by KVD·Modeling
Images © KVD. Used for product review; image policy.
Earns its place in the superhive library for bringing construction-line and workplane workflows familiar from CAD into Blender's modeling toolset.
Helplines And Workplanes is a Blender add-on that adds CAD-like construction lines and workplanes for modeling. You can place a selectable horizontal helpline where you click in the X-Y top view, add horizontal or vertical lines continuously, or create angled lines by picking two points. Holding Shift and clicking after the first point lets you set an angle, and a '3D cursor as first point' option ties lines to the 3D cursor for precise placement. Line and point colors can be changed, and lines can be offset by a chosen distance.
Where helplines cross, intersection points can be created, snapped to with 'snap to vertex', and deleted as a group. Moving a helpline moves its intersection points to the new crossing. Workplanes can be added at the world origin, on a chosen axis, or from a selected mesh face. 'Align view to active' switches to the workplane's top view, multiple workplanes can be offset, and edges of a selected mesh can be projected onto a workplane.
Three polyline types are included: open, close, and close-and-fill, with ortho and grid snapping while drawing. A snap rectangle draws from a picked point or the 3D cursor.
Helplines And Workplanes is best for blender users who want CAD-like construction lines, workplanes and snapping guides for precise modeling.
Helplines And Workplanes is completely free to download and use.
Helplines And Workplanes ships in versions matched to your Blender build. For Blender 4.0 through 4.4, use Helplines_and_Workplanes_V1; for Blender 4.5 and up, use V1_1; and for Blender 5.0 and up, use V1_2 or V1_3. Picking the build that matches your Blender version keeps the add-on working as intended. If you are unsure which release your Blender falls under, check the developer's page for the current version files before installing.
Helplines And Workplanes offsets a line once you select it and press the offset button. Enter the distance, press ok, then pick the side where you want the offset line placed. Offsetting runs continuously until you press Esc or the right mouse button, so you can add several offset lines in one go. Lines can also be added continuously as horizontal or vertical, and angled lines are created by picking two points, with Shift and a click after the first point letting you set an angle.
Helplines And Workplanes can add a workplane at the world origin, on an axis chosen from the dropdown, or directly from a selected face of a mesh object. Once a workplane is active, the 'align view to active' button gives you its top view so horizontal, vertical and angled helplines are added correctly. Remember to enable the 'use workplane' checkbox, otherwise lines are added to the X-Y plane. Multiple workplanes can be added and offset, and helplines and intersection points follow the workplane as it moves and rotates.
Helplines And Workplanes includes three polyline types. The open 'Polyline' draws a continuous line, with a length and angle available when you hold Shift and click after picking a point. The 'close' type closes the segments when you press Esc or the right mouse button, and the 'close and fill' type creates a face after closing. Pressing 'o' while drawing activates ortho, and holding Ctrl snaps to the grid. Polylines can also be used with a workplane by selecting the plane first, and segment lengths can be shown with a checkbox.
Helplines And Workplanes is listed as free here. For current licensing and the version files that match your Blender build, check the developer's page. The add-on includes documentation, and a demo video is available. Its toolset spans helplines, workplanes, polylines and a snap rectangle, so the developer's page is the best place to confirm what each release offers before installing.
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