Editing

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    Answers in this category:

    1. How do you use layers?
    2. What is edit mode
    3. How do you make a mirror duplicate of an object?
    4. How does one scale an object in only one or two dimensions, instead of all three?
    5. How do I select objects/vertices?
    6. How do you select multple objects/vertices?
    7. How do you delete objects/vertices/edges/faces?
    8. How can I change the object center?
    9. How can I bend an object?
    10. How can I translate, rotate or scale with extra precision?
    11. How can I stretch an object?
    12. Is there a button that allows me to change the centre in the 3D environment?
    13. How do I select all the vertices in an object?
    14. I\'m trying to do extrude perpendicular to face normals. Is it possible to align a view (or camera) perfectly perpendicular to a face normal (apart from manual calculation)?
    15. How can I show the faces?
    16. Is there a way to select a quad or tri by just clicking on it (like in
    17. How do i rotate an object on a tilted axis? for instance, if i have a circle for use as a camera path, but it\'s not along the x, y, or z axes.
    18. Is there a way to constrain scaling or movement to a single axis (such as just the X-axis or just the Y-axis)? If I use the middle mouse button it scales either the X-axis and Y-axis, or the Z-axis and Y-axis, etc.

    1 - How do you use layers?

    Contributed by anonymous.

    Layers are shown on the middle icon bar by blue little boxes. You activate a given layer by left-clicking on the appropriate blue box. You can activate many blue boxes at the same time by SHIFT-left-clicking on them. The same way, you can desactivate only one blue box among many other on SHIFT-clicking on it again. You can move any object on a layer with the M-KEY. Press the little box/layer you want the selected objects to go to.

    As an alternative, you can press 1-0 to access layer 1 to 10, or ALT+1 to ALT+1 to access layer 11 to 20 (this also works in the Move menu). Hold down SHIFT to select multiple layers.

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    2 - What is edit mode

    Contributed by anonymous.

    3D models in Blender are organized in uniform 'Objects'. All Object types share a certain amount of data such as a location, rotation and scaling. Default, the entire interface works with Objects, for selection or for visualization in Buttons for example.

    To be able to change the 'real' (or geometry) 3D data, such as faces or vertices, you have to enter EditMode (press TAB). Now, all editing is locked at this specific Object type and you can select and move the individual vertices.

    If you add new objects while in editmode, they are merged into the current object.

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    3 - How do you make a mirror duplicate of an object?

    Contributed by anonymous.

    1) Select the mesh
    2) Press Ctrl+D
    3) Press S
    4) Press X or Y (depending on which axis you want it to be flipped)

    Also, Alt+D makes a linked copy of the mesh.

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    4 - How does one scale an object in only one or two dimensions, instead of all three?

    Contributed by Matthew.

    After pressing S to turn on scaling, hold down the middle mouse button (or ALT-Left click for those with only 2 buttons). The general direction of the first motion you make with mouse will determine what axis you'll scale in.

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    5 - How do I select objects/vertices?

    Contributed by Nathan Vegdahl.

    To select an object or vertex, simply RIGHT-CLICK on it.

    To select multiple objects or vertices, hold down the SHIFT-KEY while making selections.

    Objects and vertices are automatically deselected when you select another object or vertex (unless shift-key is down).

    You can determine if an object is selected by its color: PINK means it is selected, otherwise it is not (different object types have different colors for when they are not selected).

    You can determine if a vertex is selected by its color: YELLOW means it is selected, pink means it is not.

    *HINTS:
    Vertices can only be selected while in edit mode.

    You can select/deselect all objects at the same time (or vertices, if in edit mode) by pressing the A-KEY.

    You can drag a selection-box by pressing the B-KEY and draging with the LEFT mouse-button. Use the MIDDLE mouse-button to drag a deselection-box).

    You can "paint" your selections by pressing the B-KEY twice (which enters you into paint-selection mode). The LEFT mouse-button selects, the MIDDLE mouse-button deselects, and pressing either the RIGHT mouse-button or the ESC-KEY leaves paint-selection mode. While in paint-selection mode, you can use the keypad "+" and "-" keys to increase and decrease the brush size.

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    6 - How do you select multple objects/vertices?

    Contributed by Matt Murray.

    The best Way to Select Multiple Objects, say Over 100? Is to use the "BORDER SELECT". To use this just press the "B" key and then Click and drag around all of the Objects. In edit mode you can also Select Multiple Vertices. Another way to use the BORDER SELECT is Pressing "B" Twice, this will give you a selector circle(Avilable only in edit mode),use the + and - button to resize it.

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    7 - How do you delete objects/vertices/edges/faces?

    Contributed by Nathan Vegdahl.

    To delete an object/objects (a mesh, a light source, etc.), select the object/objects, and press the X-KEY. A menu will pop up, asking you if you really want to delete it. Click the delete button in the menu.

    To delete vertices/edges/faces, you must be in edit mode. You may then use the same proccess as with objects: you select the things you want to delete, and press the X-KEY. When you press the X-KEY, a menu appears, asking if you want to delete the selected vertices, the edges connecting the selected vertices, or the faces connecting the selected vertices.

    *HINTS
    If you accidentally press the X-KEY, simply move the mouse off of the menu, and it will disappear, and the object/vertex/edge/face will not be deleted.

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    8 - How can I change the object center?

    Contributed by B@rt.

    To change it's position, select an object and in [F9] screen you can click at multiple buttons at the right:

    * "Centre" moves selected object so the median point is in his centre

    * "Centre new" moves the point to the centre of the object (Which stays in the place)

    * "Centre cursor" moves median to the position of 3D cursor.

    [from the discussion server]

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    9 - How can I bend an object?

    Contributed by Daniel Jircik.

    A quick way to bend things. In this case we will choose a tube.

    ADD>MESH>TUBE
    Extrude it to a desirable length.
    ADD>IKA (add as 2 segments and middle mose button click to finish)
    Now we want to tell the IKA to bend the tube, this is a two step process.
    Select Tube, hold the shift button and now select the IKA. They both should be
    pink now.
    CTRL+K (prompts "Make Skeleton" = yes then select "LIMB")
    Now select the tube and again hold the shift button and select the IKA, again
    they both should be pink.
    CTRL+P (prompts "Make Parent" = yes)
    Now the tube is controlled by the IKA. Select on the IKA and manipulate
    it to your liking . To change the pivot point on the IKA select the IKA and
    hit TAB. You will notice the Yellow dot alternating from tip to base. The
    yellow dot is in effect your main pivot.
    BEND MORE WANT MORE!

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    10 - How can I translate, rotate or scale with extra precision?

    Contributed by Bart.

    Hold down SHIFT while performing these operations.

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    11 - How can I stretch an object?

    Contributed by B@rt.

    To scale an object in one dimension press S and move the mouse along the axis that you want to scale. Click the middle mouse button once and your scaling is constrained.

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    12 - Is there a button that allows me to change the centre in the 3D environment?

    Contributed by Luis E. Collado.

    To recenter ( or recentre ) your 3d environment first make sure that you are not in edit mode.
    Then place the 3d Curson at the location where you wish the new center to be ( do this by left clicking at this position ) and once the 3d cursor is in place, type

    I hope this helps,
    Luis

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    13 - How do I select all the vertices in an object?

    Contributed by B@rt.

    Select the object, enter edit mode with TAB and press A. Pressing A again will deselect all vertices.

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    14 - I\'m trying to do extrude perpendicular to face normals. Is it possible to align a view (or camera) perfectly perpendicular to a face normal (apart from manual calculation)?

    Contributed by anonymous.

    To make precision, and perpindicular extrusions or movements for thet matter use the arrow keys instead of the mouse.

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    15 - How can I show the faces?

    Contributed by B@rt.

    To show the faces of an object in editmode, switch to the Edit Buttons screen (F9) and select 'Draw Faces' at the bottom right. Unselected faces will now be displayed in purple, while selected faces (that is, a face whose vertices have all been selected) are displayed in yellow.

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    16 - Is there a way to select a quad or tri by just clicking on it (like in

    Contributed by anonymous.

    If you go in face-select mode by hitting the f key. Select face(s) with (SHIFT) RMB. Go from face-select mode directly into editmode and the vertices are selected.

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    17 - How do i rotate an object on a tilted axis? for instance, if i have a circle for use as a camera path, but it\'s not along the x, y, or z axes.

    Contributed by vung.

    First you must have something that represents the tilted axis (an empty, for example)
    Select it, press N and write down the rotation around the x, y and z axes.
    Create a camera, press N and give the same rotation angles.
    Press CTRL+NUMPAD0 and then press NUMPAD5 two times.
    Now you have an orthogonal view aligned with the tilted axis.
    I hope this helps.

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    18 - Is there a way to constrain scaling or movement to a single axis (such as just the X-axis or just the Y-axis)? If I use the middle mouse button it scales either the X-axis and Y-axis, or the Z-axis and Y-axis, etc.

    Contributed by Robert Fletcher.

    When you want to restrain a Scaling to a single axis press 'S' and move the mouse along the axis that you wish to scale, now press and hold the ALT key
    the object should now scale on just your selected axis :)

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    This Blender FAQ was generated on September 24, 2001, 8:40 am. For the most recent version and for searching the tutorial database, please visit the on-line version at https://helium.homeip.net/support