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Blender Notes

Blender Setup

Project Structure

Scene Structure

Background Image

  • Orthographic plan model. -> https://www.the-blueprints.com - Blueprints . Com
  • Use graphics program to slice image into orthographic parts.
  • Line up ground, front & rear alignments of each orthographic plane.
  • Save each image -front, -top, etc.
  • Ctrl + A - Add -> Image -> Background for each ortho plane.

Blender Tips

  • Multiple Select Objects ->Alt + Param Change - Multi Edit objects.
  • Quad View - Ctrl + Alt + Q
  • Snapping Toggle - Shift + Tab
  • Wireframe / Solid - Z
  • Kinfe Subdivide - K -> Create Edge - Enter

Blender Hotkeys

Common

Properties

  • Copy the (single) value of the button. - Ctr + C
  • Paste the (single) value of the button. - Ctrl + V
  • Copy the entire vector or color of the field. - Ctrl + Alt + C
  • Paste the entire vector or color of the field. - Ctrl + Alt + V
  • Open the context menu. - RMB
  • Clear the value (sets to zero or clears a text field). - Backspace
  • Negate number values (multiply by -1.0). - -
  • Change the value incremental steps. - Ctrl - Wheel
  • Activates menus or toggles the value. - Return
  • Hold while editing values to apply the change to all selected items (objects, bones, sequence-strips). - Alt

Animation

  • Insert a keyframe. - I
  • Clear the keyframe. - Alt + I
  • Clear all keyframes (removing all F-curves). - Shift + Alt + D
  • Assign a driver. - Ctrl + D
  • Clear the driver. - Ctrl + Alt + D
  • Add a Keying Set. - K
  • Clear the Keying Set. - Alt + K

Python Scripting

  • Over any Operator Buttons copies their Python command into the clipboard. - Ctrl + C
  • Over property buttons copies their data path for this property (also available from the context menu). - Shift + Ctrl + C
  • Over property buttons copies their full data path for the data-block and property. - Shift + Ctrl + Alt + C

Dragging

  • While dragging, snap to discrete steps. - Ctrl
  • Gives precision control over the value. - Shift
  • Precise snap will move the object with high precision along with the snapping constraint. - Shift + Ctrl

Text Editing

  • Go to the start of the line. - Home
  • Go to the end of the line. - End
  • Move the cursor a single character. - Ctrl + Left, Ctrl + Right
  • Delete characters. - Backspace, Delete
  • Delete words. - Ctrl + Backspace, Ctrl + Delete
  • Select while holding the key and moving the cursor. - Shift
  • Select all text. - Ctrl - A
  • Copy the selected text. - Ctrl + C
  • Cut the selected text. - Ctrl + X
  • Paste text at the cursor position. - Ctrl + V

Confirm & Cancel

  • Cancel. - Esc
  • Confirm. - Enter

Global Keys

  • Open file. - Ctrl + O
  • Save file. - Ctrl + S
  • New file. - Ctrl + N
  • Undo. - Ctrl + Z
  • Redo. - Shift + Ctrl + Z
  • Quit. - Ctrl + Q
  • Help. - Help (context sensitive).
  • Rename active item. - F1
  • Rename active item. - F2
  • Menu Search. - F3
  • File context menu. - F4
  • Reserved for user actions. - F5-F8
  • Adjust last operation. - F9
  • Reserved for user actions. - F10
  • Show render window. - F11
  • Render the current frame. - F12
  • Quick access (favorites). - Q
  • Toggle Maximize Area. - Ctrl + Spacebar
  • Toggle Fullscreen Area - Ctrl + Alt + Spacebar
  • Next/previous Workspace. - Ctrl + PageUp - Ctrl + PageDown
  • User configurable. - Spacebar
    • Play - Toggle animation playback.
    • Tools - Tool switching with hotkeys (Shift + Spacebar for play).
    • Search - Search for actions (Shift + Spacebar for play).
  • Playback animation (reverse). - Shift + Ctrl + Spacebar

Common Editor Keys

  • Select all. - A
  • Select none. - Alt + A
  • Invert selection. - Ctrl + I
  • Hide selection. - H
  • Reveal hidden items. - Alt + H
  • Toggle Toolbar. - T
  • Toggle Sidebar. - N

3D Viewport Keys

  • Edit-mode toggle. - Tab
  • Mode switching pie menu (toggles Pose Mode for armatures). - Ctrl + Tab
  • Edit mesh vertex/edge/face toggle (Shift extends, Ctrl expands). - 1 - 3
  • 3D Viewport navigation pie menu. - “ (AccentGrave)`
  • Toggle gizmos. - Ctrl + AccentGrave
  • Walk/Fly Navigation. - Shift + AccentGrave

Preferences

  • Select with Mouse Button - LMB

Middle Mouse Action

  • Orbit: Rotates the view around a pivot point, Shift + MMB is used for panning the view. - “
  • Pan: Shifts the view towards the mouse, Shift + MMB is used for orbiting the view.

Alt Middle Mouse Drag Action

  • Relative: Set the view axis where each mouse direction maps to an axis relative to the current orientation.
  • Absolute: Set the view axis where each mouse direction always maps to the same axis.

Tab for Pie Menu

  • Causes Tab to open a pie menu (swaps Tab and Ctrl + Tab).

Pie Menu on Drag

This allows keys to have a secondary drag action.

Tab

  • tap: Toggles Edit Mode.
  • drag: Object Mode pie menu.

Z

  • tap: Toggles wireframe view.
  • drag: Display mode pie menu.

AccentGrave

  • tap: First person Fly/walk Navigation.
  • drag: View axis pie menu.

Extra Shading Pie Menu Items

  • Show additional items in the shading menu (Z key).

Modeling Shortcuts

Render Region

  • Ctrl+B - Render Region (in Camer view)
  • Ctrl+Alt+B - Cancel Render Region
  • Shift+B - Zoom Region

Main

  • Menu - Call-Up
  • N - Object properties sidebar
  • T - Toggle toolbar
  • Q - Quick Favorites menu
  • F3 - Function search
  • Ctrl + Tab - Mode Pie menu
  • ~ - Viewport Pie menu
  • . - Pivot Point Pie menu
  • , - Axis Orientation Pie menu
  • Shift + S - Snap Pie menu

Viewport

  • Home - Show all objects
  • H - Hide object
  • Alt + H - Unhide all objects
  • Shift + H - Hide all unselected objects
  • Alt + Z - Toggle X-ray
  • Z - Viewport Shading Options Pie menu
  • / - Isolate selected object
  • Numpad 0 - Camera view
  • Numpad 1 - Front view
  • Numpad 2 - Downward-facing view
  • Numpad 3 - Side view
  • Numpad 4 - Leftward-facing view
  • Numpad 6 - Rightward-facing view
  • Numpad 7 - Top-down view
  • Numpad 8 - Upward-facing view
  • Numpad 9 - Opposite of current view
  • Numpad 5 - Toggle perspective/orthographic view

Viewport Navigation

  • Middle click + drag - Orbit view
  • Shift + Middle click + drag - Pan view
  • Scroll wheel; Ctrl + Middle click + drag - Zoom view
  • Shift + ~ + move mouse - Click in Viewport to deactivate, Free pan by cursor

Object Mode

  • Tab - Toggle between Object mode and Edit mode
  • Shift + A - Add new object
  • Shift + Tab - Toggle snapping
  • Ctrl + A - Apply transformations
  • Alt + G - Clear position
  • Alt + R - Clear rotation
  • Alt + R - Clear scale
  • Ctrl + J - Join selected objects
  • Ctrl + 1, 2, 3, 4, etc - Add subdivision set
  • Shift + C - Reset 3D cursor to center

Object Manipulation

  • G - Move object or geometry
  • S - Scale object or geometry
  • R - Rotate object or geometry
  • RR - Rotate with trackball
  • G, S, or R + X, Y, or Z - Action along axis
  • G, S, or R + XX, YY, or ZZ - Action along local axis
  • Hold Shift while transforming - Fine tune control
  • Hold Ctrl while transforming - Adjust value by increment
  • Shift + D - Duplicate object
  • Alt + D - Duplicate linked objects
  • M - Add active object to new collection

Edit Mode

  • Alt + Shift + S - Scale spherize vertices
  • 1 - Vertex mode
  • 2 - Edge mode
  • 3 - Face mode
  • P - Create separate object out of selection
  • M - Merge selection
  • GG - Vertex and edge slide
  • E - Extrude geometry
  • F - Fill face
  • Ctrl + R - Loop cut
    • Scroll wheel after Ctrl + R;
    • Move mouse to choose orientation
    • Add loop cut divisions
    • Left click Lock in loop cut
  • I - Add inset faces to selection
  • Ctrl + B - Add bevel to selection
  • Ctrl + Shift + B - Add vertex bevel to selection
  • K - Knife
    • Enter - Lock in knife
  • Shift + W - Bend
  • Y - Split geometry
  • V - Rip geometry
  • Alt + V - Fill rip
  • Ctrl + L - Select connected geometry
  • Alt + Left click - Select edge loop
  • O - Toggle proportional editing
  • Shift + O - Toggle through proportional editing falloff profiles
  • Shift + N - Recalculate normals
  • Ctrl + Shift + N - Invert normals
  • Esc - Cancel transform in progress

Sculpt Mode

  • Shift + Spacebar - Select brush hotkey
  • E - Select stroke protocol
  • F - Brush size
  • Shift + F - Brush strength
  • Ctrl + F - Brush angle
  • Shift + Left click - Toggle brush positive or negative

UVs and UV Unwrapping

  • Ctrl + E - Mark seam
  • U - Unwrap mesh

UV Editor

  • Ctrl + L - L to select object under cursor select island
  • P - Pin
  • Alt + P - Unpin
  • Shift + P - Select pinned
  • V - Stitch
  • Shift + W - Weld
  • Shift + A - Create new node
  • Ctrl + Right click + Drag - Sever connection
  • F - Con nect selected
  • M - Mute selected
  • Ctrl + G - Group selecteded
  • Ctrl + Alt + G - Ungroup selected

Blender Python API

The current Blender API is located at https://docs.blender.org/api/current/.