Quick Start Guide¶

Get productive with DAMTools in minutes! This guide covers the essential workflows and most useful tools.

First Steps¶

The pie menu is your gateway to all DAMTools functionality:

Default: The default DAMTools shortcut is Shift + W
Default Access: Look for your configured hotkey in Edit → Preferences → Keymap
Alternative: Search for "DAMTools" in the operator search (F3)

2. Understanding the Interface¶

The pie menu is organized into logical sections:

Most Used (Top): Dynamic favorites based on your usage
Manipulation (Left): Core modeling tools
Edit/Drawing (Right): Selection and editing tools
File Handling (Bottom Left): Import/export operations
Transform (Bottom Right): Alignment and arrangement
Toggles (Bottom): Tool activation switches

Essential Workflows¶

Creating Primitives¶

damPrimitives is perfect for quick shape creation:

Open the pie menu and select damPrimitives
Left Click: Place primitive at cursor
Drag: Adjust size while placing
Tab: Cycle through primitive types
Enter: Confirm placement

Pro Tip

Use damPrimitives instead of Blender's default Add menu - it's much faster for iterative modeling!

Interactive Face Extraction¶

Extract Faces Interactive lets you select faces across multiple objects:

Select objects containing faces you want to extract
Run Extract Faces Interactive
Click faces to select them (across all selected objects)
Enter: Extract selected faces as new objects
Esc: Cancel operation

Quick Boolean Operations¶

Quick Slice provides fast cutting operations:

Select the object to cut
Run Quick Slice
Draw a line across the object
The object is cut along the line
Alt + Click: Access Quick Slice Manager for existing cuts

Arranging Objects¶

Arrange X/Y tools help organize your scene:

Select multiple objects
Run Arrange X or Arrange Y
Objects are distributed evenly along the chosen axis
Use Arrange Grid by Prefix for more complex layouts

Mode-Specific Tools¶

Object Mode Essentials¶

Layer Selector: Select objects behind others
Model Replace: Replace objects with collection items
Align Face Interactive: Align objects to faces
Batch Export: Export multiple objects at once

Edit Mode Essentials¶

Connect Vertices Smart: Intelligently connect vertices
Outset Coplanar: Outset faces while maintaining coplanarity
Beveled Extrude: Combine extrusion with beveling
Face Grid: Create grid subdivisions on faces

Productivity Features¶

KeyCast Tool¶

Visualize your inputs in real-time:

Enable KeyCast in the Toggles section
Your keyboard and mouse inputs appear on screen
Perfect for tutorials and presentations
Customize position and appearance in preferences

Transform Constraints¶

TransfConstrain enhances transformation tools:

Enable in the Toggles section
Use standard transform tools (G, R, S)
Get enhanced constraint options and visual feedback
Works with all existing transform workflows

Usage Tracking¶

DAMTools learns your preferences:

Most Used section shows your favorite tools
Tools are marked with ★ when they're in your top 6
Statistics help optimize the interface for your workflow

Common Patterns¶

Hard Surface Modeling¶

Start with damPrimitives for base shapes
Use Quick Slice for cutting operations
Apply Paneling for surface details
Add Bolting for mechanical details
Use Topo Cleaner for final cleanup

Scene Organization¶

Use Batch Import to bring in multiple files
Apply Arrange Grid by Prefix for initial layout
Use Align Face Interactive for precise positioning
Apply Batch Rename Spatial for organized naming
Export with Batch Export or Slicer Export

Iterative Modeling¶

Create base geometry with standard tools
Use Extract Faces Interactive to work on sections
Apply Connect Vertices Smart for topology
Use Internal Union for boolean operations
Clean up with Topo Cleaner

Next Steps¶

Explore Categories¶

Now that you know the basics, dive deeper into specific categories:

Manipulation Tools - Core modeling operations
Transform Tools - Object arrangement and alignment
Hard Surface Tools - Mechanical modeling features

Advanced Features¶

Workflow Tips - Productivity techniques
Keyboard Shortcuts - Speed up your workflow
Performance Guide - Optimize for large scenes

You're Ready!

You now know the essential DAMTools workflows. Practice these patterns and explore specific tools as needed for your projects.

Learning More

Each tool has detailed documentation with specific tips and advanced features. Use the tool categories to explore what interests you most.