I started with a quick exercise to see how much of the previous lessons I'd retained. Not bad, not brilliant. I got lost in the snap grid settings, turning it off then not getting the previous interaction when I turned it back on. I also got stuck trying to apply an array because I couldn't change the array distance. I got the answer from the docs.
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| Press "V" to get the array parameters |
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| I scratch the HopsCutter surface with this 80s-style desktop |
Next Lesson:
Mirror
When you want to mirror a cutter
Place your cutter
With the object selected, Alt+X
Note that you click on the side of the existing cutter, not where you want the mirrored cutter to apply.
Reset Mirror: X
Place your cutter
With the object selected, Alt+X
Note that you click on the side of the existing cutter, not where you want the mirrored cutter to apply.
Reset Mirror: X
Add New Mirror: A
Mirror Help List: D
View Orientation: S
Help/Mods: H / M
Mirror an entire object
Alt+X
In advanced mode, change the pivot point to Cursor (for example).
Mirror an entire object
Alt+X
In advanced mode, change the pivot point to Cursor (for example).
Again, use the gizmo on the side of the object you want to mirror, not the side of the reflection.
There are plenty of useful mirror options available, such as Bisect and Symmetry
See the Mirror docs.
Operations
We've passed the Hard part of the course, and we are now dealing with the Operations bit.
Modifier Scroll
Essentially, this was the original tool for cycling through modelling elements (cutters and operations), which was superseded by the Ever Scroll.
Bevel/Edge Manager
Bevel/Bool Manager - LMB
CTRL Bevel/Divider (Half the size of the bevel)
Alt - Bevel Multiplier (Double the bevel)
LMB + Shift - Edge Manager
Note: The Bevel Divide/Multiplier can be run multiple times to increase or decrease the bevel.
Edge Manager - Josh doesn't use it. It's a big panel where you can apply sharpness changes to your model's edges.
CTRL Bevel/Divider (Half the size of the bevel)
Alt - Bevel Multiplier (Double the bevel)
LMB + Shift - Edge Manager
Note: The Bevel Divide/Multiplier can be run multiple times to increase or decrease the bevel.
Edge Manager - Josh doesn't use it. It's a big panel where you can apply sharpness changes to your model's edges.
Sharpen - This does the same thing as the sharpen menu, which was already covered.
Step Bevel - A Step Bevel makes the next bevel half the size of the previous one. This option can accumulate if you run it several times — each run uses the previous bevel as the guide.
(C) Sharpen - Already in the sharpen menu
Clear Sharp - Use this to remove the Sharp edges from a model.
Clear Sharp - Use this to remove the Sharp edges from a model.
Clean Mesh - This is a really cool attempt to automate the steps you would normally follow to clean up a mesh. Useful for doing an on-the-spot mesh cleanup.
UV Display - This oddball tool lets you peek at the current UV mapping applied to an object. It just saves you needing to switch to the UV Editing context.
To Shape
A note to the developers. Shapes are flat; a three-dimensional shape is actually a form. A square is a shape, a cube is a form.
Another oddball! Appy To Shape to a mesh, and it generates a new object based on the bounds of the selected object.
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| Scroll to cycle through different shapes. Here I scrolled to a plane. |
AccuShape V2 - Use AccuShape to bound your object to make it fit into a smaller unit area. Good for 3D printing when you want to take greater care with real-world dimensions.
Add camera - Cool because it places the focus on an empty which gives you a different way to control the camera.
Add lights - Cool way to add some random lights. You probably want to make manual adjustments once the rando lamps are out.
Mirror - Already covered.
Polygon Debug display - Got some nasty geometry? See it using this useful tool. Ngons and triangles reveal themselves as they get a colour treatment. Apply again to remove the colours.
Polygon Debug display - Got some nasty geometry? See it using this useful tool. Ngons and triangles reveal themselves as they get a colour treatment. Apply again to remove the colours.
Add Modifiers - Same as before
Add Mesh Machine - Only appears if Mesh Machine is installed. Which is, here! Mesh Machine is its own rabbit hole of modelling-tool goodness, which I'll look into once this course is complete.
Shortcuts!
On the Q-menu, note the underlined letter!
On the Q-menu, note the underlined letter!
Press Q, then press the underlined letter.
MeshTools
The meshtools are an extensive set of helpers for editing meshes.
Reset Axis/Align/Select
Select the object and click Reset Axis to remove transformations from Blender's origin. Nice for when objects need to be reset to their origin along all axes or along a specific axis.
Align is not so useful as you can Align to a selected face:
1. Select the face
2. Shift + Number Key 7
Align is not so useful as you can Align to a selected face:
1. Select the face
2. Shift + Number Key 7
Select tool
A curious bundle of niche tools manage the selections on a mesh.
Set Origin
While this looks niche, it has some important uses. By way of an example:
While this looks niche, it has some important uses. By way of an example:
You have a slice element in an iregular face. You add a cut which you want to mirror to the other side of the slice. It won't work because the mirror tool is tied to the original origin, so it can't mirror the slice to the other side.
1. Select the Slice
2. Q+M+S
3. Select two corners of the object and while they are selected, click F to place the centre point. This defines the slice's centre point.
4. Repeat, but this time select a corner, hold shift and ensure the rotation is correct.
Now this initially didn't work for me, as I think I was in the wrong mirror mode. I then fixed an unexpected displacement by moving an empty gizmo on the mirror operation.
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| Go there in the end! |
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