.

  • LMB(+drag): Set points
  • F: Scale
  • C: Toggle Use Center
  • D: Toggle using depth buffer for point selection
  • RMB: Cancel current transform
  • CTRL(+SHIFT)+Z: Undo(Redo)
  • H: Toggle Help panel
  • ESC: Exit

Cleanup

Cleanup tools will remove selected points from memory. If you need to save edits, export as ply after you are finished with cleanup.

Cleanup Tools Panel

Box Select

Select points using box selection.

  • LMB+drag: Draw selection
  • SHIFT+LMB+drag: Add to selection
  • CTRL+LMB+drag: Subtract from selection
  • A: (De)Select all
  • RMB: Deselect all
  • I: Invert selection
  • X: Remove selected
  • H: Toggle Help panel
  • ESC: Exit

Lasso Select

Select points using lasso selection.

  • LMB+drag: Draw selection
  • SHIFT+LMB+drag: Add to selection
  • CTRL+LMB+drag: Subtract from selection
  • A: (De)Select all
  • RMB: Deselect all
  • I: Invert selection
  • X: Remove selected
  • H: Toggle Help panel
  • ESC: Exit

Circle Select

Select points using circle selection.

  • LMB+drag: Draw selection
  • SHIFT+LMB+drag: Add to selection
  • CTRL+LMB+drag: Subtract from selection
  • [ and ]: Adjust radius
  • A: (De)Select all
  • RMB: Deselect all
  • I: Invert selection
  • X: Remove selected points
  • H: Toggle Help panel
  • ESC: Exit

Gradient Select

Select points using gradient selection.

  • LMB+drag: Draw selection
  • SHIFT+LMB+drag: Add to selection
  • CTRL+LMB+drag: Subtract from selection
  • C: toggle constrain to vertical and horizontal axes
  • A: (De)Select all
  • RMB: Deselect all
  • I: Invert selection
  • X: Remove selected points
  • H: Toggle Help panel
  • ESC: Exit

Retopology

Retopology tools operate on separate mesh object. You can create one before running tool or create new at any time while tool is running.

For better mesh visibility while any Retopology tool is running, target mesh is hidden from viewport and drawn on top of points with custom shaders.

All Retopology tools allow switching to Blender Mesh Edit mode at any time for using Blender tools. When edit mode is exited, initial Retopology tool will be restored. In short, TAB into mesh edit mode, do what is needed, TAB back to initial Retopology tool to continue.

Retopology Tools Panel

Polygon

Draw polygons while snapping vertices on points or existing vertices in target mesh.

  • LMB: Place (on points) / Select (vertex in mesh)
  • LMB+drag: Continuous place (on points) / Select more (vertices in mesh)
  • CTRL+LMB+drag: Tweak placed point (while snapping on points and vertices) / Tweak mesh vertex (while snapping on points and vertices)
  • D: Toggle using depth buffer for point selection
  • B: Toggle Ignore Backfacing (for mesh vertices selection)
  • M: Toggle Merge Mesh Vertices (disabled if selection exists)
  • RMB: Cancel current polygon / Cancel tweak if active
  • F: Make polygon from placed and/or selected / Make quad from single selected mesh vertex in corner and mouse location
  • X: Delete selected mesh vertices
  • TAB: Toggle Mesh Edit mode
  • CTRL(+SHIFT)+Z: Undo(Redo) mesh edits only (Toggle Mesh Edit mode resets history)
  • CTRL+S: Save the current Blender file
  • H: Toggle Help panel
  • ESC: Exit

Trace

Trace floor plan while snapping vertices on points and keeping the same height

  • LMB(+drag): Place vertex',
  • CTRL+LMB: Tweak vertex with snapping',
  • CTRL+SHIFT+LMB: Tweak vertex without snapping',
  • F: Make line/polygon',
  • E: Toggle Fill',
  • C: Toggle Cyclic',
  • A: Toggle Auto Commit',
  • RMB: Cancel current line',
  • D: Toggle using depth buffer for point selection',
  • TAB: Toggle Mesh Edit mode',
  • CTRL(+SHIFT)+Z: Undo(Redo) (Mesh Edit mode resets history)',
  • CTRL+S: Save the current Blender file',
  • H: Toggle Help panel',
  • ESC: Exit',

Plane

Make quad plane rotated to fit selected points.

  • LMB(+drag): Select points
  • CTRL+LMB(+drag): Deselect points
  • CTRL+SHIFT+LMB(+drag): Rotate plane
  • RMB: Cancel current plane
  • F: Make plane
  • N: Make plane as new mesh object
  • D: Toggle using depth buffer for point selection
  • TAB: Toggle Mesh Edit mode
  • CTRL(+SHIFT)+Z: Undo(Redo) (Mesh Edit mode resets history)
  • CTRL+S: Save the current Blender file
  • H: Toggle Help panel
  • ESC: Exit

Cube

Draw Cube alias Rectangular Cuboid snapped to points by setting three initial corners and arbitrary height.

  • 3x LMB(+drag): Place Cube Corners (drag moves last placed)
  • After 3rd corner, set cube height
  • 4th LMB: Make cube
  • CTRL+LMB: Tweak last cube vertices freely
  • CTRL+SHIFT+LMB: Tweak last cube vertices and snap to points
  • RMB: Cancel current cube
  • D: Toggle using depth buffer for point selection
  • TAB: Toggle Mesh Edit mode
  • CTRL(+SHIFT)+Z: Undo(Redo) (Mesh Edit mode resets history)
  • CTRL+S: Save the current Blender file
  • H: Toggle Help panel
  • ESC: Exit