Blender - Editing

[last updated: 2021-03-23]
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go to: Blender - Operation Basics

Still a work in progress...
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• Video editing: (go to:) editing videos

• Default on a new model is Object Mode
  Switch to Edit mode (in field at bottom on 3d view panel, or press tab
• Selecting an element:
  Default is vertex select, but other options are edge and face
  ... select which on menu at bottom
  ... or Ctrl-tab brings up dialoge menu
  right-click to select the element you want; hold shift to select multiple features
  "A" key de-selects all; toggles to select All

• Adding objects (primitives):
  • Adding a cylinder object:
    • Object mode
    • Tool Shelf > Create: Cylinder
      It will be placed at location of 3d cursor
    • If your existing part is at the same place, move the cylinder out of the way:
      LMB-hold an arrow-head and drag to move in desired direction

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• Adding elements:
  • Adding vertices:
    • In Edit mode, clear selections, verify vertex-select is active (bottom icon/menu field)
      position cursor wherever in space you want the new vertex, and Ctrl-LMB
      a new vertex will be created and selected, and a 3-axis icon will display
            If you now, without clearing the selection,
            move the cursor and create a second vertex,
            an edge will automatically be created between them.
            OTOH, If, before you create the second vertex, you clear the selection of the first vertex,
            then the vertices will be isolated/floating, with no edge connecting them.

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  • Adding edges:
    • Add edge between two isolated vertices:
      In Edit mode, all selections cleared, Vertex-select active
      RMB to select first vertex, shift-hold and RMB to select second vertex,
      Tools - Add - Make Edge/Face
      Clear selections
    • Add edge onto a face with knife:
      • Edit mode, click knife tool,
        left-click first point, left-click second point, press enter
        new edge and face will be created
    • Adding edges and faces with F:
      • Edit mode, vertex select
        position cursor over first vertex, right-click
        shift-hold, position cursor over second vertex, right-click, release shift, press "F"
        new edge will be created
      • To create a new face (4 vertices):
        Edit mode, edge selection
        right-click first edge, shift-hold, right-click opposite edge
        release shift, press "F"

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  • Adding faces:
  • Adding faces with Loop cut:
    • select a face, click Loop cut and slide (ctrl-R)
      position cursor to select horizontal loop or vertical loop
      left click to select vert or horiz,
      drag cursor to select desired position, left-click to place
      
      this creates a loops around the part, cuts all faces intersected, and creates new faces at the cuts
    • However, sometimes it's weird:
      If you have a simple cube, then the cut planes offered will both be perpendicular to the selected face
      However if the cube has perhaps odd faces, eg. multiple faces per side,
      then one of the cut planes offered will be parallel to the selected face ...

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• Deleting Edges to join two co-planar faces:
  • Edit mode, clear all selections
    edge-select active
  • select the edge to be deleted
    press delete key
    select Limited Dissolve

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• Use cylinder to cut a hole:
  • Scale the cylinder to desired hole size:
    Right panel: Properties - Object
    Cylinder - Transform
    set z scale to some arbitrary value, eg. 3.0
    set x and y scale according to this formula:
          scale = [desired diam mm] / 20
          (20mm is orig diam of cylinder)
  • Move the cylinder to desired hole location:
    first move it to origin:
          in Object mode, with cylinder selected, do alt-g
    then move it to desired x,y location with: g, x, [value] & g, y, [value]
  • Cut the hole:
    Object mode, block/base selected (ie. NOT the cylinder)
    Properties - Modifiers
    Add Modifier > Boolean
    Operation - Difference
    Object - Cylinder
    Apply
  • Move cylinder out of the way:
    Object mode, select cylinder
    left-click and drag an arrow-head to move in desired direction
    inspect hole
  • If another hole is needed, move cylinder to new location and repeat

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• Copy an object:

  -----------------------------

• Extrude a face:
  • Edit mode; face selection; select face
  • Too Shelf > Extrude: Extrude Region
    drag; enter numeric for precise movement; left-click
• extrude lip:
  • click on Add: Extrude
    select region (vertex normals)

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• Measuring:
  • Edit mode, vertex selection, "A" to de-select all
    Tool Shelf > Grease Pencil > Convert to Geometry,
    click Ruler/Protractor
    left-click-hold near first point, drag, release near second point
    zoom in to first point; position cursor on end of measure line
    left-click-hold, drag closer to desired start point, press ctrl to snap onto vertex (drag to adjust position if necessary), release click
    zoom in to second point; position cursor on end of measure line
    left-click-hold, drag closer to desired end point, press ctrl to snap onto vertex (drag to adjust position if necessary), release click

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• Join two or more objects into a single object:
  • Object mode; Select first object with RMB
  • shift-hold and RMB to select all objects you want to combine
  • ctrl-J

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• Bevel/rounding tool:
  • This tool bevels or rounds edges. You must be in Edit mode.
  • If the entire object is selected, then all edges will be beveled.
    Otherwise clear selections, then with edg-select active, RMB to select individual edges desired to bevel. Hold shift then RMB to select several.
  • Activate the tool with ctrl-b or with Mesh (to the left of the object/edit field) > Edges > Bevel
  • A long leader will be attached to your cursor. Drag it to increase the depth of the bevel desired.
  • Rolling the scroll wheel will increase the number of bevels created.
    Five or more bevel surfaces produce a "rounded" edge.
  • LMB to confirm/lock your changes, or RMB to cancel and make no changes.
• join faces into one:
  • Dissolve the middle vertecis of each edge and the middle vertex, by pressing [x]> Dissolve vertices
  • -or- select dividing edge, press delete, select limited dissolve (didn't always work...)
• Use poke faces to divide a face at its vertices/corners. This creates a new vertex in the middle, and triangle faces fan out to corners.
  Use subdivide to divide the bounding edges (adding new vertices on the edges), and creates new edges through the face
• the below method references this: https://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/36655/why-does-a-vertex-not-...

  Select the edge
  Press W, and select Subdivide
  Select the new vertex
  Press Shift + V
  Slide the vertex along the edge (the proposed vertex location will snap to the grid), and press LMB to place the vertex permanently
  Press Ctrl while sliding to avoid snapping to the grid

• Technique #2: Create a vertex and edge at the same time
  NOTE: This technique does not attach the new vertex to the edge. The only way to do this is to drag the new vertex to a vertex created on the desire edge using Technique #1.
  Select an existing vertex
  enter image description here
  Ctrl + LMB away from the selected vertex to create a new vertex
  enter image description here
  In the 3D Viewport, check to ensure that:
  Snap During Transform (magnet icon) is turned on
  Type of Element to Snap to is set to Edge
  Which Part to Snap Onto Target is set to Closest

  RMB to drag the vertex to snap to the desired edge (The dragged vertex should have a circle around it to indicate it will snap to the edge). Release the RMB, and LMB to confirm the placement.

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