Blender Notes

Best Practices

• Cylinders
  • Vertices multiple of 4 to keep round / factor of 2 to allow easy decimation
  • 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
  • If then use Alt when adjusting mods, will also apply to all?
• Alt-Ctrl-click: select all in same direction that are same length?
• Ctrl-+ (-): expand (contract) selection
• Shift-G: select in same collection as active object
• Other options: select sharp edges; select by trait (e.g., # of sides)....
• Mark seams - then can select all in that area with L when in Face mode
• Vertex group - within mesh, can created numbered groups to reselect easily

Moving the Origin Around the Object

• Edit Mode - select the face or vertex where you want the origin
• Set Cursor to Selected (Shift-S, option 2)
• Object Mode - set Origin to 3D Cursor (RMB menu)

Arrays on Curves

With proxies to prevent distortion

• Curve origin can be anywhere?
• Proxy and object must
  • Be co-located (their origins are at the same point)
  • Have their scale (and location and rotation!) applied
• Add array and curve mods to the proxy
• Parent the object to the proxy
  • Select object first, then proxy
  • Ctl-P (without transform?)
• Object properties of the proxy - activate Faces

Snapping

Snap Base

Determines which point in the geometry is the snap base that will snap to the target.

• Center - Snaps using the current transformation center (pivot point)
  • Useful in combination with the 3D Cursor for choosing the snapping point completely manually
  • See above for moving the origin/center around
• Closest - Snaps using the vertex that’s closest to the target
  • Useful in edit mode for snapping vertices?
• Active - Snaps using the origin (in Object Mode) or center (in Edit Mode) of the active element
• Median - Snaps using the median of the selection

Snap Target

Determines the target which the selection will be snapped to.

• Vertex - Snaps to the vertex that’s closest to the mouse cursor
• Edge - Snaps to the edge that’s closest to the mouse cursor
• Face - Snaps to the surfaces of faces in mesh objects
• Increment - based on the unit scale in the Scene properties
• Grid - Snaps based on grid visible in the viewport
• Volume - Snaps to a depth that’s centered inside the object under the cursor
• Edge Center - Snaps to the center point of the edge that’s closest to the mouse cursor
• Edge Perpendicular - Snaps to a specific point on the edge so that the line from the selection’s original location (indicated by a white cross) to its new location is perpendicular to that edge

Snap Target for Individual Elements

• Face Project - Snaps to the face that’s under the mouse cursor
• Face Nearest - Individually snaps each object (in Object Mode) or vertex (in Edit Mode) to the face that’s closest to its new location

Target Selection

Sets more detailed snapping options. The available options depend on the mode (Object/Edit) as well as the Snap Target.

• Include Active - Edit Mode
  • Snap to other mesh elements of the active object
  • This checkbox is ignored if Proportional Editing is enabled
• Include Edited - Edit Mode
  • Snap to other objects that are also in Edit Mode
• Include Non-Edited - Edit Mode
  • Snap to other objects that are not in Edit Mode
• Exclude Non-Selectable
  • Snap only to objects that are selectable.
• Align Rotation to Target
  • Rotates the selection so that its Z axis gets aligned to the normal of the target
• Backface Culling
  • Exclude back-facing geometry from snapping
• Snap to Same Target Face Nearest
  • Snap only to the object which the selection was nearest to before starting the transformation
• Face Nearest Steps Face Nearest - Edit Mode
  • Breaks the overall transformation into multiple steps, performing a snap each time. This can give better results in certain cases.
• Snap Peel Object Volume
  • If the target object is composed of several disconnected mesh islands that intersect each other, “Snap To Volume” will normally snap to the island which the mouse is hovering over, ignoring the other islands. By enabling “Snap Peel Object,” you can instead treat the target object as one connected whole.

Linking

• Linked objects - within a file
  • Alt-D when in Edit mode
  • Updating transforms: after selecting, Shift-L to select linked data, then apply transform (NOT "all transforms"?)
• Linked collection - to pull in non-editable asset from another file
  • Can be transformed but not edited
  • Can be instanced as above (Alt-D)

Miscellaneous Notes

• Inset
  • Tap twice to inset faces individually
  • Can change the shape of the inset (e.g. circle instead of square) - loop tools?
• Mark Seams - makes it easier to use L to select linked geometry for key areas
• Extrude
  • May need to duplicate the faces first, or else it will just move them
  • Alt-E: extrude along normal
• Poke - can change "tris to quads"
• Sliding
  • Slide vertices - Shift-V
  • Slide edges - GG (plus C if want to extend past current end)
• Loop cut - press E or E then F to match profile of one of the two current edges
• Align vertices - select, scale on desired alignment axis, hit 0
• Align camera
  • Align active camera to view - Ctrl-Alt-Numpad 0
  • Align active camera to selected - choose from pie menu?
• UV auto updates - settings in Tool panel
  • Correct face attribution
  • Live unwrap

Solidify

• Offset 0 - solidify evenly on both sides
• Even thickness always on
• Complex mode
  • Constraints
  • Vertex group - can have the solidify factor based on vertex group weights
  • Something about having the solidify inherit materials?

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
• Solidify the cutter for interesting effects?

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

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

Profiles along a path

• Create the path curve
• Create the profile object (another curve)
• Select path, then profile
• Geometry > bevel > object
• Must be in Edit mode to change the profile
• Extra vertices on path may cause warping
• If normals flipped - edit profile curve - segments > switch direction

Panel Lines

• Edge Split - turn off Edge Angle
• Solidify - .005, even, fill - -1 or 1 depending?
• Bevel - .005, 1, angle 30 degrees (or switch to weight where needed?)
• Mark relevant edges on mesh Sharp

Modular Faces

• Setup
  • Inset the faces of the object mesh you want to fill (MUST be rectangle)
  • Duplicate those interior faces and separate them
  • Make the separated faces all horizontal by using Flowify (delete the rotated ones)
  • Dupe faces and divide them into different layouts (make sure each resulting "sub" face just has four verts by using additional insets as needed)
• Design things!
• Make faces
  • Select a face
  • Add, arrange, and align things on that face
  • Extrude the face down, flip normals
  • Ctrl-Shift-+ (or - for holes) the face and things together (face selected last)
  • Rename the face
• Add faces to objects
  • Join face and target object
  • Edge mode - select four outer edges of the face
  • Mesh Copier - Set as source
  • Face mode - select the target face
  • Mesh Copier - Paste
  • Separate (or delete) the original face (check that mesh and new face are joined)
  • Rename anything that got wonky