Zen BBQ Quick Start Guide

Zen BBQ is intended for creating, adjusting visualizing and baking bevels without actually changing geometry.

Assigning Bevel to the Selection

Assign bevel with N-Panel

• Make sure you have an object selected in either Object Mode or Edit Mode.
• In the 3D Viewport, open the Sidebar (N-Panel) on the right side of the screen (Default hotkey: N).
• Open the Zen BBQ tab.
• (Optional) Enable the bevel color overlay using the Highlight Bevels Toggle button (represented by the Intersecting Circles icon) located inside the Tools Block, directly above the preset list.
• Click the “●” button to the right of your desired bevel radius.
• The bevel will be assigned. If you are in Edit Mode, the bevel weight is applied only to the selected edges. If you are in Object Mode, the bevel is assigned to all edges of the object.

Fig. 1. Assign Bevel with N-Panel

Assign bevel with Pie Menu

• Make sure you have an object selected in either Object Mode or Edit Mode.
• (Optional) Enable the bevel color overlay using the Highlight Bevels Toggle button as described in the steps above.
• In the 3D Viewport, summon the Pie Menu by pressing the global hotkey (Default: Ctrl + Shift + X).
• Select your desired bevel value from the wheel.
• The bevel will be assigned. If you are in Edit Mode, the bevel weight is applied only to the selected edges. If you are in Object Mode, the bevel is assigned to all edges of the object.

Fig. 2. Assign Bevel with Pie Menu

Previewing the result

• Once bevels are assigned, go to the Zen BBQ — Bevels Panel and click the Shader button.
• See the result!
• If your model appears too dark, click the Use Scene World button on the far right of the row next to the Shader button.
• In the Shader Render Preset block, you can choose the desired preview quality by clicking the Low, Med, or High buttons.

Fig. 3. Previewing the result

Managing Presets

• Preset Groups: You can select any built-in preset group from the dropdown menu. Each group contains six distinct presets that correspond directly to the slots in the Pie Menu (Ctrl + Shift + X). Additionally, the Highlight Bevels function utilizes color overlays that match the active preset group.
• Default Groups: By default, Zen BBQ provides pre-configured groups for centimeters, millimeters, meters, and inches. You can modify any default preset at any time by clicking its value in the list and inputting your desired size or unit.
• Creating Custom Groups: To create a new preset group, click the Plus (+) button. A prompt will appear asking you to specify the group name and primary unit. You can change these units later; Zen BBQ supports mixed units within a single group (e.g., combining millimeters and centimeters in the same list).
• Deleting Groups: To remove the currently active preset group, click the Minus (-) button.
• Resetting Preses: If you need to restore all preset groups to their original factory values, navigate to the Preferences panel and click Reset Preferences.

Fig. 4. Managing Presets

Selection by Bevel

Smart Select

• Make sure you are in Edit Mode with a mesh object.
• Select an edge with your desired bevel radius.
• Click the Smart Select button (represented by the Arrow with an Eye icon) in the Zen BBQ — Bevels Panel.
• All edges sharing the same bevel value will automatically be selected.
• Use Blender’s Operator Options panel at the bottom-left of the screen to adjust the selection threshold/tolerance.

Fig. 5. Smart Select

Select by Preset

• Make sure you are in Edit Mode with a mesh object.
• Select the desired preset from the list in the Zen BBQ — Bevels Panel.
• Click the Select by Bevel Preset button (located next to the preset list).
• All edges assigned to the selected preset will be selected.
• Use Blender’s Operator Options panel to fine-tune the selection accuracy or enable Add to selection mode. When this option is enabled, your previously selected geometry will remain selected alongside the new selection.

Fig. 6. Select by Preset

Live Boolean Workflow

Zen BBQ features seamless integration with Blender’s native Boolean modifiers, allowing you to automatically apply procedural bevels to dynamically generated intersection edges without destructive geometry editing.

1. Set Default Radius: In the Zen BBQ panel, define your fallback bevel size using the Set Default Radius option. This radius is automatically applied to any new boolean cuts.
2. Apply Boolean: Cut, union, or intersect your mesh using Blender’s Boolean modifier (or helper addons like BoxCutter / HardOps).
3. See the Result: Zen BBQ will detect the newly created intersection edges on the fly and immediately assign the specified default bevel radius to them.

🔗 Learn More: For advanced configurations and a detailed breakdown of the non-destructive modeling pipeline, check out our full Live Boolean Integration guide.

Baking

• Select your mesh object.
• Ensure that the bevels are assigned as described in the steps above. You can switch to the Shader preview mode to verify that the procedural bevels look correct on your model.
• Make sure your mesh has a proper UV Map.
• Open the Zen BBQ — Bake Panel.
• Expand the Bake Render Presets section located at the bottom of the Bake Panel.
• Select your desired baking quality profile by clicking the Low, Med, or High buttons.
• Click the Start Bake button (represented by the Play icon) located directly below the object list in the Bake Panel and wait for the process to complete.
• Return to the Bevels Panel.
• Click the Image preview button to switch the viewport display mode.
• See the result! Your baked texture maps are now displayed directly on the model.

Fig. 7. Baking

Enjoy this experience with us!

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