blender cheat cheet

blender_cheat_sheet.md

blender cheat sheet

general

• move cam - press mouse middle + move mouse

unkown

• open menu - propotional editing fallof => SHIFT+o

all ?? modes

• switch view: SHIFT+z => switch views wirefarme & solid
• SHIT+S opens snap menu (e.g. "select to..." or "cursor to...")

switch modes

• TAB => switch between object & edit mode
• using the mode menu
• SHIFT+r => same as TAB ???

object mode

• set origin of object - SHIFT+CTRL+ALT+C
• DELETE => select object (left click) + press x => a popup appears
• ADD (object/mesh) => SHIT+A

edit mode

• ??? group selected - CTRL+G
• ??? select similiar - SHIFT+G
• SHIFT+W => ??? deforms the object ???
• duplicate => SHIFT+d
• ??? delselect ??? => SHIFT+l
• ??? zoom in / zoom to object ??? => SHIFT+c
• ??? deform 2nd ??? => SHIFT+v
• ??? zoom in selection ??? => SHIFT+b

export stl

• https://www.shapeways.com/tutorials/exporting-from-blender

• big area => 3d viewport
• (object mode) toolbar left => move tool
• (object mode) toolbar left => rotate tool
• (object mode) toolbar left => scale tool
• (object mode) shortcut/hotkeys => g => (grap) move tool / attached to cursor / right click cancel movement / left click confirms position / while moving pressing x OR y OR z snaps to axis / middle mouse hold also allows axis snap (all 3)
• (object mode) shortcut/hotkeys => r rotate tool
• (object mode) shortcut/hotkeys => s rotate tool
• (object mode) - navigate view - orbiting/rotating the view - hold middle mouse + move
• (object mode) - navigate view - drag to new area - shift + hold middle mouse + move
  • alternative top right gizmo (shiny x/Y/Z thing blue/red/green)
  • or enable "emulate 3 button mouse" (enables alt + left click for navigarion)
• (object mode) - scoll wheel zoom
• (object mode) - shift d - duplicate object
• (object mode) - numpad . => focus to object
  • other hotkex tilde brings up pie menu (view menu) => choose "view selected"
• (object mode) - delete OR x => delete object
• (object mode) - shift+a => add smth, e.g objects / mesh'es
• (object mode) - general search - F3 (fn+F3) => e.g. search for quick smoke
• (object mode) - play - spacebar OR click on the play button on the bottom

• plan:
  • add torus, adapt initial properties/options, adapt torus form with grep + proportional editing (edit mode) making it overall shape imperfect, (object mode - right click) shade mooth, add subsurface modifier
• source: Part 2, Level 1: Modelling - Beginner Blender Tutorial Series

• add new object - shift+a - mesh > Torus

• before perform another action, on the bottom left a menu appears (only appears when one just created a new object)

  • here you can change things like: (minor/major) radius, location and other ...
  • donuts are about 10cm (I would say 8cm)
  • minor radius 26mm
  • major radius 50mm
  • major/minor segments: 28/12

• imperfection is the virtual perfection

• switch to edit mode TAB

• when in edit mode, the only thing you can click on is the object itself

• (edit mode) - g - to grep

• (edit mode) - proportinal editing - o

• (edit mode) - proportinal editing + grap - o then g +scroll mouse wheel to make the selection tool smaller

• (in object mode) - right click mesh - choose "Shade Smooth"

  • "Shade Flat" is used for buildings / "Shade Smooth" for more organic
  • only afect the llok but not the true shape

• (in object mode) - on the right menu (object menu) / properties - click on the wrench - modifier panel - add "Subdiviosion Surface"

  • non destructive
  • adds another grid to faces (in between, doubles resolution, average it out )
  • render/Viewport/Quality: 2/1/3

• plan: cut top of the top half, duplicate + give it thickness => should look like icing
  • source: Part 3, Level 1: Modifiers - Blender Beginner Tutorial (Donut)

• switch to edit mode (TAB)
• how to look side on: NUM1 (there is more NUM3 / NUM7) OR top right the x,y,z menu OR option+q OR option+middle-mouse
• toggle x-ray: option+z
• select upper top part
• duplicate it shift+D => now it's following cursor => cancel movement either ESC or right click
• (edit mode) make it it's own object press P select "selection" => on the right the object should appear (called the outliner)
• give objects name e.g. donut & icing (shortcut: fn+F2)
• if you lost selection: select vertex and press CRTL+L => select connected vertices
• (object mode) open side property sidebar menu n
  • change clipping amount => in the n menu go to view & change "clipping start"

• give the icing thickness
  • on the sidemenu gp to the modifier (wrench)
  • add modifier "solidify"
    • set offset to positive one
    • set thickness 0.0025
  • remove "hard edge" => move the modifier one up above the "subdivision surface" mod

sidenote:

• z for "Shading" pie menu

• plan: subdived icing + sculpter icing (a litle) + extrude to create droplets => let it look dribbles (dripping?) down
  • source: Part 4, Level 1: Modelling - Blender Beginner Tutorial (Donut)

• disable "solidify" modifier render in edit mode for a nicer working (you will still see it in object mode & etc...)
  • go to modifiers (wrench menu an the right)
  • on the top of the modifier options there are 4 square icon, the third one is "Edit Mode. Display modifier in Edit mode."
  • disable this option

• get more details in
  • select all: option+a
  • right click on the mesh
  • top option is "subdivide"
  • bottom menu again allows for more options
    • e.g. more subdivides
    • turn up smoothness to 1

• hide upper part, also for nicer editing
  • enable proportional editing
  • option+left-click select edge loop
  • invert selection: crtl+i
  • hide temporarily the selection: h
    • to bring it back alt+h/option+h

• make the edge of the icing more natural/unpredictable
  • enable proportional editing
  • enable "snap" option
    • change what it snaps to "snap to face"
      • enable "project individual elements"
  • there are different options for "proportional editing"
    • e.g. sharp
  • go around the edge and move single vertexes up and down => make a more natural/unpredictable look

• add dribbling down parts
  • select two or three vertices
  • hit E for extrusion
  • pull it down
  • go around and add unpredictable more
  • also nice to use S to scale again

• make the icing edge more sticking to the donut
  • go to the "solidify" modifier
  • find the "Crease" options
  • increase "Inner" to 1
  • should look like icing is hugging the donut

plan: copy (archive) donut without applied modifier; sculpting -
source: Part 5, Level 1: Sculpting - Blender Beginner Tutorial

• archive donute (without applied modifiers)
  • select donut + icing
  • copy/duplicate SHIFT+D
  • select dublicates
  • hit M => move it to it's own selection
  • hide collection

• sculpting - donut
  • apply subdivision modifier (viewport: 3) (or apply it multiple times)
  • around the donut put the middle part in, looks more donut like
  • (sculp mode) - SHIFT+F - brush strength
  • (sculp mode) - F - brush size
  • hold CRTL to invert the brush effekt (e.g. instead of pulling out => putting in)

• sculpting - icing
  • apply solidify modifier
  • apply subdivision modifier (viewport: 3) (or apply it multiple times)
  • using "inflate" brush (for pulling out the droplets tips)
  • using smooth brush on top of the icing
  • using drawbrush on top of the icing (small strength 0.2 or so, adding random displacements on top of the icing)
  • using grap brush for the inner icing edge

• fix droplets stick to dount
  • edit mode
  • using proportinal editing (smooth)
  • pull in + R for rotate

plan: rendered view mode (Eevee vs Cycles), add plane, parenting donut + icing, change light, change camera
source: Part 6, Level 1: Modelling - Blender Beginner Tutorial (Donut)

• switch to render menu: in the viewport top right OR Z open view pie menu

• ensure 3d courser (viewport)

  • SHIFT+rightclick moves 3d courser
  • SHIFT+C clears it, puts it into center

• add plane SHIFT+A => mesh => plane

• linking donut + icing => parenting

  • in object mode
  • select child fist
  • SHIFT+click-on-object to select parent (last selected)
  • CRTL+P => choose "Object (Keep Transform)"

• light allows option "contact shadow" (not really good though)

• Eevee vs Cycles

  • Eevee => game like render engine (fast + live render)
  • Cycles => cpu/gpu intensive but much more realistic (often used for movies) => unbiased (Raytrace) rendering-engine => calc's physically (close) accurate

• Camera

  • select camera
  • hit NUMPAD_0 to view through the camera
  • 3 ways of moving
    • G + MIDDLEMOUSE to move
    • oprion "lock camera to view" (N menu)
    • move your view to where you want the cam to look + CRTL+ALT+NUMPAD_0

• Render

  • top menu hit "render" OR F12
  • SHIFT+S or hit "image" => save... => we can save the image

• Light

  • even lightning you have to move light further away => reduces fall of
    • you have to increase the light intensity ("Power" e.g. 500w) for brightness

• Material (super basic)

  • select plane
  • right object menu
  • first sub-menu
    • add new "New" (giv it new material)
    • change setting "Base Color" to e.g blue

• plan: add material to donut & icing + color it + give it the right reflection flavour?!

  • source: Part 7, Level 1: Materials - Blender Beginner Tutorial

• select icing

  • add new material

  • make it e.g. pink "Base Color"

  • snd prop "Roughness" (how reflective the material looks OR or sharp the reflection looks)

    • 0 => mirro | 1 => alost no reflection
    • vs "Specular" prop (maybe don't touch this yet bec every object has reflection, but in different strength)

  • "subsurface scattering" prop => light tends to go a little entering into (most) material

    • "Subsurface" prop it is called
      • set to 0.3
      • "Subsurface Color" e.g. set to pink
      • "Subsurface Radius" => how much the light bounces into around
        • setting it to e.g 0.3/0.1/0.1

• donut

  • add new material
  • "Base Color" orange'ish
  • subsurface 0.1
    • "subsurface radius" 0.1/0.1/0.1

• camera

  • place camera

• splitting the view

  • right click on a border and choose "vertical split" or "horizontally split"
  • moving light

• light

  • e.g. Point / 330W / Size 0.45 m
  • light from left

• render settings (light trick)

  • "Color Management" => "View TRansform" => set to => "False Color"
    • tells you if smth is overly bright

• change plane color to rosa

• remove noise (using denoiser)

  • go to "view layer" panel turning on => "Passes" => "Data" => "Denoising Data"
  • do another render
  • go to "Compositor" tab (top tabs)
    • SHIFT+A => add "Denoiser" node (search)
    • connect
      • "Noisy Image" (Render Layers) => "Image" (Denoiser)
      • "Denoising Normal" (Render Layers) => "Normal" (Denoiser)
      • "Denoising Albedo" (Render Layers) => "Albedo" (Denoiser)
      • "Image" (Denoiser) => "Image" (Composite)
    • go to "Image Editor" => set to => Render Result
    • reconnect - "Image" (Denoiser) => "Image" (Composite)

plan: add single sprinkle, new particle & use sprinkle as reference
source: Part 1, Level 2: Particles - Blender Beginner Tutorial

• add new sprinkle
  • add uv sphere
    • size 1mm
    • segment/rings: 12/6
  • make it look elongated
    • select upper half
    • E for extrude
  • make the ends more flap
    • select the ends
    • S scale more insight

• add new particle instance
  • select icing
  • go to "particle properties"
  • click on the "+"
  • change some options for this particle
    • choose "Hair" (instead of Emitter)
    • in "render" section for the "render as" option choose "object"
    • for "instance objects" use the "idrop" to select the sprinkle object as reference (object section)
    • set scale to e.g. ".15" (under render section)
    • set scale randomness to .1
  • change rotation
    • check "advanced"
    • check "rotation"
      • choose "orientation axis" "normal"
      • set "randomize" to ".25"
      • set "randomize phae" to "2"

• weight paint icing (for better sprinkle distribution/spread)
  • on top left swith from "object mode" to "Weight Paint"
  • paint the top of the icing (weight 1)

• use weight paint group
  • go to "particles" > "Vertex Groups"
  • select "Density" the "Group" (name of the vertex group - can be found under vertex groups props)

plan: randomize sprinkle colors, increase sprinkle variety, add (candy) spheres
source: Part 2, Level 2: Random Materials - Blender Beginner Tutorial

• shading sprinkles
  • on the top bar click tab "shading"
  • "shading mode" just like screen layers ???
  • lower part is the "node viewer"
  • make sure you have the one sprinkle selected
    • add a material to see a node in the shader window
  • "base color" in node
  • add new node via SHIFT+A & choose "input > object info"
  • connect "object info - random" to "base color" (main node???)
  • add new node via SHIFT+A & choose "converter > ColorRamp"
    • drop it into the connection from "object info - color" => "base color"
    • (colorRamp) add more colors by clicking "+"
    • (colorRamp) make colors binary by changing gradient type from "Linear" to "Constant"
  • set roughness high

• add variety of sprinkles
  • create sprinkle group
  • copy original sprinkle like some times
    • creating long, middel, small, and all that also rounded, so about 3 to 6 sprinkles
  • select icing and switch "Render > Render As" to "collections"
  • select "Collections > Instance Collections" the "sprinkles" collection
  • change origin points of the sprinkles to "Origin to Geometry"
  • you can change the seed "particles > emission > seed"

• add spheres
  • add a uv sphere SHIFT+A
    • 16/8
    • 4mm
  • shad smooth
  • single color (new material) low roughness (shiny)
  • weight sprinkles/sphres
    • select icing
    • enable "collection > instance collection > use count"
    • 30/30/60/30/60/1 (where 60 is medium stuff and 1 or 2 the sphere)

• optinal varaible stuff
  • maybe scale .2
  • number 1500

plan: Texture Painting the donut
source: Part 3, Level 2: Texture Painting - Blender Beginner Tutorial

• Texture Painting first step
  • switch top tab to "Texture Paint"
  • we skipp UV unwrapping (bec. when we added the torus blender already uv unwrapped it) (top tab "UV Editor" => shows the UV's map)

• setup - Texture Painting - UV unwrap - change size UV map squares
  • switch top tab to "Texture Paint"
  • left window click "New" (on the top)
    • creates a new image
    • set it to 2048*1024
    • give image a name, e.g. "donut_texture_paint"
  • link donut and texture
    • go to top tab "Shading"
    • add image node (SHIFT+A => "Texture" => "Image Texture")
      • connect "color" => "base color"
      • on the node select image texture (image symbol dropdown)
  • save image accordingly (maybe re-setup directory structure, put blend file and assets in sub dir)
    • click on left window on "Image" > save (as)
    • ALT+S should be quick save

• add base color (7:00)
  • we can set two brush colors
    • we can switch these with pressing X (left window)
  • there is an opttion "stroke" > "smooth stroke" (meaybe disable it)
  • paint the hole map in one colore
    • there should also be a "fill" tool, try out

• paint donut middle part white
  • set second paint color to white
  • set low strength (.2/.3 or so) / radius try 140px
  • we can paint on the model and the map

• paint donut middle part white - add texture mask to brush
  • left window go to "texture mask" (the N window)
    • click "New"
  • on the right properties menu (material, particel, etc...) go to "texture properties"
    • dropdown "Brush" => select "Brush Mask (Texture)"
      • change "type" =>to "clouds" (dropdown)
      • you can change size of the cloud (e.g. 0.65) (Clouds > Size)
  • on the left window N menu => "texture mask" => "Mask Mapping" => change to "Random" (new rotation on the brush every time)
  • paint the middle (outer and inner ring) (opaque) white

• paint donut dark parts
  • set white brush to black
  • set brush "Blend" => to "overlay"
  • paint on the top and bottom of donut, give it lighter and darker higlights

plan: giving the donut a more realistic rougher surface (using procedural displacements)
source: Part 4, Level 2: Procedural Displacement - Blender Beginner Tutorial

• ...
  • select donut
  • go to tab "shading"
  • ensure "look dev"(look development) view mode (where you choose e.g. solid, rendered ...)
    • note: uses eevee renderer to preview material; with an HDRi (???)
      • note: as I understand HDRi: images of environments which capture light source related stuff (as well as color stuff etc) but its basically for light shading ?!

• add procedural texture (same mode as before)
  • add new nodeSHIFT+A => "Texture" => "Noise Texture"
  • to check look of noise texture we can use an add-on
    • enable add-on => "open Menu "Edit" > "Preferences" > "Add-ons" > search for "node" OR "Node Wrangler"
    • enable "Node Wrangler"
  • now we can CRTL+SHIFT+left-click on the new node ("Noise Texture")
    • this will connect the node directly via a preview to the "Material Output" node
      • multiple CRTL+SHIFT+left-click to change channels (Fac / Color)
    • `command+Z to reverse the effect
    • OR CRTL+SHIFT+left-click on main "Principled BSDF" shader node to reverse the effect
  • we want to use the "Fac" (factor) input channel
    • to drive bumpiness and color
    • common way to add free detail
  • add "Texture Coordinate" node
    • connect: (Texture Cooridnate - Object>) => ("Noise Texture" - >Vector)
    • seems "most" appropriated for like procedural textures
  • set ("Noise Texture" - o:scale) to 1500 (or play around with it)
  • info: real bump and fake bump
  • add new nodeSHIFT+A => "Vector" => "Vector Displacement"
  • connect: (Noise Texture - 'Fac>') => ("Vector Displacement" - '>Height')
  • connect: ("Vector Displacement" - 'Displacement') => ("Material Output" - '>Displacement')
  • CRTL+SHIFT+left-click on main "Principled BSDF" shader node
  • we can check in render view mode ?!

• note: until this point it is "fake bump"
  • it's not changing the edged of the object
  • you could also put the displacement into the '>normal' input of the main "Principled BSDF" shader node
  • also this displacement we are currently working on expects cycles render engine, you won't see certain options in eevee

• enable/use displacement in material properties
  • go to "Material" properties
  • g to settings
  • change dropdown "Displacements" from "Bump only" to "Displacement and Bump" (only visible when cycles is used)
  • fixup scale in displacement node
    • set ("Vector Displacement" - o:scale) to 0.003
  • note: the look will depend on the number of vertecies the mesh is having => more => more detail (you can add more with subserv mod)

plan: finishing donut, add larger details, add larger bumps
source: Part 5, Level 2: Final Donut - Blender Beginner Tutorial

• add larger bumps
  • duplicate (Noise Texture) node
  • set (snd)(Noise Texture" - o:scale) to 200
  • merge/mix both (Noise Texture) nodes
    • add "MixRGB" node SHIFT+A => "Color" > "MixRGB"
    • ensure "Fac>" input to connect to "MixRGB" node
    • we can check again with CRTL+SHIFT+left-click on "MixRGB" to preview the effect only
    • note: ("MixRGB" - o:Fac) set to 0 uses 100% of color1; if set to 1 it uses 100% of bottom color
    • change ("MixRGB") blend type (dropdown) from "Mix" to "Add"
      • note: now it's gonna use the "bright" value from one texture and applies it over the values of the other texture (fac to 1 shold be what we want but still liiks fake, mashed together)
        • the top color is always 100% and the bottom color is affected now by the "scale" option

• we want clear big bumps
  • add ColorRamp between (snd)(Noise Texture) & ("MixRGB")
  • if we only want to have the white values, we can change the black slider & increase the black color amount, we only get the top values
  • make it 50/50 black/white
  • we can e.g. change by (Displacment - o:scale) to .002 to minimze small values ?!
  • switching the (fst)(Noise Texture) to the snd color of ("MixRGB") & (snd)(Noise Texture) to first allows us now via MixRGB sclae to control the small details (how much we want (to pass throug))

• fixups
  • small detail noise texture to 2000 (scale)

• making bump influence color/shadow (6:00)
  • add new (snd)("MixRGB") color node
  • connect ("donut_texture_paint" - 'Color>') => (snd)("MixRGB" - '>Color1')
  • connect (fst)("MixRGB" - 'Color>') => (snd)("MixRGB" - '>Fac')
  • (snd)("MixRGB" - '>Fac')
    • changing '>Color2' manually to a e.g. red or brown
    • change dropdown tyhe from "Mix" to "overlay"
    • will effect the bump influence color/shadow of the donut making it look like its burned

• some tweaks we could do (10:00)
  • sprinkles
    • amount
    • weight map more random
  • icing
    • color
    • subsurface scattering
  • texture painting
    • with another ("MixRGB") node between texture_paint and the new MixRGB node we can add another overlay/Mix to thin out the white amount

• silly/fun
  • make icing radio active
  • go to "Material" properties and go to emission and play around