Getting started

1. Install: Edit › Preferences › Get Extensions › ▾ › Install from Disk, choose gridsmith-1.2.0.zip.
2. Press Alt+Q in Edit Mode or Object Mode (or N-panel › GridSmith › Sketch on Face).
3. Click a face, pick a tool, draw, press Enter.

New to it? N-panel › GridSmith › Learn GridSmith: 15 interactive lessons, Basics to Master. Each step ticks itself off when you do it.

Tools

• L Line / polygon: click points, click the first point (or right-click) to close
• R Rectangle: two corners
• Shift+R Slot: two centre-line points
• C Circle: centre, then radius
• G Guide: infinite construction line through two points

Output modes

• F Face: imprints the shapes as new faces. No boolean.
• E Extrude: imprint + extrude by Height (negative = pocket). Clean quads. Shapes crossing the face border switch to a boolean automatically.
• X Cut: boolean difference. Height 0 = through.
• A Add: boolean union (boss). On a world grid, creates a new object.
• I Intersect: keeps only what is inside the shapes.
• P Pipe: polyline → tube with rounded corners. Closed shapes → ring pipes.
• Tab cycles modes.

Numbers (scene units)

Type digits, then Enter. Units are allowed (25, 1m, 3in). Minus after the digits flips the sign.

• Drawing a line: segment length (snapped to 15° steps)
• Rectangle after first click: w,h (one number = square)
• Circle after centre: radius
• Slot: width before the first click, length after it
• Guide after first point: angle in degrees
• Otherwise: height / depth. H drags the height along the face normal.

Grid

• Ctrl+wheel or [ ]: grid size ÷2 / ×2
• Home: fit grid to the face · Ctrl+Home: origin to face centre · Shift+Home: reset alignment
• Ctrl+click edge / vertex: align grid to an edge / move origin to a vertex
• Q / W: rotate grid 15° (Alt: 5°) · Arrow keys: nudge one cell (Shift: half)
• Hold Shift: snap to half cells · hold Alt: no snapping · S: toggle mesh snapping
• Shift+click coplanar face: add it to the sketch region
• Home / F2 F3 F4 before picking a face: world XY / XZ / YZ grid at the 3D cursor

Shape helpers

• M Mirror: none → U → V → both
• D Array the last shape: move to set spacing, Shift+wheel for count, click
• J / Shift+J: offset copy / offset in place
• U: corner radius for rectangles, slots and polygons (0 = sharp)
• V: bevel the new edges after commit (0 = off)
• B: through-cuts also go above the face
• Shift+wheel or + / -: circle sides / slot width / array count / pipe sides

Commit, undo, exit

• Enter: commit and exit · Shift+Enter: commit and keep sketching · Alt+Enter: build as a new object
• N: non-destructive live cutters · T: pick a different face
• Backspace: remove last point · Ctrl+Z: remove last shape · Del: clear guides
• Esc / right-click: cancel the current shape, then exit · F1: show / hide key help

Live cutters

N-panel › GridSmith › Live Cutters: Apply, Show/Hide, Select. Cutters live in the GridSmith Cutters collection, are parented to the target, and the boolean is placed above your own modifiers so Bevel / Mirror still apply on top.

Preferences

Default grid size, snap radius, HUD scale, colours, sidebar tab name, default circle sides. The Alt+Q hotkey can be changed under Preferences › Keymap.