Draft:Mental Canvas

The underlying research originated in the Computer Graphics Group at Yale University under professor Julie Dorsey.{{cite news |last=Pangburn |first=DJ |title=Draw in 3D with the 'Mental Canvas' Illustration App|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/exclusive-draw-3d-with-mental-canvas-illustration-app |work=Vice |date=12 December 2016 |access-date=20 May 2025}}{{cite web |title=Drawing in the third dimension |url=https://www.nsf.gov/news/drawing-third-dimension |website=National Science Foundation |date=13 August 2015 |access-date=20 May 2025}} A Windows version debuted alongside the first Surface Studio in October 2016.{{cite news |last=Sullivan |first=Mark |title=The Surface Studio Story: How Microsoft Reimagined The Desktop PC For Creativity |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3064893/the-surface-studio-story-how-microsoft-reimagined-the-desktop-pc-for-creativity |work=Fast Company |date=26 October 2016 |access-date=19 May 2025}}

The iPad version, Mental Canvas Draw, was released on the App Store in 2021.{{cite web |title=Mental Canvas Draw on the App Store |url=https://apps.apple.com/app/mental-canvas-draw/id1462179740 |website=App Store |publisher=Mental Canvas |access-date=19 May 2025}}

Mental Canvas combines standard drawing and perspective tools with a "canvas" system that lets sketches be projected and layered in 3D space. Users can record guided fly-through animations or share fully interactive scenes through a browser-based viewer.

The Windows build supports the Surface Pen and the Surface Dial’s radial menu; The Verge listed it among the first Dial-enabled apps.{{cite news |last=Warren |first=Tom |title=Here are all the apps that work with the Surface Dial |url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/10/31/13476336/microsoft-surface-dial-apps-features |work=The Verge |date=31 October 2016 |access-date=19 May 2025}}

The New York Times employed Mental Canvas in interactive graphics covering the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2020 U.S. Senate impeachment hearings.{{cite news |title=The Outstanding Goals of Ronaldo and Kroos as You've Never Seen Them |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/06/29/sports/world-cup/kroos-ronaldo-world-cup-goals.html |work=The New York Times |date=29 June 2018 |access-date=19 May 2025}}{{cite news |title=A 3-D Tour of How the Senate Was Transformed for the Impeachment Trial |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/01/23/us/politics/impeachment-senate-chamber-diagram.html |work=The New York Times |date=23 January 2020 |access-date=19 May 2025}}

Jay Park’s 2022 music-video single "Bite" was featured by Apple as part of its "Made on iPad" campaign; Korean outlets reported that Mental Canvas was used in the making.{{cite news |title=아이패드로 만든 신곡 뮤비…애플, 박재범과 캠페인 콜라보 |url=https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20220818_0001983395 |work=Newsis |language=ko |date=18 August 2022 |access-date=19 May 2025}}{{cite web |title=애플 아이패드로 제작된 박재범의 신곡 'Bite' 뮤직비디오 |url=https://www.gqkorea.co.kr/2022/08/18/%EC%95%A0%ED%94%8C-%EC%95%84%EC%9D%B4%ED%8C%A8%EB%93%9C%EB%A1%9C-%EC%A0%9C%EC%9E%91%EB%90%9C-%EB%B0%95%EC%9E%AC%EB%B2%94%EC%9D%98-%EC%8B%A0%EA%B3%A1-bite-%EB%AE%A4%EC%A7%81%EB%B9%84%EB%94%94/ |website=GQ Korea |language=ko |date=18 August 2022 |access-date=19 May 2025}}

• ArchDaily wrote that the software "frees the architect from having to create an entire model to illustrate a space" and instead lets designers "sketch separate views to communicate a holistic concept."
• Fast Company cited Mental Canvas as an example of new creative workflows enabled by the Surface Dial.
• The 2021 "Reimagine Drawing" Challenge, co-presented with the San Francisco Chronicle, attracted thousands of entries from 93 countries and awarded US$100,000 in prizes.{{cite news |title=Mental Canvas, S.F. Chronicle reveal winners of $100K Reimagine Drawing challenge |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/about/newsroomnews/article/Mental-Canvas-S-F-Chronicle-reveal-winners-of-17007598.php |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=18 March 2022 |access-date=19 May 2025}}

• Blender (software)
• Procreate (software)
• SketchUp

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://www.mentalcanvas.com}}