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CAVA1001 VISUAL ARTS FOUNDATION 3D OBJECT STUDIO 1
3D OBJECT STUDIO - BLENDER NOTES
Before Class…
• Change preferences for laptop if not using a mouse
• Download add-ons; loft, unfold paper (Instructions on previous Canvas announcement)
Default Scene
This is what we are met with when we open Blender. We have a default cube, a camera and a light in
the scene. We don’t have to worry about the camera and light, as we are not using Blender to render
an image or create a 3D scene for an animation. We will just be concentrating on the 3D object for this
project.
Orientation
• The X-axis is red and moves from left to right.
• The Y-axis is green and moves from front to back.
• The Z-axis is blue and moves from top to bottom.
• To move object along the X-axis: select object, press G, then press X
• To move object along the Y-axis: select object, press G, then press Y
• To move object along the Z-axis: select object, press G, then press Z
Shortcuts for views
• 1= Front View
• 3= Right View
• Control + 3= Left View
• 7= Top View.
BLENDER NOTES
CAVA1001 VISUAL ARTS FOUNDATION 3D OBJECT STUDIO 2
Blender Function Layout
There are five regions on the screen that you’ll use to create your 3D objects:
• 3D View Header: A top menu with a collection of context-aware functions.
• Toolbar: Displays the most commonly used tools for the mode you’re in.
• Outliner: Lists all objects in your scene.
• Properties: Allows you to edit the properties of the selected scene and object.
• 3D Viewport or work window: Contains a 3D visualisation of the objects in the
scene.
Navigating in 3D Space
There are three ways to manipulate your view, by rotating, zooming in and out and panning
the view.
• To rotate around: hold the middle mouse button and drag around. If you are using a
laptop, use two fingers to move around on mouse pad.
• To zoom in and out: Scroll up and down on a mouse or if using a laptop, slide
fingers apart or together, same as if you were zooming into a photo.
• To pan the view: Hold down Shift and the mouse scroll wheel, then drag around. If
using a laptop, hold down SHIFT and move using two fingers on the mouse pad.
BLENDER NOTES
CAVA1001 VISUAL ARTS FOUNDATION 3D OBJECT STUDIO 3
Display View
When working in Blender you can choose between four different formats to view your work.
The icons to change between the different views are located in the top right hand corner of
the 3D view header.
The view options are wireframe, solid, material preview and rendered. We will only be working
with the wireframe and solid options, as we are not creating an object that requires rendering.
Wireframe allows you to see through objects and is really handy if you need to get up close to
edit a vertex or an edge.
Transforming Objects in Object Mode
In Object Mode, (note top left hand corner), you can move, scale or rotate objects. This can
be accomplished using shortcut keys, tools and using the Transform Properties.
Transforming with Shortcut Keys
To transform an object using the shortcut keys, first ensure the object is selected. To select
an object, simply click on it and it will become highlighted. This is how you know which is the
active object you are working on if you have more than one object in the workspace.
Next, press the key to begin the action and move the mouse to adjust the transform. To
complete a transform, you simply left click.
The shortcut keys for transforms are as follows:
• Move: G (think of “grabbing” to remember the G shortcut)
• Scale: S
• Rotate: R
Selecting Objects
The cube in your scene should have an orange outline; this means that it’s selected. Here are
a few ways to quickly select and deselect objects:
• Select: Simply click on an object to select it.
• Deselect: Click anywhere outside the object to deselect it.
• Select all: Press the A key to select all objects.
• Deselect all: Double tap A to deselect all objects.