The LabCanvas 3D Studio: adjustable 3D models of cells, nanomaterials and devices

Q: How do I put a render in my figure?

Click Add render to canvas . The render goes into the figure, slide or poster open in another tab, or into a new figure. You can also export a PNG at 1×, 2× or 4×.

How to make 3D scientific renders in the LabCanvas 3D Studio: adjustable models of cells, viruses, nanoparticles, 2D materials, MOFs and devices, molecules from PubChem, proteins from the PDB, crystals from CIF files, and renders placed in figures.

By LabCanvas team18 October 20262 min read

The LabCanvas 3D Studio makes 3D pictures for science without 3D modelling. Its models are generators: a gold nanoparticle, a liposome, a virus, a cell cut open, a MOF or a battery stack is built from settings you change with sliders. Molecules come from PubChem, proteins from the RCSB PDB and crystals from CIF and POSCAR files. Renders go straight into your figures.

Models by subject

The Add menu groups the models by subject, each with a small picture so you can see what you add. Here are a few from each group.

Biology

Cell cutaway, a 3D model rendered in the LabCanvas 3D Studio — Cell cutaway

Adherent cell cutaway, a 3D model rendered in the LabCanvas 3D Studio — Adherent cell cutaway

Cell taking up nanoparticles, a 3D model rendered in the LabCanvas 3D Studio — Cell taking up nanoparticles

Neuron, a 3D model rendered in the LabCanvas 3D Studio — Neuron

Myelinated neuron with signal, a 3D model rendered in the LabCanvas 3D Studio — Myelinated neuron with signal

Synapse, a 3D model rendered in the LabCanvas 3D Studio — Synapse

Nanomaterials

Nanoparticle, a 3D model rendered in the LabCanvas 3D Studio — Nanoparticle

Gold nanorod, a 3D model rendered in the LabCanvas 3D Studio — Gold nanorod

Gold nanostar, a 3D model rendered in the LabCanvas 3D Studio — Gold nanostar

Silver nanocube, a 3D model rendered in the LabCanvas 3D Studio — Silver nanocube

Gold nanoparticle atoms, a 3D model rendered in the LabCanvas 3D Studio — Gold nanoparticle atoms

Icosahedral nanoparticle, a 3D model rendered in the LabCanvas 3D Studio — Icosahedral nanoparticle

2D materials, catalysis and devices

Graphene, a 3D model rendered in the LabCanvas 3D Studio — Graphene

h-BN, a 3D model rendered in the LabCanvas 3D Studio — h-BN

MoS₂, a 3D model rendered in the LabCanvas 3D Studio — MoS₂

Pt111 with *OOH ORR, a 3D model rendered in the LabCanvas 3D Studio — Pt111 with *OOH ORR

Pt111 with *H HER, a 3D model rendered in the LabCanvas 3D Studio — Pt111 with *H HER

Cu100 with *CO CO₂ reduction, a 3D model rendered in the LabCanvas 3D Studio — Cu100 with *CO CO₂ reduction

3D bioprinter, a 3D model rendered in the LabCanvas 3D Studio — 3D bioprinter

Solar cell, a 3D model rendered in the LabCanvas 3D Studio — Solar cell

Transistor FET, a 3D model rendered in the LabCanvas 3D Studio — Transistor FET

What the 3D Studio can do

Feature	Details
Adjustable models	Cells and organelles, viruses, antibodies, liposomes and LNPs, nanoparticles atom by atom, quantum dots, 2D materials, MOFs, zeolites, scaffolds, devices and shapes
Molecules and proteins	PubChem compounds and RCSB PDB structures, or your own PDB, mmCIF, SDF and XYZ files
Crystals	CIF and POSCAR files, Materials Project search, unit cells and supercells, ball-and-stick, space-filling or polyhedra
Molecule brushes	DNA, RNA, chromatin, helices, strands, collagen, actin, microtubules and polymer chains along a freehand stroke
Modifiers	Array, displace, distribute and gradient
Output	PNG at 1×, 2× or 4×, GLB, or a render placed straight into a figure

How to make a 3D render for a figure

Open the 3D Studio and click Add.
Pick a model, for example Nanomaterials › Gold nanoparticle, and drag it into the view.
Change its shape, size and surface in the panel on the right.
Choose a lighting preset and a background (white, a colour or transparent).
Click Add render to canvas to send it to your figure, or export a PNG.

Loading only what you use

The 3D Studio has hundreds of models, but it loads the code of a model only when you add it. The Add menu shows a small picture of every model, so you see the whole library without waiting for any of it to load.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to know Blender to use the 3D Studio?

No. Models are made by generators with sliders: pick a nanoparticle, a cell or a crystal from the Add menu and change its settings in the panel. Move, rotate and scale with the toolbar or the W, E and R keys.

Can I open my own 3D files?

Yes: GLB, OBJ, STL, PLY, FBX, 3MF, PDB, mmCIF, SDF, MOL and XYZ, plus CIF and POSCAR crystal files.

How do I get a crystal structure?

Open a CIF or POSCAR file, search the Materials Project, or pick a ready-made MOF, COF, zeolite or mineral in the Crystals panel. Show it as ball-and-stick, space-filling or polyhedra, as a unit cell or a supercell.

How do I put a render in my figure?

Click Add render to canvas. The render goes into the figure, slide or poster open in another tab, or into a new figure. You can also export a PNG at 1×, 2× or 4×.

Does it run on a laptop?

Yes. The 3D Studio runs in the browser with WebGL; only the model you add is loaded, so the app starts quickly. Ray traced renders take longer on slower graphics hardware.

3D scientific illustrationnanomaterials 3Dcell 3D modelcrystal structureMOFray tracing

Try it in LabCanvas

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Open 3D Studio

The LabCanvas 3D Studio: adjustable 3D models of cells, nanomaterials and devices