Gravity Sketch

This is a Work-In-Progress Article. Please come back soon!

Gravity Sketch allows you to model objects in 3D space quickly and intuitively. Being in virtual reality allows you to remove that barrier of a CAD program having to visually represent 3D space on your 2D Computer screen.

In Gravity Sketch, rather than having to judge the location of a corner point for example by juggling looking at the 4-viewport view. In Gravity Sketch you can literally reach out and move the corner point by picking it up with your hand and moving it to a new location.

However, attempting to describe VR in writing is perhaps even more of a stretch than the representation of 3D space on a 2D screen. There simply is no good way to experience it, other than to try it for yourself!

Gravity Sketch Controller layout for Vive Cosmos Controllers

Please note that the below button assignment changes depending on the modes/actions you are performing in Gravity Sketch.

2. Main VR Menu 4. Main Gravity Sketch 5. Tool Palette 6. Delete/Step-Through Actions

2. Trigger is used to confirm choices as well as place objects in Gravity Sketch 3. The grip button is used to 'pick-up' items and select items.

Quick Overview

Please note that the topics below are just a quick overview over some of the features you may find useful. There are numerous other features that we haven't touched on here and are best learned by exploring in Gravity Sketch itself or watching the tutorials that can be accessed from inside Gravity sketch by clicking the Main Menu button on your left joystick (4 or Y in the first diagram above) and then selecting the last menu on the bottom (the PhD Hat).

Sketching in Gravity Sketch

Gravity Sketch lets you sketch in true 3D space, removing the need to keep perspective in mind when sketching on 2D paper. You are able to scale up or down, and to rotate your sketch easily, allowing you to view it from any angle.

Please see this video for a demonstration.

Insert reference images

Gravity Sketch allows you to insert reference images. Insert images into your virtual workspace just for inspiration or orient different views of the same object to model right on top of it.

Please see this video for a demonstration.

Face-Extrusion workflow

One of the most powerful and fast workflows in Gravity Sketch is to start with a primitive cube and to extrude the faces and to manipulate vertexes. Please see this demonstration for a primer on how to get started yourself.

Subdivision modeling

Subdivision modeling lets you control the amount of smoothing and extrapolation that the program will do, turning your blocky polygons into smooth curved renders. Learn how to control vertexes to selectively create sharper creases.

Please see this video for a demonstration.

How to export

When exporting please make sure to select double-sided and welded vertices for the .obj option. This will produce an easier to work with mesh.

Fixing meshes

Should your mesh generated in Gravity Sketch have issues such as naked edges for example, you can use applications like ZBrush, MeshMixer, or the online service Netfabb.