Blender Notes

Best Practices

• Cylinders
  • Vertices multiple of 4 to keep round
  • Start with fewer if planning to subdivide or subsurface later
  • End cap - replace with quads (variety of methods)
• Modifiers
  • Processed from the top down
  • Applying it "moves it to the top" - so apply in the right order

Selecting Stuff Faster While Editing

• Ctrl-click: select everything between previous and current selection
• Alt-click: select all connected
• Alt-Ctrl-click: select all in same direction that are same length?
• Ctrl-+ (-): expand (contract) selection
• Other options: select sharp edges; select by trait (e.g., # of sides)....

Miscellaneous Notes

• Inset - Tap twice to inset faces individually
• Mark Seams - makes it easier to use L to select linked geometry for key areas

Booleans

• Every bool must have 2 connection points to the object
  • Can create non-manifold topology
  • Use Exact option to avoid cutting with Z-fighting
• When joining
  • Connection points as perpendicular as possible
  • Connect points with J; dissolve any bad ones
• Mirror booleans
  • Mirror all by modifying object
  • Mirror individual by modifying the cutter
  • Can reorder the modifiers so some of the cutters are after the mirror
• Deleting booleans properly
  • Delete the modifier AND the cutter
  • If slicing and only delete the cutter mesh, may leave duplicate object behind

Bool Tool

• Choose cutter first; shift-click object to be cut
• Shortcuts
  • Ctrl-numpad -: difference
  • Ctrl-numpad +: union
  • Ctrl-numpad *: intersect
  • Ctrl-numpad /: slice
• Parent cutters to the object
  • Select cutters; shift-click object
  • Ctrl-P - Object; Keep transform

HardOps / BoxCutter

Add stuff here

Bevels

Direct bevel

• Don't forget to apply scale before beveling
• Shift key while scaling it allows for more precise movement
• C key to clamp bevel so they don't overlap
  • If they butt up to each other - will have two edges on top of each other
  • Remove the duplicate by dissolving it or merging the vertices by distance
• P key can adjust the profile of the bevel (how the curve is shaped) when adding
  • Default is 0.5 (Shape setting on panel)
• Optimal number of segments depends on size of the bevel and size of the object

Bevel modifier

• Generally only used to get edge highlight?
• Often either 1 or 3 segments is fine
• Keep the amount small
• Add Weighted Normal modifier to clean up the shading
  • Or set Hard Normals in the Bevel mod
• NEVER apply it (according to Blender Bros)
  • Keep Bevel and Weighted Normal mods at the bottom of the stack
• If get weird overlaps when beveling (poss due to acute angles on connectors), can turn off Loop Slide in the mod