---
title: Primitives
order: 4
---

A primitive is the shape a Chisel object starts from: a box, a tube, a text and so on. Chisel draws it from a distance function instead of from polygons, so its surface has no facets and its rounding is a radius. Every primitive takes the same [modifiers](../modifiers/index.md), [joins](../joins/boolean.md) and [materials](../materials/index.md).

## All primitives

| | Shape | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| ![Box](../assets/thumb-box.webp) | [Box](shapes/box.md) | A box with one rounding for every edge |
| ![Oblong](../assets/thumb-oblong.webp) | [Oblong](shapes/oblong.md) | A box with separate rounding for the side edges and the rims |
| ![Ngon](../assets/thumb-ngon.webp) | [Ngon](shapes/ngon.md) | A polygon of any shape, extruded, with rounding per corner |
| ![Trapezoid](../assets/thumb-trapezoid.webp) | [Trapezoid](shapes/trapezoid.md) | A box with a smaller top, from a pyramid to a box |
| ![Prism](../assets/thumb-prism.webp) | [Prism](shapes/prism.md) | A regular prism of 3, 5, 6 or 8 sides |
| ![Sphere](../assets/thumb-sphere.webp) | [Sphere](shapes/sphere.md) | A sphere, or an ellipsoid when scaled unevenly |
| ![Cylinder](../assets/thumb-cylinder.webp) | [Cylinder](shapes/cylinder.md) | A cylinder with rounded rims |
| ![Cone](../assets/thumb-cone.webp) | [Cone](shapes/cone.md) | A round taper, from a point to a cylinder |
| ![Capsule](../assets/thumb-capsule.webp) | [Capsule](shapes/capsule.md) | A cylinder with round ends |
| ![Torus](../assets/thumb-torus.webp) | [Torus](shapes/torus.md) | A ring |
| ![Outline](../assets/thumb-outline.webp) | [Outline](paths/outline.md) | A closed outline of points, curved or straight, extruded |
| ![Tube](../assets/thumb-tube.webp) | [Tube](paths/tube.md) | A round tube through points, thicker or thinner at each one |
| ![Rail](../assets/thumb-rail.webp) | [Rail](paths/rail.md) | A star, gear or drawn section swept along points |
| ![Lathe](../assets/thumb-lathe.webp) | [Lathe](paths/lathe.md) | A profile of points turned round an axis |
| ![Text](../assets/thumb-text.webp) | [Text](text.md) | A Blender text object, extruded and rounded |
| ![Mesh](../assets/thumb-mesh.webp) | [Mesh](mesh.md) | Any mesh object, baked into a Chisel shape |

The first ten are the [standard shapes](shapes/index.md): their size comes from the object, and they switch into one another. The next four are the [path shapes](paths/index.md): their form comes from points you edit in the viewport.

## Adding a shape

| Where | What it adds |
|---|---|
| `Shift + A` with the Chisel tool | The **Add Chisel Primitive** menu: the ten standard shapes (the Box is listed as **Cube**), then **Outline**, **Tube**, **Rail**, **Lathe**, **From Curve** and **Text** |
| *Add ▸ Chisel* (Blender's Add menu, any tool) | The same list |
| `Q` pie ▸ North-West | The shape grid: the ten standard shapes on two rows, the path shapes and Text on the third. A click adds; `Shift`-click switches the selected shapes to that type |
| Right-click ▸ **Primitives** | Every shape by name. A click adds; `Shift`-click switches the selected shapes |
| Chisel tool, *Create* mode | A drag in the viewport draws one of the ten standard shapes on the surface under the mouse, see [Chisel Tool](../interface/active-tool.md) |
| Chisel tool, [Block mode](../interface/block-mode.md) | Draws an Ngon or a Cylinder outline, then pulls its height |
| [From Curve](paths/from-curve.md) | A Tube, Outline or Lathe made from a selected Blender curve |
| *Object Properties ▸ SDF* ▸ **Convert Mesh to SDF** | A [Mesh](mesh.md) shape made from a mesh object |

A shape added from a menu sits at the 3D cursor; its redo panel (`F9`) has its size and **Align** (*World*, *View*, *3D Cursor*). A shape drawn in *Create* mode follows the tool's **Align**, see [Chisel Tool](../interface/active-tool.md).

## Changing the type after creation

The ten standard shapes switch into one another and keep their size:

- **`[` / `]`** *(Chisel tool)*: step every selected shape to the previous or next type, in the order Sphere, Box, Oblong, Ngon, Cylinder, Cone, Torus, Capsule, Prism, Trapezoid
- **`Shift`-click** a shape in the `Q` pie's grid or in right-click ▸ **Primitives**: switch every selected shape to that type
- **Type** in *Object Properties ▸ SDF*

`[` / `]` skip the path shapes, Text and Mesh, and `Shift`-clicking a path shape or Text only shows a warning. The **Type** menu in the panel does switch between the four path shapes and keeps their points, see [Path Shapes](paths/index.md#changing-the-type). A Mesh shape comes only from [Convert Mesh to SDF](mesh.md).

## Settings

Each shape's page lists its own rows of *Object Properties ▸ SDF*. The rows every shape has are in [Properties Panels](../interface/panels.md#rows-every-shape-has).

## See also

- [Standard Shapes](shapes/index.md)
- [Path Shapes](paths/index.md)
- [Edit Mode](../interface/edit-mode.md): editing the points of an Ngon or a path shape
- [Sweep](../modifiers/sweep.md) and [Revolve](../modifiers/revolve.md): sweep or turn any shape