Graph View

Backlinks

The Library

Search

SearchSearch

Blender

Sep 25, 2024, 4 min read

Tips

  • Prefer to use Meshes as primitives Use the mesh that is closest to your target shape.

  • High poly is hard to render, hard to tweak. It is easier to add resolution / polys than it is to remove

    • That said, do not go low resolution for round objects.

  • Things that look perfect also look too fake. Most of 3D rendering is about making imperfections in a realistic way.

  • Z-fighting - a rendering issue where a face is on top of another face and the renderer is unsure of which to render (appears as flickering)

  • Backface Projection - Happens when one face of the mesh is projected to the wrong side of the other mesh.

  • Blender features Geometry Nodes which essentially act like shaders and are scriptable similar to Shader Graph.

    • By default all attributes in a geometry node are shared across all objects linked to that node. However, exposing attributes make them unique to the object instance

Engine Notes

  • The default view is in Viewport Shading which gives a lightweight view of the scene without lighting. Switch to Render mode to bake lights
  • Immediately after adding objects, there is an option to tweak it that is available (bottom left). This option disappears after any action is performed. Press F9 to make it reappear.
  • Consider Modifiers which apply to the mesh as a whole (top to bottom)
    • Viewport Subdivision - add subdivisions to increase the mesh’s resolution and make it look smoother from either Viewport or Render mode (or both ).
    • Solidify - add a thickness to the mesh.
    • Shinkwrap- allows an object to shrink to the surface of another object, effectively making the vertices snap to the other surface’s vertices.
  • Consider Sculpting for adding complex shapes and details.
    • Inflate - Vertices are moved in the direction of their normals
    • Mask - Defines a mask on a region.
    • Mesh Filter
    • Grab - Drag geometry across the screen, following the cursor.  Grab only moves the vertices that are under the brush radius at the start of the stroke. This is an essential sculpting brush to be used frequently to build shapes and adjust proportions.

Shortcut Keys

General Control

  • E - when an edge is selected, it Extrudes

  • F - change the size of brush in Sculpt Mode

  • G - Grab (move object). Note that this will make the object move with your cursor regardless of where it is

    • MIddle axis drag - move along the nearest axis (X, Y or Z).
    • X, Y, Z - move along X / Y or Z axis.

  • H - Hide parts of mesh (based on selection)

  • M - Mask

  • N - properties

  • O - Proportional Edit mode - allows changing a mesh vertex and any adjacent vertices. Select the vertex and then press G. Scroll Up / Down to increase or decrease the sphere of influence

  • R - Rotate object.

    • Middle axis drag - rotate along X, Y or Z
    • X, Y, Z - move along X / Y or Z axis.

  • S - Scale object

    • Middle axis drag - scale along X, Y or Z
    • X, Y, Z - scale along X / Y or Z axis

  • Tab - switch from Object to Edit mode (to edit meshes)

  • F2 - with selected object. Rename

  • F12 - render image based on the POV of the camera and save the image.

  • Ctrl + I - Invert Mask

  • Shift + A - Add object

  • Shift + D - Duplicate object

  • Shift + F - Change brush intensity of sculpt brush.

  • Shift + Tab - Turn on snapping

    • If snapping doesn’t work try adding more resolution

  • Shift + Middle Mouse Drag - Pan

  • Alt + Click on a mesh in Edit mode - selects the edge (goes in a straight line)

  • Alt + H - unhide hidden elements of the mesh

  • Alt + M - Clear current mask

  • 0 - Camera view

Links