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

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

In Edit Mode

In Object Mode - right click menu

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

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

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

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.

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)

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

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?

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?

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

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

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