Blender Notes
As with all other learning pages it’s just like my super rough sketchbook where I track things I found useful, usually for low poly stuff, illustration block-ins and small Blender prototypes. Hm, maybe useful is the wrong word, more like “harder to remember” or “how did I not use this all these years?!”. In short, anything that catches my attention.
Excues the randomness, this tends to jump from extreme basics to “woah, what an interesting super-specialized technique”.
Favorite shortcuts
Camera / View / Selections
Shortcut | Function |
---|---|
Num / | Local view of selected object. Press again to exit. |
Ctrl+Alt+LMB | Select Edge Ring (not edge loop!) |
Ctrl+Shift+(Num+) | Select next active (useful for every n-th edge) |
N | Bring up sidebar |
H | Hide object |
Shift+H | Hide everything except selected object |
Alt+H | Unhide all |
Modelling:
Shortcut | Function |
---|---|
1,2,3 | Vertex/Edge / Face selection |
Shift + Spacebar | Modelling options quick menu |
Ctrl + B | Bevel |
Shift + C | Cursor to Center (Also resets camera) |
Ctrl + 3 | Add subdivision to the modifier stack |
Ctrl + E | Edge menu (eg. for Mark Seam) |
I | Inset |
I->B | Inset Boundary setting. Determines if open edges will be inset |
E | Extrude |
G,G | Edge Slide <3 |
Right-click->S | (In edit mode) Quick way to subdivide. |
Ctrl+1 | Quick Subdivision Surface |
E | Extrude |
Alt+E | Extrude Menu |
Alt+Shift+S | To Sphere |
Bevel: Hold S + mouse movement to adjust # of segments. Also mouse scroll wheel (without mouse movements).
Data Manipulation
Shortcut | Function |
---|---|
ALT+D | Duplicate Linked |
Radial/Pie Menus:
Shortcut | Function |
---|---|
ALT+S | 3D Cursor Radial Menu (RM) |
CTRL+ALT+X | Origin menu (eg. Snap origin to selected!) |
` | Quick View pie menu |
Q | Quick Favorites |
Edit->Addons-> search for Pie to turn on 3D Viewport pie menus. Enables many more shortcuts.
Editor Types:
Shortcut | Function |
---|---|
SHIFT+F5 | 3D Viewport |
SHIFT+F3 | Cycles between Node editors (shader, texture etc.) |
Modelling Techniques
Using Lattice
Use a sufficiently subdivided mesh. Add a Lattice object. Add a Lattice modifier to your original mesh. Set your Lattice as the target object for the modifier. Now you can deform the lattice and the mesh will follow the deformation. You can control the degree to which it follows the lattice with the Strength slider. Lattice density is controlled in the Data tab.
Inset-Bridge
Inset faces on both sides of the mesh. Ctrl+E to access Edge menu. Use Bridge Edge Loops.
Literal bridge =)
Select two faces, CTRL+E, Bridge Edge Loops, use the menu to increase Number of Cuts.
Array of Objects rotated around center point.
- Create an Empty where you want your rotation center.
- Select the game object you want to make an Array of. Set it’s Origin to where the Empty is.
- Add an Array modifier, uncheck “Relative Offset” and check “Object Offset”
- Set the Empty as your Object Offset em…object.
- Increase # of copies and rotate the Empty! Voila!
Quick Notes / Other Useful
- Face-> Grid Fill.
Rendering Tips
Various bits and pieces of knowledge I actually use in my process from time to time.
Camera Notes
15mm Lens approximates the human eye, also happens to be the default setting
Using an “Infinite Background” like in photography
- Create a large flat plane.
- Extrude one of it’s edges vertically
- Use Bevel (Ctrl+B) with a lot of segments, like 70-90. Make sure to set these freshly beveled faces to Shade Smooth.
HDRI Images
- Shader Editor -> Shader type dropdown to “World” (right next to the editor type dropdown)
- Useful addon: Node Wrangler
- Shift + A -> Texture -> Environment Texture. Allows to select an .exr texture file.
- With the texture node selected and NW enabled, ctrl+T to add texture mapping and coordinate nodes.
Rendering - Eevee
- Render -> Shadows -> Cube size for more accurate shadows.
Mini-Tutorials
Simple step-by-step how-to’s resulting in small ready-to-go assets.
Grass
- Create a Plane
- Assign any kind of photographic Grass Texture
- Add a Particle System, of the type Hair and make sure Advanced is checked.
- Adjust length, Particle Amound (about 50k), segments.
- In Physics andd some Brownian noise/motion.
Other Useful / Uncategorized
There may never come a day when I sort all this. And that’s allright. Until then I do my best =).
Removing unused data manually (materials with 0 users etc.)
In the outliner view, right next to view selection you can change the “Display Mode” to Blender File. There you will have all data listed (objects, materials, meshes, nodes, many more). You can delete unused materials from there.
Making an object unselectable / Making the Selectable toggle available:
Right-click on object (in Object mode)-> Shade Smooth by Angle (Adjust angle options in the lower left corner) You can also add a “Smooth by Angle” modifier and then just use shade smooth.
Object display options
Properties window->Object-> Viewport Display dropdown.
Show single object as Wireframe. Add Wireframe overlay to a solid object etc.
Don’t forget the quick menu!
Right-click any menu item to add to quick favorites!
Useful QuickMenu examples:
Origin to Geometry
Project Statistics
Overlay dropdown -> Statistics : Display Vertex/Edge/Face count.
Viewport Shading
Viewport Shading -> Top-right dropdown in the 3D Viewport to customize default shading for editing.
Save scene as default
File->Defaults->Save Startup File
Selecting all faces forming one plane:
Shift + G (grab menu)-> Normal. Selects all planes with the same normal
References & Resources
A lot of the things here are from experienced pros kind enough to share their knowledge. I try to keep a list with everyone I got ideas from. Also another list of where I get resources from.
Resources:
Schoolism Blender 3D course.