Blender 3D: Noob to Pro/Quickie Model
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Your first model is easy.
Contents |
[edit] Selecting objects
Start with the default scene. It has three objects: a cube, a light source and a camera.
The cube is selected: pink outlines indicate the selected objects. With the mouse pointer in the viewport, you can select or deselect all objects by pressing A. Select a single object by right-clicking on it (RMB or CMD+LMB on Mac).
AKEY - Toggles between selecting all or selecting none.
RMB - Selects a single object
[edit] Edit Mode
Right now you're in what's known as Object Mode. In Object Mode you can move the cube around the 3D environment in relation to other objects. With the cube selected, hit TAB. This puts you in what's known as Edit Mode.
Note: if instead of the cube you've selected the lamp or the camera, you won't be able to go into Edit Mode (Cameras and Lamps are edited differently).
In Edit Mode, you can change the shape and size of the cube. You could turn the cube into a puppy… or at least soon you'll be able to.
TAB - toggles in and out of Edit Mode of the selected, active object.
[edit] Selecting vertices
Now that you're in Edit Mode, you have access to the individual vertices. Vertices are control points that you can connect to create edges and faces. Edges connect two vertices, and faces connect three or more vertices.
Vertices show up as pink dots when they're not selected, and yellow dots when they are selected. If you change the G.U.I. theme, these colors may change. For example, the Rounded theme uses orange and white for selected and unselected vertices respectively.
If all the vertices are yellow (selected), press AKEY to deselect all vertices (as seen above, this key toggles selection depending on the current mode). Go ahead and hit RMB over one of the vertices and you should see it change to yellow, which means that it is selected. (Mouse button actions can be changed under View & Controls in the User Preferences window.)
If all you see is a big blue dot:
- Make sure the 3D transform manipulator is off; if not: depress the hand button
on the header. You'll know it's off when the icon showing the 3D axes disappears.
If you cannot select a vertex:
- Hit the ZKEY and make sure you are in transparent mode.
- If you can't get the cursor over the vertex, adjust your mouse/trackpad's tracking speed to minimum.
- Make sure you're in vertex select mode: if you can only select faces or edges, either press CTRL+TAB to select Vertices or click on the Vertex select mode icon as shown below.
Now try rotating the view to see what's actually going on. You can hold ALT key and drag (while holding the left mouse button, move the mouse) to rotate your view. If instead, it moves the Blender window, drag with the MMB (without holding the ALT key).
ZKEY - Toggles between drawing the scene in wireframe and solid mode.
CTRL-TAB - Opens the selection mode menu.
ALT+LMB or MMB - Rotates the view
SHIFT+MMB will pan the view.
[edit] Moving vertices
With a vertex selected, use the grab tool:
- Mesh > Transform > Grab/Move,
- click and hold LMB on an empty space and draw a line,
- or just press GKEY.
Move your mouse around: you should see the selected vertex moving with the pointer! Click the LMB to drop the vertex at the current spot, or press ENTER or SPACE key. While moving, you can cancel the move and drop the vertex back where it came from by pressing RMB or ESC key.
You can also grab a selection using the mouse by holding RMB and dragging it around: release the button at the desired spot. Then, clicking on the same button cancels the move.
Now use the MMB to rotate the view around to see the incredible impact your small change has undoubtedly made.
GKEY - "Grabs" the current selection and allows you to move it around with the mouse. Use LMB, ENTER, or SPACE to drop it in place. Use RMB or ESC to cancel the move.
[edit] Creating Vertices
While in mesh edit mode, simply hold the CTRL key while left clicking where you wish to create a vertex. Subsequent left clicks while holding the CTRL key will create a series of vertices with connected edges.
[edit] Extra Practice
Video Tutorial on Edit Mode [1]
