6 Ways To Use Blender

On Mac, when you see the Blender icon with an arrow pointing to the Applications folder, click and drag the Blender icon to the Applications folder as indicated to copy the app to your Applications folder.

Blender 3D’s user interface is largely dependant on keyboard shortcuts. It’s recommended you use a full keyboard with a number pad and a mouse with a mouse wheel when using Blender 3D.

Alternatively, you can press “+” or “-” on your number pad to zoom in and out.

Press “Ctrl + 7” or “Command + 7” to view from the bottom. Alternatively, you can change your view by click View at the top, then selecting Viewpoint. Then select a view.

Press “Ctrl + 1” or “Command + 1” to view from the back.

Press “Ctrl + 3” or “Command + 3” to view from the left.

Wireframe: Click the icon that resembles a wireframe sphere to turn on wireframe mode. This mode displays 3D objects as wireframes with no surfaces. Solid: Click the icon that resembles a solid white circle to switch to solid shading mode. This mode displays object surfaces with no texture detail. Material: Click the icon that resembles a badly shaded sphere to switch to material mode. This displays objects with their surfaces and material textures, but with minimal lighting. Rendered: Click the icon that resembles a sphere to switch to rendered mode. This mode approximates what the scene will look like fully rendered with object surfaces, textures, and lighting. This is the most resources intensive mode in Blender 3D.

Mesh: This menu contains basic geometric 3D shapes you can add. Surface: This menu contains a few basic shapes with surfaces that have been smoothed using curved lines. Metaball: This menu contain metaball shapes. These shapes blend together when added to each other. Light: This menu contains a variety of lights you can add to a scene. Camera: This option adds a camera to the scene.

Click Add. Click Mesh. Click a shape you want to add.

Alternatively, you can click the icon that resembles a cross-arrow to the left and click and drag an object. You an also press “X”, “Y”, or “Z” on the keyboard to restrict the axis you move the object along.

Alternatively, you can click the icon with curved arrows around a point and then click and drag one of the three colored bands around the object. You an also type the degrees you want to rotate an object after you press “R”.

Alternatively, you can click the icon that resembles an enlarging square to the right and click and drag an object to scale it.

Vertex Select: This is the icon that resembles a box with a single white point. This mode allows you to select individual points (vertices) of a mesh. Edge Select: This is the icon that resembles a box with a solid white line. This mode allows you to select the lines between points in a mesh. Face Select: This is the icon that resembles a box with a solid white side. This mode allows you to select the surface in between the lines on a mesh.

Press “A” to select everything. To deselect everything, press “Ctrl + A”. Be mindful of X-Ray mode when selecting edges, vertices, or faces of an object. With X-Ray mode on, you will be able to select vertices, edges, and faces in front and back of the object. With X-Ray mode off, you will only be able to select edges, vertices, or faces in front of the object.

You can also press “S” to change the size of a selected line or face.

To create a beveled look, extrude the face of an object, and then press “S” to shrink the face.

Select a face(s) of a mesh. Right-click the face. Click Subdivide at the top of the menu. Click Unsubdivide in the menu to undo a subdivide.

Click Unsubdivide in the menu to undo a subdivide.

Select an object or an area you want to smooth. Click Face at the top. Click Shade smooth.

Ensure that you have principled BSDF selected under the “Surface” menu.

Metallic: Use this slider bar to make an object look more metallic. Sliding it to the left makes an object look more plastic. Specular: Use this slider bar to change how much light reflects off an object. Roughness: Use this slider bar to change how much light scatters when it reflects off an object. Emission: This bar allows you to make an object glow. Use this color box to select a color you want the object to glow. Select black to turn emission off.

If you don’t see an orange keyframe appear on the timeline, you may need to pick up an object and put it back down using the “G” key.

You can also press “R” to rotate an object, or “S” to change the size of an object. You can add as many keyframes to the animation as you want. You can also animate multiple objects independently.