Viewport Tools
BeginnerBuildopia's 3D viewport isn't just a view of your build — it has a set of overlaid controls sitting on top of it that give you live feedback and quick access to the most frequently adjusted settings. This guide covers every element you'll see there and what each one does.
Current Layer Indicator
In the top-left area of the viewport, a small overlay shows which layer you're currently editing. In Buildopia, a "layer" is a single horizontal slice of the build at a specific Y height. Blocks placed in Draw mode always land on the current layer, so keeping an eye on this indicator is important when building multi-storey structures.
There are two modes for how the current layer is determined:
| Mode | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| Auto | The current layer follows your camera height as you orbit. When you orbit down low, you're working on lower layers; orbit up and you're working on higher ones. This is the default and works well for most building. |
| Manual | You lock the active layer to a specific height regardless of where the camera is pointing. Use the up/down arrows to change it. This is helpful when you want to work on a specific floor without the layer jumping as you orbit around to inspect your work. |
Zoom
The zoom slider in the bottom-right of the viewport controls how close the camera is to the build. You can interact with it several ways:
- Drag the slider handle left and right (or up and down on mobile).
- Click or tap the + and − buttons at either end of the slider.
- Use + / = and − / _ keyboard keys.
- Scroll the mouse wheel while the cursor is over the viewport (desktop).
- Use a two-finger pinch gesture (mobile).
Zoom affects only the camera distance — it doesn't change the layer you're working on or the camera's angle, so it's safe to zoom all the way in or out without losing your current setup.
Block Preview & Axis Gizmo
In the bottom-right corner, two overlaid gizmos give you orientation and placement feedback at a glance:
| Gizmo | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Block preview | A miniature render of the shape and material currently selected in the sidebar, updated live as you change your selection. If the preview doesn't match what you expected to place, check the sidebar — the tool, shape, or material may not be set the way you think. |
| Axis gizmo | A small compass that shows your current camera orientation, with X (red), Y (green), and Z (blue) arrows. It rotates in real time as you orbit, so you always know which direction is which even after spinning the view around. |
Wireframe & Material Controls
Just above the camera mode buttons, a small cluster of three icon buttons controls how the build is rendered:
| Toggle | Effect |
|---|---|
| Wireframe | Overlays an outline along every block edge on top of the normal textured render. Useful for spotting gaps, seeing exactly where block boundaries fall, or counting individual blocks in a dense area. Keyboard shortcut: W. |
| Flat Material | Temporarily swaps every block's texture for a plain flat grey. Lets you judge the shape and silhouette of a build without material colour and pattern getting in the way. |
| Hide Material | Hides materials entirely, leaving only wireframe outlines. Good for checking structural integrity or counting blocks with no visual noise. |
All three toggles are independent and can be combined. Wireframe + Hide Material together gives an "X-ray" view of just the block edges with no fill. For a deeper look, see the Wireframe & Material guide.
Camera & Draw Mode Buttons
These three buttons control what happens when you interact with the viewport:
| Mode | Effect |
|---|---|
| Orbit (Camera) | Dragging rotates the view around the build. Tapping the grid does nothing to the build itself. |
| Pan | Dragging slides the camera without rotating. Useful for one-handed mobile use or when you want to shift the viewpoint laterally without changing the angle. |
| Draw | Clicking or tapping applies your active tool (Build, Paint, or Erase) to the grid. Drag in Draw mode to affect a run of cells in one stroke. Keyboard shortcut: D toggles Draw mode on and off. |
Block Counter & Materials Used
In one corner of the viewport, a running block total shows how many blocks are currently in your build. Below it, the Materials Used panel lists every material that appears in the build along with its block count, sorted by quantity.
This information is updated live as you build, erase, or paint. It's particularly useful for:
- Tracking how many blocks of a specific material you've used so far.
- Getting a rough sense of total build scale before exporting a resource list.
- Checking that a material you thought you removed no longer appears in the count.
For a full exportable breakdown including crafting ingredients, use the Resource List or Material List buttons in the sidebar — covered in the Importing & Exporting guide.