Open the studio

Guides & help

Learn every part of the studio with the step-by-step user guide, and read practical guides for 3D artists who sell their work.

83 articles

User guide

Step-by-step tutorials for every part of Shot3D, with screenshots. New here? Start with part 1.

  1. Part 1 4 min read Getting started with Shot3D: a tour of the studio A guided tour of the Shot3D studio: the top bar, the model library, the 3D viewport, the camera toolbar and the settings inspector, with screenshots.
  2. Part 2 4 min read Importing 3D models into Shot3D How to import GLB, glTF, FBX, OBJ, STL, PLY and 3MF models into Shot3D by browsing, dragging and dropping, or dropping a whole folder with textures.
  3. Part 3 3 min read Managing models: select, hide, focus, rotate and remove How to use the Shot3D Models list to select models, check their size and polycount, hide them from exports, focus the camera, rotate them 90° and normalise sizes.
  4. Part 4 7 min read Saving and opening projects How to save your models, look, camera and export settings as a Shot3D project in your browser, reopen it later, and move it to another device as a .shot3d file.
  5. Part 5 6 min read Checking models with Model Doctor How to check your 3D models for holes, flipped faces, non-manifold edges, missing textures and stray pieces before you sell or print them, and fix common problems in a click.
  6. Part 6 3 min read Using look presets (and saving your own) How to apply Shot3D's 24 built-in look presets, tweak them, and save your own custom presets so every listing image matches your store's style.
  7. Part 7 2 min read The preset library How to browse Shot3D's library of ready-made looks, apply one to your models in a click, and keep the ones you like in My presets.
  8. Part 8 4 min read Lighting controls: environment, key, fill and rim lights A complete guide to the Shot3D Lighting tab, covering environment lighting, the key, fill and rim lights, ambient light, ground shadows, exposure, tone mapping and lights that follow the camera.
  9. Part 9 3 min read Backgrounds: solid, gradient, HDRI and transparent PNG How to set the background behind your 3D models in Shot3D: a solid colour, a radial or linear gradient, a blurred HDRI environment, or a transparent PNG cut-out.
  10. Part 10 3 min read Photoreal mode How to switch on Shot3D's photoreal path-traced rendering for realistic reflections, soft light and depth of field, choose the quality, and export photoreal images.
  11. Part 11 2 min read Clay renders, 3D print previews and normal views (material overrides) How to use Shot3D's material overrides to render your 3D models in matte clay, as a 3D print with layer lines, or as a surface-normals view, without changing your files.
  12. Part 12 3 min read Wireframe renders: quads, triangles, shaded and X-ray How to use Shot3D's wireframe override to show your model's true quad topology, switch to triangles, choose shaded or X-ray styles, set line colours and thickness, and read the topology stats.
  13. Part 13 3 min read Camera angles and navigating the viewport How to move around your 3D models in Shot3D with the mouse, jump to the eight standard listing angles in one click or keypress, and frame your models perfectly.
  14. Part 14 3 min read Lens, field of view and framing margin How to choose a lens in Shot3D (Telephoto, Product, Normal or Wide), fine-tune the field of view, set the framing margin around your models, and use auto-rotate and the ground grid.
  15. Part 15 3 min read Exporting a thumbnail: aspect ratio, resolution and file names How to export a PNG thumbnail from Shot3D, choosing the aspect ratio, resolution and file name, and using the export frame to see exactly what will be captured.
  16. Part 16 3 min read Exporting individual thumbnails for every model How to use the Individual thumbnails export in Shot3D to render a separate, automatically framed PNG of every model in one click, delivered as a ZIP or separate files.
  17. Part 17 3 min read Exporting a contact sheet of every model How to export a contact sheet in Shot3D: every visible model framed the same way and laid out in one labelled grid image, for asset pack listings and previews.
  18. Part 18 3 min read Exporting a listing kit for CGTrader, Fab or Unity How to export every image a 3D model listing needs in one click with Shot3D's listing kits, sized and arranged for CGTrader, Fab or the Unity Asset Store.
  19. Part 19 4 min read Exporting a 360° turntable video (MP4 or GIF) How to export a seamless 360° turntable MP4 in Shot3D, covering resolution, duration, frame rate, spin or orbit motion and direction, as an MP4 or a looping GIF, plus previewing it with auto-rotate.
  20. Part 20 3 min read Colour variants: render a model in every colour How to render each model in many colours, materials or 3D printing filaments in one batch, named automatically, and import colour lists from a spreadsheet as CSV.
  21. Part 21 3 min read Recipes: rerun your whole export process in one click How to save your look, camera angle, sizes, material passes and exports as a Shot3D recipe, run it on any new pack in one click, and share it as a file.
  22. Part 22 2 min read Keyboard shortcuts Every Shot3D keyboard shortcut in one place, from camera angles and framing to hiding models and exporting thumbnails.
  23. Part 23 5 min read Accounts, plans and billing How to create a Shot3D account, compare the Free, Pro and Studio plans, start the £1 Pro trial, upgrade or switch plans, manage billing and cancel your subscription.
  24. Part 24 24 min read Reel Studio: the complete guide to 3D model promo videos Turn 3D models into promo videos for Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts: camera moves, material wipes, exploded views, animated text, your logo and MP4 export, explained in full.

Articles

Workflows and advice for making listing images that sell.

Studio shortcuts

Task-focused shortcuts that open the studio ready for the job. For converters, calculators and other tools that work on their own page, see Free tools.