---
title: Gizmo Settings
order: 5
---

The **Gizmos** panel in *Render Properties* holds every switch for what Chisel draws over the viewport, in five groups: **Tape Tree**, **Outlines and Origins**, **Modifiers**, **Shapes** and **Arcs**. It is closed by default and shows only while the render engine is Chisel.

![Render Properties ▸ Gizmos with its five groups](../assets/rendersettings-gizmos.webp)

The groups match the **Chisel Gizmos** drop-down on the Chisel tool's header ([Tool bar switches](../interface/gizmos.md#tool-bar-switches)), and a group's header checkbox is the same switch as its tool bar icon: unticked, every family inside is hidden and its sub-panels are greyed out. The *Active Object* and *Chisel Tool* gates are only here.

## Visibility gates

Every family except the Tape tree has two checkboxes under **Gate On**. A family draws only when both of its ticked gates are met:

| Active Object | Chisel Tool | Family draws when |
|:---:|:---:|---|
| off | off | always |
| off | on | the Chisel tool is active |
| on | off | Blender's *Show Gizmo ▸ Active Object* is on |
| on | on | both of the above |

**Arcs** has both gates on by default; every other family has only **Chisel Tool** on.

## Tape Tree

The header checkbox shows or hides the [Tape tree](../interface/tape-tree.md), the scene's stacks drawn as text in the top left of the viewport. It has no gates.

## Outlines and Origins

![the Cutter Wires and Dots sub-panels](../assets/rendersettings-gizmo-targets.webp)

| Control | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| **Outlines and Origins** (header checkbox) | on | Shows or hides both families below |
| **Cutter Wires** (sub-panel) | | The [cutter outlines](../interface/gizmos.md#cutter-outlines) on every visible shape that does not render |
| Gate On: **Active Object** | off | See [Visibility gates](#visibility-gates) |
| Gate On: **Chisel Tool** | on | See [Visibility gates](#visibility-gates) |
| Show: **Cutter Wires** | on | The outlines themselves |
| **Style** | Outline | **Outline**: the silhouette as seen from the view. **Wire**: every edge of a simple wire, the far side included |
| **Dots** (sub-panel) | | [Target dots](../interface/gizmos.md#target-dots) at each modifier target's origin |
| Gate On: **Active Object**, **Chisel Tool** | off, on | As above, for the dots |
| **Show** | Off | **Active**: the active shape's targets, while it is also selected. **Selected**: every selected shape's targets. **Off**: no dots |
| **Hidden Objects** | on | Keep a dot on targets hidden in the viewport (`H`, [Veil](../operations.md#veil--unveil), *Disable in Viewports*, a hidden collection, outside the local view). Greyed out while *Show* is *Off* |

## Modifiers

![the Modifiers group with the Bisect sub-panel open](../assets/rendersettings-gizmo-bisect.webp)

| Control | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| **Modifiers** (header checkbox) | on | Shows or hides every modifier family below |
| **Bisect** (sub-panel) | | The [Bisect handles](../modifiers/bisect.md#gizmo) |
| Gate On: **Active Object**, **Chisel Tool** | off, on | See [Visibility gates](#visibility-gates) |
| Show: **Bisect Gizmo** | on | The arrow on every cutting plane, and the three parts below |
| **Blend Handles** | on | The orange dot beside each plane (the cut-edge blend) and the one off every fence corner |
| **Fence Points** | on | A dot on every point of a fence, and the green dots that add a point |
| **Tilt Handles** | on | The two white rings that tilt a single plane |
| **Array** (sub-panel) | | Gates, then **Array Gizmo**: the [Array handles](../modifiers/array.md#gizmo) |
| **Bend** (sub-panel) | | Gates, then **Bend Gizmo**: the [Bend handles](../modifiers/twist-bend.md#bend-gizmo) |
| **Twist** (sub-panel) | | Gates, then **Twist Gizmo**: the [Twist handles](../modifiers/twist-bend.md#twist-gizmo) |
| **Solidify** (sub-panel) | | Gates, then **Solidify Gizmo**: the [thickness dot](../modifiers/solidify.md#gizmo) |
| **Sweep** (sub-panel) | | Gates, then **Sweep Gizmo**: the [path handles](../modifiers/sweep.md#path-handles) |
| **Lattice** (sub-panel) | | Gates, then **Lattice Gizmo**: the [cage](../modifiers/lattice.md#cage-handles) |

## Shapes

![the Ngon and path shape sub-panels](../assets/rendersettings-gizmo-shapes.webp)

| Control | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| **Shapes** (header checkbox) | on | Shows or hides both families below |
| **Ngon** (sub-panel) | | The [Ngon handles](../primitives/shapes/ngon.md#corners) |
| Gate On: **Active Object**, **Chisel Tool** | off, on | See [Visibility gates](#visibility-gates) |
| **Show** | Selected | **Active**: the active Ngon, while it is also selected. **Selected**: every selected Ngon. **Off**: none |
| **Rounding Handles** | on | The orange handle beside each corner |
| **Edge Add Dots** | on | The green dot at an edge's middle when the cursor comes near |
| **Tube, Lathe, Outline, Rail** (sub-panel) | | The handles of the [path shapes](../primitives/paths/points.md#the-handles-in-the-viewport) |
| Gate On: **Active Object**, **Chisel Tool** | off, on | See [Visibility gates](#visibility-gates) |
| Show: **Path Handles** | on | The parts below |
| **Points** | on | A dot on every point, the selected point's two handles and the path's line |
| **Rounding Handles** | on | The orange handle beside each Corner point |
| **Add Dots** | on | The green dots that add a point on a span or past an open end |
| **Radius Rings** | on | The ring round each point of a Tube or a Rail |
| **Shape Handles** | on | An Outline's *Depth* dot, a Lathe's angle dial and its *Solid* / *Hollow* button |

## Arcs

![the Arcs sub-panel](../assets/rendersettings-gizmo-arcs.webp)

The [adjust arcs](../interface/gizmos.md#adjust-arcs). No tool bar icon covers them.

| Control | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Gate On: **Active Object** | on | See [Visibility gates](#visibility-gates) |
| Gate On: **Chisel Tool** | on | See [Visibility gates](#visibility-gates) |
| **Bevel** | on | The bevel arc (Prism, Trapezoid, Oblong, and every corner of an Ngon) |
| **Rounding** | on | The edge rounding arc |
| **Blend** | on | The blend of every modifier that uses the selection |
| **Emboss Strength**, **Inner**, **Outer** | on | The emboss depth arc and its two blend arcs |
| **Engrave Strength**, **Inner**, **Outer** | on | The engrave depth arc and its two blend arcs |

The [Carve](../joins/carve.md) offset arc has no switch of its own; it follows the two gates.

## See also

- [Interface: Gizmos](../interface/gizmos.md): how the handles behave, their colours, the tool bar switches