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Working with 3-D Models

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This article applies to Visual Studio 2015. If you're looking for the latest Visual Studio documentation, see Visual Studio documentation. We recommend upgrading to the latest version of Visual Studio. Download it here

You can use the Model Editor in Visual Studio to create 3-D models. You can use the models in your DirectX-based game or app.

3-D models

3-D models define the shape of objects as they exist in a 3-D scene. Models can be basic solitary objects, complex objects that are formed from hierarchies of basic objects, or even entire 3-D scenes. A 3-D object is made up of points in 3-D space (known as vertices), indices that define triangles, lines, or other primitives that are made up of those points, and attributes that might apply on a per-vertex or per-primitive basis—for example, surface normals. Additionally, some information might apply on a per-object basis—for example, which shader and textures will give the object its unique appearance.

The Model Editor is the only tool you need to create basic 3-D models—complete with material properties, textures, and pixel shaders—that you can use in your game or app. Or you can create placeholder models to use for prototyping and testing before you engage artists to finalize the models.

You can also use the Model Editor to view existing 3-D models that have been created by using full-featured tools, and to modify them if you observe problems in the art assets.

Title Description
Model Editor Describes how to use the Model Editor to work with 3-D models.
Model Editor Examples Provides links to topics that demonstrate how to use the Model Editor to perform common 3-D modeling tasks.