uMake Editor Interface

User Guide
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Table of Content

EDITOR

Are you ready to Create in 3D? Welcome to the uMake Editor! The uMake Editor is split up in 5 main parts:

  • The Canvas - This is where you sketch and Create.
  • The Top Menu - This is where sketch tool settings are located, as well as views and some other controls.
  • The Side Panel - This is where you will be able to access the uMake Playground content library, your image library, layers, view settings, tool settings, export, and support.
  • The Orbit Button
  • The Editing Tools Side Menu.

The Graphic below demonstrates the various parts.

We will get into each of these parts, but before we begin, it is good to get familiar with each part.

Keep in mind that uMake features a dynamic interface that reacts based on what you are doing, so only the tools and functions that may be relevant to what you are doing at that moment are shown. This helps keep the interface clean and easy to use.

The Canvas:

When you first open a file or create a new file in uMake, you will see an empty grid, and most of the screen will be a large empty space. This is your canvas, and is where you will sketch your creations. Unlike other sketching apps, the uMake canvas is 3 dimensional so it is a bit different. Essentially you will sketch on 2D planes that you can move around in 3D space to create a 3D sketch. Don’t worry, we will walk you through this. For now, just know that the Canvas is where you sketch.

The Top Menu:

In the top Menus in uMake you will find the following tools:
  • Return to My Designs - Exits file and returns to file manager.
  • Duplicate File - Duplicates the current file you are working on.
  • Precision Sketching Tool - Tool for creating perfectly straight lines and clean arcs and circles.
  • Pen Tool - The main sketching tool you will use in uMake.
  • Freestyle Sketching Tool - Non NURBS sketching tool for quick and rough sketching in 3D space.
  • Augmented Reality Mode - Enters the Augmented Reality mode of uMake.

That makes up the top menu. However, you will also find 3 more icons across the editor interface:

  • Orthographic Views
  • Learn tools
  • Side Panel toggle

Orthographic Views:

To make sketching in 3D easy, uMake features 6 Orthographic views, and one ‘View All’ view. The orthographic views are open by default, but can be collapsed or expanded with ease. Going from the top to bottom, you can toggle between the
Front,
Rear,
Left Side,
Right Side,
Top,
Bottom and
View All
views by simply tapping on any of the icons under the Orthographic Views section.

If the views are collapsed, simply tap the icon with a pair of glasses/ spectacles to open up the views. To collapse the views, simply tap the arrow at the top.

uMake Help:

Tapping on the question Mark icon to the right of the Orthographic views will open up the uMake Help panel. Here you can find videos to help you get started with uMake or help refresh your memory about a certain function in case you need a refresher.

Essentially you can access help videos and tutorials/ Courses right from within the editor, and then follow along in the editor if you want.

Tapping on any of the videos will open up a video player right in the editor. You can move and resize this player anywhere in the editor to make it easy to follow along.

The Side Panels

in uMake houses several functions and features that help with the creation process. Within the side Panel you will find the uMake Playground Asset library, the Image Library, Layers panel, View Panel, Settings panel, Export Panel, and Support panel.

To Open the side panel tap the rectangle button in the upper right corner (this is the default location based on the default uMake interface setup). Tap the icon with a small arrow to hid the side panel when you don’t need it.

The uMake Playground:

The uMake Playground is uMakes’ asset library with over 200 professionally made models and assets to help you get started with your creations. Tap on the icon with small shapes to open the Playground Panel.

You will then be presented with four main categories for the assets - Transportation, Primitives, Architecture, and Product. Tapping on any of the 4 main categories will take you to a menu with sub categories of different assets. Tapping on any of these will then take you to the asset library.

To download an import a model into your canvas, simply tap on the model/asset you would like to use. This will start the download of the model. Once the model is downloaded, the icon will change from being grayed out to fully colored. Then just tap and drag on the icon to your canvas, and you will load the model into your project.

The fifth icon in the main category menu, ‘My Files’, let’s you use previously opened files files that you have created. If you see the project you want to import into your current project, simply tap and drag on the file to bring it into your current project.

If you don’t see the model you are looking for, you will need to exit out of your current project, open the file you want to use. Then go back to the previous project and go to ‘My Files’ again. You should now see the previously opened file and be able to use it.

Photos:

The uMake Photos panel lets you use your own photos, access hundreds of pre-made textures, and add atmospheres to your designs. Tap on the icon with a small set of mountains to access the photos panel.

You will now have the choice of ‘My Photos’, ‘Textures’ and ‘Atmosphere’. Tapping on any of these will take you to specific menus which will give you even more choices.

My Photos:

Tapping on ‘My Photos’ will take you to a separate menu where you will be able to access the camera, access your Photos on your device, or even access the Files app if you have images in your iCloud Drive.

Below these three options you will find images that may have previously been opened for easy access.

Tapping on the Camera will open the camera and enable you to take photos of your sketches or other content you may want to use in your design. Any picture you take will be loaded in the images section below.

Tapping on ‘Photos’ will open your image library and and let you access any your albums on your device. Simply navigate to an album or your camera roll, and then navigate to the image you would like to use. Tapping on any image will import the image into your image library.

From the image library, simply drag your images onto your canvas to begin using the image for reference or inspiration. You can even drag an image onto a surface to use it for texture/ decoration.

Textures:

Tapping on the Textures category will open up another menu with six categories of textures. Tapping on any of these categories will take you to textures that you can begin using right away. As with playground assets, you will need to tap on the texture you would like to use first to load the texture. Once loaded, you can simply drag it onto the canvas.

Atmospheres:

Tapping on the Atmosphere category will take you to the Atmosphere panel, allowing you to add an ‘Atmosphere’ to your canvas. You can add a solid background color, or pre-made atmospheres to your project. For those of you who are familiar with other 3D rendering applications, this is similar to adding environments to your scene.

To add a solid color, tap on color and then choose a color. You will see that the background changes.

To add a different type of atmosphere, tap on any of the other 4 categories, and then tap on any of the thumbnails to download the atmosphere. Tap once again to load the atmosphere into your scene.

Layers:

Layers let you create complex designs and manage various parts of the uMake Model. Layers can be used to organize a model, show or hide certain parts, and change the visibility attributes of parts of a model.

Each file starts with one “Default” layer. This is where any any objects that you create – curves or surfaces, will be placed. When you create a new file, if you begin sketching or creating objects, all of these objects will be placed on the “default” layers.

Tapping the ‘+’ icon in the upper right of the layers panel will add a new layer. You can add as many layers as you want in uMake using the plus button.

Each Layer is presented with 4 visible elements:

  • Layer handle - represented by 4 dots. This lets you change the order of layers. To use the Layer handle, tap on the left edge of a layer and hold. After 1 second, the layer will shrink, and you will be able to drage the layer up or down to change the order of the layers.
  • Visibility indicator - This is the circle on each layer. If blue it means the layer is visible. If gray it means the layer is hidden, and if Yellow, it means the layer is locked.
  • Layer name - this is where the name of the layer is displayed.
  • Layer options arrow - Tapping on the arrow all the way to the right of a layer will open up the layer options. Each layer has it’s own set of options that change various attributes of a layer.

Layer Options

By tapping on the layer Options arrow, you will be given the following options:
  • Back - this will exit out of the layer options.
  • Opacity - this will change the opacity of they layer. Tapping on this option will open up a slider. Sliding the slider to the left will result in the layer elements being invisible. Conversely sliding the slider to the right will result in the objects being shown at 100% opacity. You can use this slider to make objects semi translucent. When you are done sliding the slider, simply tap on the check mark to the right of the slider to go back to layer options.
  • Assign - when you have 1 or more object (Surfaces or curves) selected, tap on assign to assign those elements to that layer. If you created some objects on one layer and wish to transfer those objects to another layer, you can do this by selecting the objects you wish to ‘reassign’ to a new layer, then selecting the layer you want to put them on, tap layer options, and then tap ‘Assign’.
  • Unlocked/ Locked - You can lock layers so that objects on those layers are not selected or moved while you work. Tap ‘Unlocked’ to lock a layer, and ‘Locked’ to unlock the layer - the icon shows the locked status of the layer. You can also Lock/ Unlock a layer by swiping to the right on any layer. Swipe once to lock, swipe again to unlock.
    *Rename - Rename lets you rename a layer. By default layers are given the name of Layer 1, Layer 2 Layer 3 etc. You can rename a layer to fit your design by tapping on Rename.
  • Delete - Tap delete to delete a layer. Keep in mind that all contents assigned to that layer will also be deleted.

View Panel

The View panel enables you to choose what you see and don't see as you work. Here you can change the visibility of certain objects and interface elements while you work.

Saved Views

Save specific views. Toggling between views will animate the camera between views. This is great for presenting your projects. Tap on saved views to create views. Tap the '+' button to add a view. Each view can be renamed or deleted. You can create as many views as needed. If you tap on the Camera icon at the top, toggling between views will be animated.

Objects

- Toggle on the visibility of Curves or Surfaces. Great if you need to quickly hide all curves, or surfaces as you work.

Grid

Toggle on or off elements of the canvas grid
  • Axis - Show or hide the X, Y, and Z axes.
  • Grid - Show or hide the Grid
  • Grid Subdivisions - Show or hide the grid subdivisions. Note - Grid must be enabled to show subdivisions.

Visualization

The visualization elements improve the overall look of a model in uMake by adding shadows and reflections. This is where you can toggle those elements on or off.
  • Reflection - when using reflective materials, this is where you can toggle on or off how they reflect.
  • Object Shadow - when you have complex objects, uMake can create shadows between various objects to add depth and dimension to the design. This can be toggled on or off to show shadows cast by various objects on one another.
  • Ground Shadow - Objects close to the ‘ground’ plane can cast shadows on the ground. Toggle them on or off here.

Settings

The settings panel is where you can toggle certain interface settings for better performance.

User Interace

Here you will find elements that will make using uMake's interface easier
  • Quick Menus - Toggle the quick menu option on or off here. Quick menus reside in the lower corner of the interface opposite the Orbit button. Quick menus make it easier to access the snap and symmetry functions.
  • Apple Pencil - This toggles the Apple Pencil mode on or off. If you have an iPad that is compatible with the Apple Pencil, using Apple Pencil Mode will slightly change how uMake works. You will be able to orbit with one finger, and only the pencil will sketch curves. This can speed up your work flow.
  • Left- Hand Interface - Toggling on the Left Hand interface will reverse the default interface and place the side panel on the left and the orbit button on the right to make it easier for left handed users to use uMake.

Graphic Fig 50

Precision

These are where Settings and tools for precision design can be found
  • Grid Units - You can choose the units for the grid here to make working with the grid easier and more meaningful. Tap on grid units, then select a unit of measurement you wish to work with. You can also then customize the how the grid scales as you work with it with the Grid Spacing settings below. Adaptive will change the grid as you zoom in and out, while fixed will keept he grid the same as you zoom in and out.
  • Dimensions - Toggling dimensions on will show dimensions of the bounding box of any object you select. The units will correspond to the grid units you choose under ‘Grid Units’. When you have dimensions toggled, you can change the dimensions of any selected object by tapping on the dimension displayed on the bounding box.

Snap Tools

Here you can toggle on various snap settings to help make designing with more precision easier.

  • Snap To Grid - This will snap the center of objects such as curves or surfaces to the grid. However it when enabled, it will let you snap control points to grid intersections.
  • Center of Axis - This will align the center of the selected object up with the center of one of the 3 Axes. Helpful if you want to center an object along one of the axes.
  • Center of an Object- This will snap the center of on object to the center axis of another object - helpful when you are trying to align to objects by their centers.
  • Edges - This will snap the alignment of the edge of one object to edge of another object. Helpful if you want to try and align the edge of one object to another.
  • Curve Edges - When working with control points, you can snap a control point to the end point on another curve.
  • Any Curve Point - When working with control points, this will snap control points along any point on other curves.

-NOTE:A subset of snap tools can be found in the quick menu tools. The Snap Tools found in settings offer a few more options such as Center of Axis.

Symmetry

If you want to work with symmetry, you can choose which axis to reflect over here.

  • X-Axis - Lets you create symmetrical designs over the X Axis. Good for use with the Top, Bottom, Left, or Right Views.
  • Y-Axis - Lets you create symmetrical designs over the Y Axis. Use for Left, Right, Front or Back views.
  • Z-Axis - Lets you create symmetrical designs over the Z Axis. Use for Top, Bottom, Front or Back Views.

-NOTE: Symmetry tools can also be found in the quick menu tools.

Auto Surfacing

Toggle on or off auto surfacing here. When toggled on, any set of planar curves (Curves on the same plane) will automatically create a surface. Toggle off if you would prefer not to automatically create surfaces.

Export

The export panel lets you export your uMake creates as images or 3D files.

Save as Photo

Tap 'Save as Photo' to save a PNG image to your Photos app on your iPad. The images uMake exports are transparent PNG's to make working with them easy.

Export to File

Tap export to file to export to multiple 3D file formats. You will be presented with a list of formats to choose from. Chose your preferred file type and then select a method to export the file - Save to Files App (iCloud Drive), Send via e-mail (iOS Mail App) or send to another device (iPhone, iPad or Mac) using AirDrop.

  • Export as STP - STEP is a universal file format that works well with several types of software and maintains NURBS quality. Surfaces remain separate with STP files.
  • Export as IGES - IGES is a universal file format that works well with several type of software. While it does maintain good quality, IGES files are often grouped together and surfaces and curves are more difficult to separate depending on the program opening the IGES file.
  • EXPORT as OBJ - This converts your uMake NURBS file into a polygonal file format that is a standard across many applications.
  • Export as STL - STL files are often the standard for 3D printing and milling operations. Files from uMake are not ‘watertight’ and sealed and may require additional work before they can be printed or milled.
  • Export as UMK - UMK is the uMake native file format. This is a good option if you are saving the file to another device, archiving a file, or know you will be working with this file with uMake. UMK files cannot be read by any other application other than uMake.

Copy to other Apps

Use this function to send a UMK file to other apps for sharing with a team or friend. This does not export the file-- it is more for saving or sharing with others.

Support

Access uMake Support right from within uMake in the Support Panel. The support panel gives you options to report bugs, provide feedback, follow your support tickets, and access uMake Forums.

Report a Bug

We hate bugs and are always trying to squash them. That said they are a part of software life, so if you come across a bug, please let us know. Use the Report bug function to let us know about a bug you find.

Feedback

Have a suggestion or feedback for us? We love to hear from our users and are always working hard to make things better. If you have feedback, we want to hear from you! Use the Feedback function to easily send us your feedback.

My Tickets

Submitted a support ticket? Need to create a new ticket? Use the 'My Tickets' to contact and us and follow the status of your tickets. If you need support, My Tickets makes it easy to get in touch with us, submit a support ticket and follow the progress of tickets you may already have.

Forums

Have other questions? What to interact with other uMakers? Use this function to easily access, join, and participate in our forum.

Quick Menus

The quick Menu's, if enables in settings, let you quickly access Snap and Symmetry tools. They are located opposite the Orbit Button in the lower corner of the interface.

By default Quick Menus show icons for the Snap tools. From left to right, you can toggle the following snap tools:

  • Snap to Grid
  • Snap Center of Object
  • Snap Control Points to curve ends
  • Snap Control Points to any Curve point
  • Snap Tool/ Symmetry Tool toggle

For more details on the snap tools see the Snap Tool Settings here.

To switch to Symmetry Tools,

tap the right most icon to toggle the Symmetry Function. Tap Symmetry to show the 3 Axes. Left to right you will have
  • Z Axis Symmetry (Blue)
  • Y Axis Symmetry (Green)
  • X Axis Symmetry (Red)

To toggle on one of the axes, symply tap on the axis you prefer to reflect over.

For more details on the symmetry tool see the Symmetry Tool Settings here

Multi-Select/ Lasso Tool

The Multi Select/ Lasso Tool can be found next to the Blue Orbit Button. The multi-select tool makes it easy to select multiple objects at the same time. To use the tool, simply tap and hold on the tool with one finger. With the other finger, draw a selection around the elements you wish to select using your finger or stylus. As you draw the selection (blue line) elements in the canvas will change color indicating they are selected - curves and surfaces will change to a blue color indicating they are selected. Graphic Fig 56 Graphic Fig 57

Orbit Button

The orbit button lets you tumble and orbit around in 3D space, letting you easily see your creations in 3D space and enabling 3D sketching. The orbit button is what takes you out of 2D orthographic views and into 3D perspective.

Using the Orbit Button

To use the orbit button, simply tap and hold on the orbit button with one finger, and then slide another finger or stylus across the screen to move around in 3D space. This is best done using two hands.

Moving the Orbit button - Left handed Interface

The orbit button can also be moved to any of the four corners. By default the orbit button is located in the lower left corner of uMakes interface.

Moving the Orbit button to the right side of the interface will set up uMake for Left handed users.

To move the Orbit button, simply tap and hold on the button for more than one second, then drag the orbit button to any of the four corners. As you drag the button, you will see indications as to where the button can be placed.

View Mode

Double tapping on the orbit button will initiate 'View Mode' letting users orbit and tumble the camera without having to tap and hold on the orbit button. In 'view mode' you will not be able to sketch or create as the mode is primarily for viewing work with ease.

Undo / Redo

uMake lets you undo/ redo steps with ease. Accidentally moved a curve or surface? Tried creating a curve but didn’t like the result? No problem, use the undo/ redo buttons to simply undo or redo the most recent actions.

The Undo/ Redo buttons are located just above the Orbit button, indicated by curved arrows pointing to the left and right. The undo button points to the left, while the redo button points to the right.

uMake gives you unlimited undo’s from when a file was opened. If you exit out of a file, and then open it again, you will not be able to undo actions taken in the previous session.

Editing tools side menu

The Dynamic Side Menu is a menu that contains tools for creation that dynamically appears and changes based on what you are doing in uMake. Whenever you select a curve, a surface, or a group of objects, the dynamic menu will appear with a list of tools and options. These options can dynamically change depending on what elements are selected. The side menu will always apear on the same side of the screen as the orbit button, or opposite the Side Panel.

Done (green checkmark)

The green check mark always appears at the top of the side menu and can be to to confirm that you are done using a tool or to exit out of the selection mode.

Copy

Before we talk about the copy tool, just remember this - always remember to turn it off right after to make your copy!
The copy tool makes it easy to copy/ duplicate curves, surfaces and groups of curves and surfaces. Copy can be very powerful. Select the elements you want to copy, then tap copy to turn it on. Any transformation (Movement) of the selected objects will create copies of those objects as long as copy is on. This includes moving objects, rotating objects, and scaling objects. That said, as long as copy is on, each time you move, scale, or rotate an object, a new copy will be created. So, if you want to make one copy, tap copy to turn it on, move your selection, and then tap copy once again to turn it off.

Mirror

The Mirror tool in uMake is very useful if you want to reflect objects over a chosen axis to create a symmetrical design. In design, it is often easier to work on just one side of a design, and then reflect that side over an axis to create a symmetrical design. You can use the Mirror tool to do this. Simply select curves, surfaces or groups of objects, and then tap mirror. This will give you the choose to reflect the selected objects over the X, Y, or Z axis. Tap on one of the Axes and uMake will create a mirrored copy of the selection on the other side of the axis.

BONUS: If you use Mirror with symmetry on, then any object reflected over an axis will update if you need to modify that object in the future and symmetry is still on.

Edit Curve

If you select one or more curves, tap "Edit" to enable the editing function. This will let you modify curves and their control points. Any selected curve will go into edit mode displaying control points that can then be moved. Once you are done editing curves, either double tap on the blank canvas or tap the green check mark.

Extrude

The extrude tool enables you to create extruded surfaces from curves. An extruded surface takes the contours of any curve and creates a surface from that contour. Extruding surfaces is one of several ways you can create surfaces in uMake. In addition you can also create extrusions along paths with the extrude tool. Using the extrude tool is easy. When you have one OR two curves selected, you will see the extrude function available in the uMake Side Menu. Tap on extrude. You will now the following 3 options:
  • Two Ways: Two ways extrudes the surface in two directions at the same time. This is good if you have a curve in the middle and want to make a symmetrical surface.
  • Wire frame: Tap wire frame to show a wire frame surface versus an opaque surface.
  • Along Path: When you have two curves selected, and want to create an extrusion along a path, tap Along path.

Once you tap extrude, you will see a yellow dot appear in the middle of the selected curve. This is what we call a ‘Handle’. Tap and drag the handle to create the extruded surface. Depending on the angle of the camera and the direction you pull the handle, your extrusion can change. Ideally you want to drag the handle perpendicular to the long side of the curve. If you have two ways on, the extrusion will extrude in two directions. Once you are done with the extrusion, tap the green check mark.

If you want to create an extrusion along a path, you first must have two selected curves. One curve will act as a path, and the other will act as a profile-- this curve will determine the shape of the surface, while the path will determine the direction. Then tap ‘Along Path’. The yellow handle will appear on one of the two curves. Make sure that the yellow handle is on the curve you want to extrude- the profile curve. Drag the handle along the path to the point that you want (this can be partial distance of the path or full length) and then when you are done tap the green check mark.

For more information on using the extrude tool, check out this video here:

Group

In addition to having layers, uMake lets you create groups of objects. This makes it easier to create complex models and easily modify the model if you need to. For example, if you want to make wheels of a car, or fan blades for a jet engine, you can group several surfaces and curves to make it easier to select a group of objects.

To create a group of objects, select multiple objects and then tap ‘Group’ in the side menu. This will create a group of objects.

NOTE: If you have objects on separate layers and create a group, the group and objects will be moved to the Default layer. If you ungroup the group, the objects will go back to their original layers.

Revolve

One way to create surfaces is using the revolve tool. The revolve uses a ‘Profile’ curve and then revolves that curve around a determined ‘axis’ to create a surface. This is good for making shapes like vases, cones, domes, and other complex surfaces that will result in a circular or arched surface.

To use the Revolved surface tool, simply select one curve, and then tap ‘Revolve’.

Once you tap Revolve, you will be presented with 3 more options in the Revolve tool:

  • Revolution angle: Tap this to change the revolution angle-- this is the angle of revolution-- you can slide the slider between 5 and 360º.
  • Snap: Snap will assist you in snapping the axis of the revolution to either perfectly vertical, 45º or perfectly horizontal.
  • Wireframe: This will create a wireframe of the revolved surface versus a full surface.

After toggling these options, you will see two blue handles at the end of the selected curve and (sometimes) dotted blue line between those handles. This is the axis of revolution. By default, the axis of revolution defaults to a straight line between the endpoints of a curve. Taping and dragging on either of the blue handles will change the axis of revolution. You can move either handle and as you do you will notice a dashed blue line between the handles. As you move the handle you will see the revolved surface update in real time. Moving the axis will change the shape of the revolved surface. You can even move the axis away from the initial curve. This will result in a hole in the middle of the revolved surface but this is how you create wheels and other more complex revolved surfaces.

Once you are done creating a revolved surface, tap the green check mark.

Array

The Array tool enables you to create a Polar array of objects in uMake. You can make up to 16 duplicates in a polar array. A polar array is a circular array – its good for creating things like markers on a clock or watch, spokes for a wheel, or other kinds of more complex designs.

To use the array tool select the objects you would like to array.

The array tool will open up and give you two sliders:

  • Angle: Angle of the array-- this will enable you to change the angle that the array will be in- from 30º to 360º
  • Copies: The next slider lets you choose how many copies (including the original) you would like to create-- you can choose 2-16 copies.

Once you have selected the angle and number of copies, you will notice a small green circle at the center of the array. Move this small green circle to where you want the center of the array to be. Keep in mind that changing the angle of view will change how the array is. It is best to create arrays from one of the orthographic views, such as the front, side, or top views. Once you are happy with the array you’ve created, tap the green check mark.

NOTE: When creating an array, if you have a circle and want to center the array in a circle, uMake will detect this situation and if you drag the green center of the array to the center of the circle curve, uMake will snap the center of the array to the center of the circle. This is great for making things like watches, wheels or other complex designs that need to be centered in a circle.

Erase

The erase tool lets you erase curves, surfaces, and groups with ease. Simply select what you would like to erase, then tap ‘Erase’. It’s really that easy. If you accidentally erase something, you can use the ‘Undo’ function to recover it.

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