---
title: "Work with the 3D canvas"
url: "https://help.cadchat.com/en/article/work-with-the-3d-canvas"
language: "en"
last_updated: "2026-07-12T23:23:07.452Z"
---

# Work with the 3D canvas

Navigate, inspect, and annotate 3D models in the CADchat 3D Canvas using mouse controls, the ViewCube, and toolbar tools.

## Open the 3D Canvas

Open a space and click the **3D Canvas** tab. If no model is loaded yet, click **Upload 3D models** or drag and drop a file into the upload zone. See [Upload a 3D model file to a space](https://help.cadchat.com/en/article/upload-a-3d-model-file-to-a-space) for supported formats and upload steps.

* * *

## ViewCube, and View Controls

The **ViewCube** in the top right corner shows orientation labels (FRONT, BACK, etc.). Click a face to snap to that standard view. Use the **Roll -90 / Roll +90** buttons next to the ViewCube to rotate the view, or click the **Home** icon to reset to the default view.

* * *

## Mouse Navigation

-   **Rotate**: Click and drag.
-   **Pan**: Right-click and drag.
-   **Zoom**: Scroll wheel.

![](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/56f9149f-b11e-4bd7-bf4a-4d318e590f13)

* * *

## First-person navigation

Click the **Walk controls** icon (fan shape) in the toolbar to enter first-person navigation mode. This is useful for large assemblies or architectural models.

![](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/86f9ccc6-afb7-46a0-8af2-365b1c27924c)

![](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/22d4ece7-ef82-4d1c-ac90-b342a5c33eea)

* * *

## Context menus

**Right-click** on the canvas background to open the canvas context menu with view and rendering options. See [Use the 3D canvas context menu](https://help.cadchat.com/en/article/use-the-3d-canvas-context-menu) for details.

![](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/4ee504be-996e-4ac3-a5ae-f01535817417)

**Right-click** directly on a model part to access part-specific options including zoom, hide, isolate, recolor, and apply materials. See [Interact with 3D model parts](https://help.cadchat.com/en/article/interact-with-3d-model-parts).

![](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/6a62390f-0507-4792-931a-deab6575ffec)

* * *

## Tips and edge cases

-   You can upload multiple files to the same space. They appear in the **Files** panel on the left.
-   Double-clicking a part triggers an action based on your **User Preferences** setting. The default is **Add Pin**.
-   If the model appears very small, right-click the canvas and choose **Fit To Screen**.
-   If navigation feels sluggish, try enabling **Limit Resolution** in **User Preferences**.
-   If the model doesn't appear after uploading, wait for processing to complete and refresh the page.

* * *

## Related articles

-   [Use the 3D canvas context menu](https://help.cadchat.com/en/article/use-the-3d-canvas-context-menu)
-   [Interact with 3D model parts](https://help.cadchat.com/en/article/interact-with-3d-model-parts)
-   [Use the 3D viewer tools](https://help.cadchat.com/en/article/use-3d-viewer-tools)
-   [Add and manage 3D model files](https://help.cadchat.com/en/article/upload-a-3d-model-file-to-a-space)
-   [Space settings overview](https://help.cadchat.com/en/article/space-settings-overview)