Goxel: a voxel editor for creating 3D models
In the realm of 3D modeling, there is a niche dedicated to building with individual cubic blocks, known as voxels. Goxel positions itself as a specialized tool for this purpose, offering an environment where you can manipulate these fundamental units to shape digital sculptures with a characteristic pixelated aesthetic. 🧊
The workspace for sculpting with cubes
Goxel's interface centers on a three-dimensional grid where you operate directly. It's not about manipulating vertices or complex polygons, but about placing, painting, and deleting voxels intuitively. The program provides brushes to add or remove blocks, tools to apply color, and functions to duplicate or mirror sections of your creation. A layer system helps you organize parts of a more complex model, while basic lighting allows you to preview the shadows and volume of your work.
Key tools for modeling:- Construction brushes: Add or remove voxels with different shapes and sizes.
- Painting tools: Apply flat colors or gradients directly to the blocks.
- Transformation functions: Copy, rotate, and mirror groups of voxels to speed up the process.
The simplicity of just placing and removing cubes can be so absorbing that you end up with a glorious abstract sculpture instead of the dragon you planned.
Integrating creations into other projects
Once you've finished building your model, Goxel doesn't keep it captive. Its true utility shines in exporting the sculpture to widely compatible file formats. The most common are OBJ, GLTF, and PLY, which preserve the color information of each voxel. This process internally converts the block structure into a polygonal mesh, generating geometry that maintains the visible cubic appearance.
Formats and main uses:- OBJ/GLTF: Ideal for importing into game engines like Unity or Unreal Engine.
- PLY: Useful for exchanging models with 3D animation or rendering software.
- Polygonal mesh: The exported result maintains the low-resolution block aesthetic.
A direct approach to digital creativity
Goxel demonstrates that creative power sometimes lies in restriction. By limiting basic primitives to voxels, it eliminates the complexity of traditional polygonal modeling and focuses on pure spatial composition. It's a perfect tool for those seeking to produce assets with a retro block style, prototype ideas quickly in 3D, or simply enjoy a meditative and tangible creation process. Its workflow, from sculpting to exporting, is optimized so that your voxel creations come to life in other digital environments. 🎮