COMMANDS FOR SPECIFIC TASKS

 12/11/2020

KEYBOARD/MOUSE COMMANDS FOR SPECIFIC TASKS

1. To insert a key frame while animating, set the location, rotation and scaling for the object as desired. In the Timeline window enter the frame number which you want to be key framed,then click in the 3D window  and press the I key to insert a keyframe. In the menu which appears, click on location,rotation,scale or any combination of these commands. A yellow line will appear in the Timeline window which indicates that a key frame is added.

2. To delete a key frame, select  the yellow line of the frame  desired, in the Time line window.Click in the 3D window, then hold down Alt key and click on I  key.

3. To select different short cuts for view,in object mode,  click on the view  on the control bar. A menu list will appear. Select the option desired.For example to get quad view hit Ctrl+Alt+Q.

4. To loop cut an object, go to edit mode (press Tab key), position the cursor on the edge where you want to make a loop cut, then press Ctrl+R. A pink line will appear. Drag it with the mouse and leave it where you want to make loop cut  and LMB. The pink line will change into yellow.

5. To add an edge between two vertices, select the vertices  and press F key. An edge will be added.

6. To create a face between three or more vertices, select the vertices and press F key. A face will be created between these vertices.

7. To select a circle on any object, go to edit mode. On the required circle, select an edge, then click on "Select" option  in the control bar near the edit mode button, then in the menu which appears click on Edge loop.

8. To unwrap a mesh,split the 3D window into two. Change one window to UV/Image editor window.  In 3D window,go to edit mode, select the complete object. All the vertices and edges should be selected.  The hit U key and then select  Smart UV project. The unwrapped mesh will will be displayed in the UV/Image Editor window.

9. To position an object at 0,0,0 location, select the object in object mode and then press Alt+G. To set the rotation of an object to  zero degree along all three axes-x,y &z.select the object in object mode and press Alt+R.

10. To apply a material to multiple objects. Assume that you have three object- A Cube an UVSphere and a Cylinder. Add a material to the Cube. To add the same material to the other two objects, select the UVSphere and the Cylinder and lastly the Cube,then click on object menu, then on  Make Link option and then on Materials option.


11. The same procedure as explained above(10 above) can be used to link animation data to different objects.

12. To move an object along the X,Y or Z axis: To move along the X axis, position the cursor on the Red arrow and click LMB and drag the Red arrow. The object will move in the X direction. Similarly to move an object along the Z axis, click on the Blue arrow, hold the LMB down and then drag up or down.

13. To scale an object along the X and Y axis, press S to scale then Shift+Z then  1.5 and hit Enter key. The object will be scaled 1.5 times its current size along the X and Y axis.

EDIT MODE IN BLENDER

 14/10/2020

EDIT MODE

An object in Blender in the edit mode is defined by its vertices, edges and faces. If we consider a square plane, it has four vertices at the four corners,four lines(called as edges in Blender) connecting these four vertices and a  surface (called face in Blender) which stretches between the four edges.

Similarly if we consider a Cube it has 8 vertices, 12 edges and 6 faces. These details of the plane and cube are shown in the image below:

An UVSphere in edit mode would like this:

Thus we may conclude that all objects are constructed using vertices,edges and faces. The same  process is used for making both simple mesh like a cube or to construct more complex shapes which may go up to construct a human body shape or a complex machine part like a bolt, a gear wheel.

A bolt in mesh mode is shown below:

WORKING IN EDIT MODE

To work in edit mode, first open a 3D window in Blender, and add an object like a Cube.Hit Tab key go to edit mode.In edit mode you will see all the vertices,edges and faces. When these vertices,edges and faces are not selected they would appear in black colour. Hit "A" key to select all. Now you will see all the vertices,edges and faces in yellow colour.
You can toggle "A" key to select/deselect all objects in the 3D window.

In edit mode we can work with vertices, edges and faces in a detailed manner to design  any desired shape. A number of tools are available to work in edit mode.

Look at the image below which shows the horizontal panel in edit mode. To the right of the button marked "Global" you will see four square buttons. The first one has a point(vertex) in orange colour, clicking on this enables vertex-select mode. The second button has a vertical line(edge) in orange colour,clicking on which will enable edge select mode, similarly the third button  is used to enable face select mode. The fourth button shows four vertices and edges in the foreground and four vertices  in the background. This button,when clicked on, enables selection of vertices in both foreground and background.

Another way to select  a particular set of vertices and edges is to use the Box or Circle mode, which is activated by pressing "B" or "C" key. This method  is explained earlier under the sub-head "SELECTING OBJECTS".

Once one or more vertex/edge are selected we can delete them,move(translate) them or extrude them or rotate them to create a modified mesh.

After we finish our work in edit mode the modified mesh can be seen as an object in the  object mode(Press Tab key).

TOOL PANEL

Both in object mode and edit mode the Tool panel can be activated by pressing "T" key with the cursor within the 3D window. The Tool panel will be positioned along the left side of the 3D window. Different operations like translate, rotate, extrude and delete can be applied to the object selected in either mode. Side tab with label "Tools", "Create", "Relations, "Animation" are also shown.You may explore using these tools one by one.

NOTE: In Blender, it may be noted that there is always more than one way to do any operation like adding an object,editing, translating,rotating or scaling it.