Tutorial

While the information below still applies to the new version of 3D Journal, it has been superseded by an updated video (Windows Media Codec V9 required).

Video	Dimensions	File Size
Big	640 x 480	12 MB
Small	320 x 240	5 MB

First, sketch an isometric 3D rectangle using the pen.  Make sure all of the strokes are separate, but that each stroke is continuous.  Line up the stroke endpoints over one another so that the program can connect the stroke at the stroke vertices.If you make a mistake, don't try to fix it - flip the pen over and use the top of the pen to erase the bad stroke.  Some pens may not support top-of-pen erase.  In this case, click on the Eraser icon on the toolbar and use the pen tip to erase.   You can specify either whole Stroke or Point erase  using the arrow to the right of the icon.  This choice is valid for either top-of-pen or pen tip erasing. Turn the pen back over, or click the Pen icon to resume drawing.

Now, use Point erase to erase parts of opposite lines on either side of the shape.  Note that you can access many application settings in the Settings... dialog in the Tools menu. Use the Stroke flattening slider in the Strokes tab to make strokes cleaner.

Now, click the Pen icon on the toolbar to select the pen.  If you have an eraser enabled pen, you can flip the pen upside down to change to the eraser at any time.

Use the pen to draw lines outlining notches in the shape.

Connect analogous points on each of the newly added lines to describe a notch.

Repeat this procedure to describe another notch on the object.  Try to use the object's bottom face, and to make a notch that is not symmetric with the first.

The order in which the lines are drawn is not important.  Try to duplicate this shape without using point erase and the isometric rectangle by drawing the shape directly.

Put the pen down on a vertex, then press and hold the barrel button and drag the vertex to rotate the object.  There will be a very brief pause, and then the object will be reconstructed and will start to rotate. You can stop rotating at any time, and then start again by holding down the barrel button on the pen and moving it in the direction of rotation.

Note that foreground lines are drawn in thick strokes, and background lines are drawn in thin strokes. You may experience the "Necker cube illusion", in which the shape seems to be inverted. Rotate it around until you’re comfortable with the appearance.

Rotate the object until you can see a top view, with an open surface.  Draw a triangle in an open area.  Make sure that each stroke is separate, but the endpoints are connected.

When the object is rotated, the triangle will stay on the topmost face.  Note that no further reconstruction occurs.

Rotate the object until the triangle is on the far side of the object. Then draw another triangle on the nearest face. The triangle will embed itself onto the face.

Draw a line between the each vertex of the new triangle and a vertex of the old triangle.

Rotate the shape to view the missing notches and the triangular extrusion.

You can also draw strokes with endpoints on any line in the reconstructed solid.  The stroke endpoint will snap onto the line, and its depth value will be interpolated from its position on the line.