You’ill quickly discover that you’ll be wrestling with Paint3D’s interface as much as anything else. (If you’re confused, clicking the question-mark-shaped help icon in the upper-left-hand corner will walk you through the process.) This allows you to rotate the object to inspect it, but it should snap back to its original orientation once you’ve finished. If you choose to paint it another color, you may see the Sphere icon appear afterwards. The fourth (at the 9 o’clock position) will pull or push the cone closer to or away from you. Three of the handles will rotate the cone in space. When you release the button, a box will surround the object, with four circle-shaped handles. It’s a little confusing, but you’ll get the hang of it. Paint 3D assumes you’ll want to paint the Canvas first, then create 3D objects. Microsoft’s Paint 3D interface: Tools, 3D Objects, Stickers, Text, Canvas, and Effects. Click on an object in the menu on the right-a cone, for example-and left-click it into existence. 3D object creation: the meat of Paint3DĬreating and manipulating a simple, primitive 3D object is relatively intuitive, just like it is in the traditional Paint app. But you’re not here for 2D, are you? Click the cube-shaped 3D Objects icon to open up the 3D screen. In fact, even though the Canvas will probably be the first thing you interact with (or delete), the Canvas tab is fifth in the row of icons at the top of the screen. As you’ll quickly learn, Microsoft has its own ideas about how you should proceed, and they’re not always in line with how you’ll want to do things. The Canvas, in fact, is the only 2D object in Paint 3D-it’s just a plane, with no actual depth. Surrounding the cone is the interface to rotate and resize it. In the background is the Canvas, with a simple cone protruding through it. Aha! This could be an ocean background to a nautical scene.

Try clicking the crayon, then drawing a wavy blue line across the bottom of the Canvas. You should see some familiar painting tools to the right. Is this a workspace? A window? No, it’s the Canvas, a flat, 2D digital backdrop to your scene. A white space sits on a very faint grid at the bottom of your screen. It’s not immediately obvious what you’re looking at the first time you open Paint 3D.

IDG / Mark Hachmanīoth videos at the bottom of the Paint 3D welcome screen are worth watching, but the challenge at the top could be better implemented. Click the big New button and let’s dive in.

No worries-we’ve devised a better grand tour ourselves. Microsoft’s current version of Paint 3D ditches the somewhat confusing introduction it had before and tosses you right into the deep end.

Paint 3d ruler grid