Use Cases: Artist

Cattail.Nu SpaceCube lets you block out, measure, and level things in real space, then carry the result out as a 3D shape. For a visual artist it is part measuring tape, part composition tool, and part pattern toy — the four‑cube export comes out tinted and patterned.

Why it fits studio work

  • Level and center helpers. Hang and align work with the bubble level and the midpoint marker.
  • Real distances and angles between points you place, in both metric and imperial.
  • Generative exports. Four or more cubes export a USDZ solid wrapped in a randomly chosen surface texture and a muted color.

Small‑scale ideas

  • Find a canvas's center to place a focal point, using the diagonal midpoint marker (see How To - Find a Canvas Center).
  • Level a frame or canvas on the wall — center the bubble across its two top corners (see How To - Level a Picture).
  • Measure a piece for framing, shipping, or a catalog: place a cube at each corner and read width, height, and the diagonal.
  • Check the angle of a mount or easel using the angle window across three cubes.
  • Space a gallery hang evenly by dropping cubes at each nail point and reading the gaps.

Large‑scale ideas

  • Compose a mural or installation by marking key points on a wall with cubes and reading their spacing and heights before you commit paint.
  • Lay out a sculpture's footprint with cubes on the floor, then export USDZ (four or more cubes) to get a solid stand‑in of the volume they enclose.
  • Plan a room‑scale piece and keep the layout pinned to the space, so you can Pause, leave, and Restore to the same marks.
  • Generate pattern art. Arrange four or more cubes and export USDZ to get a textured solid; rearrange and re‑export to explore variations. Each export picks a fresh texture, so no two are quite alike.

Turning measurements into art files

  • USDZ (4+ cubes) — a textured solid you can view in Quick Look or import into a 3D program. This is the only format that carries the tint and pattern, so it is the one to pick for the look.
  • OBJ or STEP (4+ cubes) — the same shape as plain geometry, for a 3D program or a CAD tool that supplies its own materials (see Concept - File Types).
  • TXT — the plain numbers, if you want to record exact placements.

The export card also lets you add the wires, the lettered cubes, and the readings to the file, or leave the shape bare.

See Action - Save Your Data (TXT, SVG, 3D).

A note on scope

The app measures and connects the cubes you place by hand. It is a placement and composition aid, not a scanner or a painting surface. The art it exports comes from the shape your cubes make, plus the built‑in tints and patterns.