INTRODUCTION
The aim of this basic User Manual is to help new users become familiar with the interface, tools and principles of the Wings 3D modelling application.
Do not expect this basic manual to cover everything about using the Wings 3D toolset to meet your 3D modelling challenges. However you can find examples, tips, hints and some advanced topics to give you insights into how you can get started with Wings 3D. There’s a lot of other helpful material out there in the Wings 3D community, and an increasing amount of video tutorial material that’s worth searching for. You’ll also find that the Wings 3D User Forum is responsive.
Additional contributions, tips and tricks are welcome – see the Forum.
Status
This is (as of 2013) a Work-In-Progress. The Wings 3D Version is 1.4.1.
Documentation Sources
The method used to start this Manual is to adapt existing web-based material into WordPress format, within the Official Wings 3D website. There is no intention of usurping or denying copyright or ownership of this existing material (- please contact us via the Forum if we transgress). Where possible the original material and images are reproduced, or replaced with up to date material in line with the latest version of Wings 3D.
- The original Wings 3D Manual (pdf) was created by Jon M. Strother (pdf layout by Jason McAlpin) in 2003. This was a collaborative effort based on material submitted via the contemporary forum. While it did a good job of giving brief and concise explanations of many basic features, after nearly 10 years of further development of Wings 3D that version has grown out of date.
- The Wikibooks Wings3D version was originally based on the Wings 3D User Manual above, with updated contributions from the Wings 3D community. The Wikibooks version is (was?) in the process of being transcribed and adapted. However, the transcription appears to have ‘stalled’, so it is currently incomplete and also a little out of date.
- The Wings 3D Handbook (pdf) was written in 2009 by “Oortman3D”. This has some useful ‘getting started’ material but is also out of date and incomplete.
- Contributors to the Wings 3D forum have provided explanatory notes to the commands and features, and some are adapted here.
- When all else fails it’s down to visiting the code!
Conventions
When reading this manual, please note the following conventions:
- Menu Commands are shown as [Menu | Command | Subcommand], with the ” | ” symbol used between successive subcommands.
- The following abbreviations are used for mouse button and key combinations:
- LMB = click the Left Mouse Button.
- MMB = click the Middle Mouse Button.
- RMB = click the Right Mouse Button.
- Scroll = use the Scroll Wheel, where available.
- Insert, Delete keys = press the Insert key or Delete key, respectively.
- Ins, Del keys = press the Ins key or Del key (Numeric key pad) respectively.
- Space, Tab, Enter, etc. = press the Space bar, Tab key, Enter key, etc.
- Shift+key, Alt+Ctrl+key, etc = press key combinations, where key may be any alphanumeric key from the keyboard, e.g. when creating or using Hotkeys.
Note on Images
Please note that screen shots may differ from your own views, and inconsistencies may be due to …
- Using a different versions of Wings 3D at the time of the image capture.
- Color schemes are user definable and variable.
- The Wings 3D camera mode is assumed by default, but some image captures may use one of the many other camera modes available.