Your first model

Most PushForm models start the same way: draw a flat shape, then push or pull it into a solid. This guide makes a simple board.

Open a new Model document before you start.

Draw a rectangle

1. In the Draw group of the toolbar, choose Rectangle from the Shape dropdown.
2. Click once for the first corner.
3. Before you click again, type the width, press Tab, type the height, then press Enter.

You now have a flat rectangular face. Press Escape at any point to cancel an unfinished rectangle.

Push it into a solid

1. Choose Push/Pull.
2. Click the rectangle and move the pointer away from it. You’ll see a preview of the solid.
3. Type the thickness and press Enter, or click again to set it where the preview is.

The face is now a solid board. Push/Pull on one of its faces later to make it longer, wider or thicker. On a solid, a negative distance pushes into it.

If something goes wrong

• Undo with Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on macOS).
• A loose line can’t be pushed. The boundary must be closed and flat so PushForm can fill it with a face.
• PushForm keeps solids valid. If an operation can’t produce a valid solid, it’s rejected and nothing changes.

Next: find your way around.