Sculpting Tools

The following tools appear on the Sculpting shelf and in the Mesh Tools > Sculpting Tools menu. For a list of common settings associated with these tools, see Sculpting Tool settings.

Tool Name Icon Purpose

Sculpt

Builds up initial forms and moves vertices in a direction determined by the average of all normals within the boundary of the tool cursor. Use the Direction setting to modify the default setting.

Press Ctrl + 1 to activate the Sculpt tool when another sculpting tool is already active.

Smooth

Levels vertex positions in relation to each other by averaging the positions of vertices.

Press Ctrl + 2 to activate the Smooth tool when another sculpting tool is already active.

Relax

Averages vertices on the surface without affecting its original shape. Press Ctrl + Shift to temporarily activate the Relax tool while using another sculpting tool

Press Ctrl + 3 to activate the Relax tool when another sculpting tool is already active.

Grab

Selects and moves vertices based on the distance and the direction you drag. Useful for making subtle adjustments to the form of the model.

Modify the Direction setting to constrain the movement of the tool. For example, XY constrains vertex movement in the XY plane.

Ctrl-drag left or up to rotate vertices (twist) in a counterclockwise direction. Ctrl-drag right or down to rotate vertices (twist) in a clockwise direction.

Press Ctrl + 4 to activate the Grab tool when another sculpting tool is already active.

Pinch

Pulls vertices in towards the center of the tool cursor. Useful for more sharply defining an existing crease.

Press Ctrl + 5 to activate the Pinch tool when another sculpting tool is already active.

Flatten

Levels affected vertices by moving them toward a common plane. Useful for designing and detailing.

Press Ctrl + 6 to activate the Flatten tool when another sculpting tool is already active.

Foamy

Similar to the Sculpt tool but with a softer feel. Useful for designing initial forms, not intended for detail work.

Press Ctrl + 7 to activate the Foamy tool when another sculpting tool is already active.

Spray

Stamps an image along the stroke randomly. Used mainly for detailing surfaces. (Uses a stamp image by default.)

Press Ctrl + 8 to activate the Spray tool when another sculpting tool is already active.

Repeat

Creates patterns on a surface. For example, rivets on the wing of an airplane, zipper effects, stitches on cloth. (Uses a stamp image by default.)

Press Ctrl + 9 to activate the Repeat tool when another sculpting tool is already active.

Imprint

Presses a stamp image into the surface. Dragging on the mesh positions and scales the stamp. See Sculpt using stamps

Wax

Builds up areas on a model, adding or removing material from the model surface.

Scrape

Minimizes protruding features. Quickly calculates a plane (based on the vertex positions wherever the cursor is first placed) then flattens any vertices above the plane.

Fill

Fills in cavities on the model surface by calculating a plane (based on the average of the vertices within the tool cursor), then pulling vertices under the plane towards that plane.

Knife

Cuts fine strokes into a surface. (Uses a stamp image by default.)

Smear

Moves vertices in a direction that is tangent to their original position on the surface in the direction you stroke.

Bulge

Displaces the region beneath the tool by moving each affected vertex along its own normal to create a bulge effect.

Amplify

Opposite of the Flatten tool. Useful for designing, detailing, and further accentuating existing differences in the affected vertices in relation to each other by moving them away from a common plane.

Freeze

Locks affected vertices so they cannot be modified while you sculpt. By default, frozen faces appear blue. For more information, see Freeze regions on a model.

Press Ctrl + 0 to activate the Freeze tool when another sculpting tool is already active.

Convert to frozen

Apply freezing to a component selection. See Freeze regions on a model.

Open Content Browser

Opens the Sculpting Base Meshes folder in the Content Browser where you can find sample objects.

Create a blend shape

Creates a blend shape for the selected objects.

Shape Editor

Opens the Shape Editor to edit shape targets using the sculpting tools.

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