Pie Menu Guide¶

The DAMTools pie menu is your central hub for accessing all tools efficiently. This guide explains the layout, customization options, and usage patterns.

Default Access¶

Default: The default DAMTools shortcut is Shift + W
Hotkey: Configure in Edit → Preferences → Keymap
Search: Press F3 and type "DAMTools"
Quick Access: Add to Quick Favorites for one-click access

Recommended Hotkeys

Popular choices include Shift + Q, Alt + Q, or Ctrl + Shift + A. Choose what feels natural for your workflow.

Layout & Organization¶

The pie menu is organized into logical sections positioned around a circle:

Top - Most Used¶

Dynamic list of your 6 most frequently used tools
Tools marked with ★ when in your favorites
Icon-only display for quick recognition
Adapts to Object/Edit mode

Left - Manipulation¶

Core modeling tools for object creation and modification:

damPrimitives: Interactive primitive creation
Extract Faces Interactive: Multi-object face selection
Extract N Expand: Face extraction and expansion
Quick Slice: Line-based cutting tool
Revolve: Revolutionary solid creation
Internal Union: Boolean operations

Right - Edit/Drawing¶

Selection and editing tools:

Join Nearby: Proximity-based joining
Batch Rename Spatial: Position-based renaming
Layer Selector: Multi-layer selection
Model Replace: Object replacement
X-Ray Toggle: Transparency control

Cleaning Section¶

Destructive Mirror: Bounding box mirroring
Topo Cleaner: Mesh cleanup (Default/Aggressive)
Mat Delete: Material removal

Bottom - File Handling & Transform¶

File Handling (Bottom Left)¶

Import Batch: Multi-file import
Import Options: Configuration dialog
Extract Selected: Selection extraction
Export STL: Batch STL export
SlicerExport: 3D printing export

Toggles (Bottom Center)¶

TransfConstrain: Enhanced transforms
KeyCast: Input visualization

Transform (Bottom Right)¶

Place on Floor: Ground alignment
Align Face Z0: Face-based alignment
Apply & Origin Bottom: Transform application
Arrange X/Y: Object distribution
Arrange Grid by Prefix: Name-based arrangement
Bounding Wireframe: Wireframe creation

Right - Hard Surface¶

Advanced modeling tools:

Paneling: Surface panel creation
Bolting: Bolt and rivet placement
Random Selector: Randomized selection

Mode Adaptation¶

The pie menu intelligently adapts to your current context:

Object Mode¶

Full menu with all tools available
Focus on object-level operations
Transform and arrangement tools prominent

Edit Mode¶

Simplified menu focusing on mesh editing
Edit/Edges section highlighted:
Connect Vertices Smart
Outset Coplanar
Beveled Extrude
Face Grid
Forced Loop
Most Used tools filtered for edit mode compatibility

Smart Features¶

Usage Tracking¶

DAMTools learns your preferences
Most Used section updates dynamically
Tools you use frequently get ★ indicators
Statistics improve menu relevance

Visual Feedback¶

Custom Icons: Each tool has a unique visual identifier
Color Coding: Consistent colors for tool categories
Status Indicators: Visual feedback for toggle states
Tooltips: Hover for detailed descriptions

Context Awareness¶

Tools appear/disappear based on current mode
Poll functions ensure only valid tools are shown
Intelligent fallbacks for missing dependencies

Customization¶

Tool Visibility¶

Configure which tools appear in your pie menu:

Open DAMTools preferences
Navigate to Tool Visibility section
Enable/disable individual tools
Enable/disable entire categories

Category Toggles¶

Control entire sections:

Manipulation: Core modeling tools
Edit/Draw: Selection and editing
Cleaning: Mesh cleanup tools
Toggles: Tool activation switches
File Handling: Import/export
Transform: Arrangement and alignment
Hard Surface: Advanced modeling

Icon Preferences¶

Choose between icon-only or text+icon display
Adjust icon sizes for your screen resolution
Customize colors and themes

Workflow Integration¶

Quick Access Patterns¶

Modeling Session: 1. damPrimitives → Create base shapes 2. Quick Slice → Cut and modify 3. Extract Faces → Work on details 4. Topo Cleaner → Final cleanup

Scene Organization: 1. Batch Import → Bring in assets 2. Arrange Grid → Initial layout 3. Align Face → Precise positioning 4. Batch Export → Output results

Hard Surface Workflow: 1. damPrimitives → Base geometry 2. Paneling → Surface details 3. Bolting → Mechanical elements 4. SlicerExport → Manufacturing output

Efficiency Tips¶

Muscle Memory: Practice the pie positions until they become automatic
Mode Switching: Learn the Edit/Object mode differences
Favorites: Let the Most Used section guide your common workflows
Keyboard: Combine with standard Blender shortcuts for maximum speed

Troubleshooting¶

Common Issues¶

Menu Not Appearing

Check your hotkey configuration
Ensure DAMTools is enabled in preferences
Restart Blender if recently installed

Missing Tools

Verify you're in the correct mode (Object/Edit)
Check tool visibility settings
Some tools require specific object types selected

Icons Not Loading

Restart Blender after installation
Check console for icon loading errors
Verify addon installation completed successfully

Performance¶

For very large scenes: - Disable unnecessary categories to reduce menu complexity - Use tool search (F3) instead of pie menu for occasional tools - Consider mode-specific hotkeys for frequently used tools

Master the Pie Menu

The pie menu becomes incredibly powerful once you learn the positions. Practice using it regularly and customize it to match your workflow!

Next Steps

Ready to explore specific tools? Check out the Tool Categories for detailed documentation on each tool.