3D X-Ray Guide

01. What is 3D X-Ray?

A text prompt alone struggles to describe spatial relationships such as “two people on either end of a sofa, with the camera low behind the table, slowly pushing in on an 85mm lens.” 3D X-Ray lets you decide position, direction, framing, lens and movement in 3D space first, and then uses that result as the basis for image and video generation.

What can you do?

• Place character, prop, furniture, vehicle, architecture and environment assets and move, rotate and scale them → Characters and props
• Place on ground, place on object, group, lock and hide → Placement, Management
• Character poses and 73 motions → Poses and motions
• Add cameras, camera presets, lens (focal length) and aspect ratio → Cameras, Lens and preview
• Camera preview and camera view → Lens, framing and camera preview
• Look-at and Follow → Look-at / Follow
• Camera move presets → Camera moves
• Path display, timeline and keyframes → Paths, Timeline
• Environment and lighting → Environment and lighting
• 239 presets for scenes, cameras, lighting, environments and more → Presets
• Natural-language commands and AI intensity → Editing with AI
• Use My assets, NEXAGEN Assets, uploads and Canvas results as references → References
• Render, image generation and video generation → Render and images, Video

When is it useful?

• When you need the exact positions and eyelines of two people
• When you want to design the framing and lighting of a product shot first
• When you want to decide in advance where and how far the camera moves
• When you want to compare several camera angles of the same scene
• When you want to lock the spatial layout of the opening frame before AI video generation

02. Getting started

Open it from Canvas V2

1. 1Open a Canvas V2 project.
2. 2Open Studio Dock from the top toolbar or the Composer at the bottom.
3. 3Click 3D X-Ray NEW at the top of the menu.
4. 43D X-Ray opens connected to the current Canvas. Renders and generation results you create will be added to this Canvas.

Open 3D X-Ray from 3D X-Ray NEW at the top of Studio Dock.Close

Create a new scene

1. 1When you first open it, the Open / New scene dialog appears. If a scene is already open, click New / Open in the top bar.
2. 2Enter a scene name in Title.
3. 3Click Blank Scene to start from an empty space, or Start from a preset… to start from a finished layout.
4. 4Saved scenes are listed under My scenes; click Open to continue editing.

Start a new scene from a blank scene or a preset. Reopen saved scenes from the list below.Close

03. The interface

① Left tools and assets ② 3D viewport ③ Top toolbar ④ Camera preview ⑤ Inspector ⑥ Composer ⑦ Timeline button ⑧ Timeline (when open)Close

The Top, Front, Side and Reset buttons at the top left of the viewport change only the editor view. The camera used for rendering does not change.

04. New scenes and presets

Click Presets in the top bar to open the preset browser. Find a preset with search, the Recommended and Recent filters, types and categories, then check Includes (camera, lighting, people, props, camera move, motions, recommended ratios, duration) in the detail panel before applying.

The preset browser lets you check what a preset contains before you apply it.Close

Preset types

Scene presets vs. partial presets

A scene preset replaces the whole scene, so it is not applied immediately. A This replaces the current scene dialog opens first. Choose Create as new Scene to keep the current scene and create a new one, or Apply to current Scene to change the current scene.

Before a scene preset is applied, choose between a new scene and the current scene.Close

Partial presets such as camera, lighting, environment and camera move presets change only that element and keep the rest of the scene.

05. Placing characters and props

Pick people from the Characters tool on the left, and props, products, furniture, vehicles, architecture, environments, nature and primitives from the Props tool. Library assets are models made in-house by NEXAGEN.

Choose a character

1. 1Open Characters on the left.
2. 2Hover over a card to see its name, category and size. Characters that can use motions are marked “Rigged · motion ready”.
3. 3Click a card to add it to a free spot on the floor in front of the active camera, or drag it into the viewport to drop it where you want.

Click a person in the Characters panel or drag it into the viewport.Close

Props and environments

Narrow the list with the category chips in Props (Props, Products, Furniture, Vehicles, Architecture, Environment, Nature, Primitives, Uploads). Large sets such as rooms, studios and streets are under Environment.

The Props panel is organized by category; one click adds an asset to the scene.Close

Search assets

Type a name such as “sofa”, “lamp” or “car” into Search assets to show only matching assets.

Only assets that match the search term remain.Close

Upload your own 3D models and images

In Uploads, use Upload GLB/GLTF to add your own model, or Image → Image Plane to place a photo as a flat object. Uploaded models can be up to 50MB, and external URI textures are not allowed.

06. Move, rotate, scale and placement

When you select an object, a gizmo appears in the viewport. Switch it with Move (W), Rotate (E) and Scale (R) in the top bar and drag an axis arrow or ring. World / Local (Q) switches the axis space.

Dragging an axis of the move gizmo moves the object along that axis only.Close

Exact numeric input

In the Properties tab of the Inspector on the right, enter Position, Rotation and Scale as numbers. Position is in meters and rotation in degrees. Turn on Lock ratio to keep proportions when changing one axis.

Set position, rotation and scale precisely in the Inspector.Close

Place on ground

If an object floats above the floor or sinks into it, click Place on ground in the Placement section of the Inspector. The height is adjusted so that the model's actual bottom touches the ground.

Place on ground aligns the bottom of the object exactly with the floor.Close

Place on object

1. 1Select the cup.
2. 2In Support object under Placement, choose “Coffee Table”.
3. 3Click Place on object. The cup is placed at the center of the table top. Fine-tune it with the move gizmo.

Use Place on object to put the cup on top of the coffee table.Close

The Checks tab finds floating or sunken objects, overlaps and key subjects that have left the camera frame. You can run Place on ground directly from an issue.

07. Managing the scene and objects

The Scene objects list in the Objects tool shows every object in the scene. Click a name to select it, and use the row icons to Hide/Show and Lock/Unlock. Locked objects cannot be moved by accident in the viewport.

Select, hide, lock and group objects from the scene list.Close

Group and ungroup

1. 1Hold Ctrl or Shift and click several objects in the list.
2. 2Click Group to bundle them so they move together.
3. 3Select the group and click Ungroup to release it while keeping each object's current position.

In the Inspector you can also rename, Duplicate (Ctrl+D), Delete (Delete) and change colors.

08. Character poses and motions

Poses

When you select a character, a Pose tab appears in the Inspector. Choose Standing, Walking, Running, Sitting, Reaching, Pointing, Fighting stance, Lying, Crouching or Waving and it applies immediately. A pose is a still base posture.

Choose the character's base posture in the Pose tab.Close

Motion library

The Motions tool on the left holds 73 motions in the Idle, Locomotion, Emotion, Gesture, Conversation, Action, Office and Film / Acting categories. You can also use Search motions.

Pick motions by category in the Motions panel.Close

Apply a motion

1. 1Select a character in the viewport or the scene list.
2. 2Open the timeline and move the playhead to the time where the motion should start (0 s by default).
3. 3Click a motion card in Motions. A motion clip is added from that time and plays immediately.
4. 4Check the motion bar in the timeline. In the motion list of the Inspector's Pose tab you can change the start time or Remove it.

Applied motions appear as bars on the timeline; adjust the start time in the Inspector.Close

How poses and motions work together

The pose is the base posture and the motion is the action played on top of it. While a motion is playing, the motion takes priority. Partial motions that move only the head or arms play on top of the pose, while full-body motions such as walking use the motion's posture instead. When the motion ends, the pose is shown again.

09. Creating cameras

Add a camera

Click + Add in the camera section of the Objects tool to create a new camera (Camera B, C, …). Click a camera in the list to select it and change its position, lens and more in the Inspector.

Create additional cameras with the Add button in the camera section.Close

The active (main) camera

The camera used for render, image generation and video generation is the Active camera. Change it in the camera selector of the top bar or with Make active in the camera Inspector. You can keep several cameras and compare angles just by switching the active one.

Camera presets

Click a preset card in the Cameras tool on the left to set the position, aim and lens of the camera you are editing in one step, based on the selected person or product.

Camera presets frame the shot around the selected subject.Close

10. Lens, framing and camera preview

Camera preview

The Camera preview at the top right shows in real time what the selected camera actually captures. While you orbit freely in the viewport to arrange things, you keep seeing the final framing, so layout and composition can be adjusted together.

The camera preview shows the exact framing the selected camera will shoot.Close

Enter camera view

Click Enter camera view in the preview, or the Free View/Camera View button (C) in the top bar, to switch the main viewport to the camera's view. The area outside the frame is darkened, and you can turn on 1/3, Center, Safe and 2.39:1 composition guides.

In camera view, turn on composition guides to position people precisely.Close

Lens (focal length)

Select a camera and change Focal length in the Lens section of the Inspector with the slider or a number, or pick 18 · 24 · 35 · 50 · 85 · 135 directly. Shorter focal lengths show a wider view; longer ones give a narrower view with a compressed background.

Change the focal length quickly with the lens buttons and check the field of view.Close

24mm: the space looks wide and perspective is stronger.Close

85mm: the view narrows and the background is pulled closer.Close

Aspect ratio

Set the ratio of the final result in the render settings. With nothing selected, choose Aspect ratio (16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 4:3, 2.39:1) and Resolution (Preview (480), 720, 1080) under Render settings in the Inspector. A camera's own aspect ratio follows the render settings while it is set to Auto.

The render-settings aspect ratio is used for image and video generation.Close

11. Look-at / Follow

Look-at

In Look-at of the camera Inspector, set Target to Object and choose an object. The camera keeps looking at it even when it moves. You can also click Select from viewport and then click an object in the viewport. Free point lets you set the look-at coordinates yourself.

Once a look-at target is set, the camera always faces it.Close

Follow

Turn on Follow and choose a target; when the target moves, the camera follows at the same distance. Adjust the follow position with Distance, Height and Azimuth. With Follow on, the camera also faces the target automatically.

Follow keeps a set distance, height and azimuth from the target.Close

12. Camera moves

The Camera Moves tool on the left has ready-made camera movements, grouped into Basic controls, Lens, Orbit, Crane and Tracking. The value under each card sets the size of the move (degrees, meters or ×).

Camera moves are grouped, and each card has its own movement amount.Close

Apply a camera move

1. 1Select the camera to use (if none is selected, the active camera is used).
2. 2Change the value under the card if needed. For Follow, choose the Follow target first.
3. 3Click a move card. Camera keyframes are created from 0 s to the end of the timeline and playback starts immediately.
4. 4Open Timeline to check the keyframes on the camera track and the Paths line.

Applying a move creates both the camera path and the timeline keyframes.Close

Camera moves vs. your own keyframes

A move lasts as long as the timeline. For a 4-second move, set the timeline duration to 4 seconds before applying it. Afterwards you can move keyframes or change easing on the timeline to refine the pace.

13. Paths and movement in space

The Paths button in the top bar draws the paths of keyframed cameras and objects as lines in the viewport. The start point is green and the end point is red. The active camera's path is blue, other cameras are gray, and the selected object's path is yellow.

Use the path display to see at a glance how cameras and objects move through the space.Close

Moving an object

1. 1Open the timeline and put the playhead at 0 s.
2. 2Place the object at its starting position and click Add key under Keyframes in the Inspector.
3. 3Move the playhead to the end time and move the object to its destination. For an object that already has keyframes, a key is recorded at the current time as soon as you move it.
4. 4Turn on Paths and check the route with the yellow path line.

14. Timeline and keyframes

When 3D X-Ray first opens, the timeline is closed so you have more room for layout and framing. Click Timeline in the top bar to open it at the bottom of the screen, and click it again to close it. Keyframes and motions are kept when it is closed.

The timeline is closed on the default screen.Close

Click the Timeline button to open it at the bottom. Drag its top edge to resize it.Close

Timeline layout

Keyframes

The Add key button in the object or camera Inspector creates a keyframe at the current time. Click a diamond on a track to select it, then drag it to a new time, change the easing (Ease in-out, Linear, Ease in, Ease out) or Delete key.

Select a keyframe to change its easing or delete it.Close

To remove all movement, click Clear animation in the Inspector.

15. Environment and lighting

Environment

Click an empty spot in the viewport to clear the selection; the Inspector then shows Environment. Change the Background color, the Ground (visibility, color, size) and the Grid. Sets such as backdrops, walls, studios, rooms and streets are placed from Props › Environment.

Upload a concept or storyboard image to Reference overlay to overlay it in camera view while you arrange the scene. This image is not included in renders.

Environment settings and the reference image overlay are in the Inspector when nothing is selected.Close

Lights

Add Ambient, Hemisphere, Directional, Point and Spot lights from the light section of the Objects tool. Select a light to change its color, intensity, position and direction.

Add lights and adjust their color and intensity in the Inspector.Close

Lighting presets

Filter the preset browser by the Lighting type to apply setups such as three-point studio lighting in one step. For product shots, combining the Product Hero scene preset with a lighting preset gets you commercial lighting quickly.

Lighting presets change only the lighting of the current scene.Close

16. Editing the 3D scene with AI

The input box at the bottom is the same Composer as in Canvas V2. In 3D X-Ray it shows the 3D X-Ray mode, and what you type is handled as a 3D scene command rather than an image prompt. The chips above the input show the current scene, the selected object and the camera, so you can see what the command will refer to.

Example commands

• Move the woman to the right of the table.
• Frame the camera as a 35mm low angle.
• Have the man sit on the sofa.
• Put the cup on the coffee table.
• Make the camera slowly dolly in toward the people.
• Switch to warm evening lighting.
• Recommend a preset for a two-person dialogue scene.

Natural-language commands are applied to the scene right away and can be undone in one step with Ctrl+Z.Close

• Each command can be undone as a whole with a single undo.
• Changes that are hard to reverse, such as deletions, or commands that rebuild many objects show a confirmation first.
• Objects that are not in the library are placed as similarly sized stand-in models, and you are told so.
• Asking to “generate an image” does not charge credits immediately; it opens the quote and approval dialog.

AI intensity

Choose Auto · Default, Basic, Balanced, Deep or Advanced in AI intensity on the right of the Composer. Auto picks a suitable processing mode for each request automatically. This setting applies to the whole connected Canvas project.

AI intensity uses the same setting as the Canvas project.Close

17. Using reference assets

Add image references with the + Reference button in the Composer. Added references appear as chips above the input and are used both when interpreting scene commands and during image generation. You can select up to four.

Choose where to take the reference from in the Reference menu.Close

Choose an image from My assets to use as a reference.Close

Selected references appear as chips in the Composer; remove them with X.Close

Example

1. 1Create a scene with the Product Hero scene preset.
2. 2Choose a product photo from Reference › My assets.
3. 3Type “Set this product on the central pedestal as an ad shot.”
4. 4During image generation, the reference is sent together with the 3D render so the product's look is taken into account.

18. Rendering and making images

Render is not AI image generation

Render saves the 3D scene from the active camera as a PNG exactly as it is. It is free, and the result is added to your asset storage. Generate Image, on the other hand, has AI create a new image based on that render and uses credits.

In the Render tab on the right you can render at the first, middle, last or a custom time, use Render all cameras, or save a Preview WebM (local) directly in your browser.

In the Render tab, choose a time and camera to save the 3D scene as an image.Close

Snapshots

Snapshot keeps a saved point of the scene itself, not an image. Save one with a label and Restore that state when you need it. Restoring saves a new version.

Create a snapshot at key steps so you can always go back to that state.Close

Make an image from the 3D scene

1. 1Build the scene and choose the active camera.
2. 2Check the framing in the camera preview.
3. 3Click Generate Image in the top bar. If no Canvas is connected yet, choose one to connect first.
4. 4Choose an Engine and describe the mood in the prompt (for example: warm evening living room, cinematic lighting).
5. 5Click 1. Render + scene constraints + quote. The current camera render, the Scene constraints read from the scene and the Estimated cost in credits are shown.
6. 6After checking the details and cost, click 2. Confirm — request image.
7. 7Use View in Canvas to check the result in Canvas V2.

The 3D scene and camera preview before generationClose

Check the render, scene constraints and quote, then send the request.Close

A 3D render node and an in-progress image node are created in Canvas V2.Close

The AI image follows the people's positions and the camera framing of the 3D scene.Close

19. Making video

Video generation requests an AI video based on the opening frame of the 3D scene and the movement on the timeline (camera moves and motions).

1. 1Apply character motions and camera moves, and check the movement on the timeline.
2. 2Click Generate Video in the top bar.
3. 3Choose an Engine, then check the Generation mode below it. Some engines support both start frame and reference modes; the default Auto uses Omni Reference when references are attached and Start frame when there are none. You can also pick a mode yourself.
4. 4Set the duration and prompt. Duration is chosen within the range the engine supports, and the timeline length is shown alongside.
5. 5Click 1. Start/end render + motion plan + quote. The start (0 s) and end renders, Direction, Motion prompt and the quote are shown.
6. 6After checking, click 2. Confirm — request video and follow progress and the result in Canvas V2.

Check the scene with motions and a camera move on the timeline.Close

The video dialog shows exactly which inputs are sent for the selected engine and generation mode.Close

20. Continuing in Canvas V2

Click Back to Canvas in the top bar to return to the connected Canvas V2. The scene saves automatically as you edit, so just check that the save chip shows Saved before leaving.

Back to Canvas takes you to the connected Canvas V2 project.Close

Result nodes

Results from 3D X-Ray become regular Canvas nodes you can keep editing.Close

What you can do next in Canvas

• Select a generated image and edit it further with other Studio Dock tools
• Generate a video using the generated image as the opening frame
• Use result images as references for other work
• Reopen the same Canvas's scene from Studio Dock › 3D X-Ray NEW to adjust the framing

21. Recommended workflow

Basic order

1. 1Decide the aspect ratio and purpose of the result → Aspect ratio
2. 2Choose a preset or a blank scene → Presets
3. 3Place large environments such as rooms or studios first → Props and environments
4. 4Place characters, products and props → Characters and props
5. 5Tidy up with Place on ground and Place on object → Placement
6. 6Set up cameras and lenses → Cameras
7. 7Check the framing in the camera preview → Preview
8. 8Apply character motions → Motions
9. 9Set camera moves and check paths → Camera moves, Paths
10. 10Check the timing on the timeline → Timeline
11. 11Add references if needed → References
12. 12Check the final framing with a render → Render
13. 13Generate an image or video → Images, Video
14. 14Continue in Canvas V2 → Canvas handoff

Example 1 — A 4-second dialogue between two people in a living room

1. 1In New / Open › Start from a preset…, choose the “Two-person Dialogue” or “Living Room Life” scene preset and select Create as new Scene.
2. 2If the two people (Adult Male, Adult Female) are missing, add them from the Characters panel, then place a sofa, coffee table and floor lamp.
3. 3Select both people, set their pose to Sitting and line them up with the sofa.
4. 4Frame the main camera as Two shot and an extra camera (+ Add) as Over-the-shoulder.
5. 5Set the main camera lens to 50mm and the extra camera to 85mm, and compare them in the camera preview.
6. 6Apply a motion from the Conversation category to one person from 0 s.
7. 7Apply a small Dolly in to the main camera and confirm the timeline is 4 seconds.
8. 8Create the result with Generate Image or Generate Video and check it in Canvas V2.

Example 1 result: living-room dialogue sceneClose

Example 2 — Product hero shot

1. 1Create a new scene with the “Product Hero” scene preset.
2. 2Choose a model close to your product's size from Products or Uploads and put it on the “Product Pedestal” with Place on object.
3. 3Select the product, apply Front medium or Low angle from Cameras, and set the lens to 85mm.
4. 4Apply studio lighting from the Lighting type in the preset browser.
5. 5Add a real product photo with Reference.
6. 6Set the render aspect ratio to 1:1 or 16:9 and generate with Generate Image.

22. Troubleshooting

23. Shortcuts and tips

Saving and undo

The scene is saved automatically about one second after you stop editing. The chip at the top shows Saved, Unsaved or Saving… with the version number; click Save to save immediately. Rename the scene in the title field at the top left.

Check the save status and use Undo and Redo in the top toolbar.Close

Advanced: Export JSON

Export JSON downloads the scene setup as a file. You can load it again with Import scene JSON in the Open / New scene dialog. It is not needed for regular work.