Blender

Blender is an open source multi platform 3d modeling program. http://www.blender.org

=Quick start guide= Blender quick start guide.

=Quicker Start Guide=

Here is a quick procedure for using Blender in design work for Factor e Farm.
 * Start by opening up 4 windows. First is the work window in Object Mode, in solid draw type: [[Image:objectsolid.jpg]]. The next 3 windows are in the x, y, z face views, with Object Mode, in wire frame draw type [[Image:solidwire.jpg]] - so you can see how an object changes clearly along 3 axes.
 * Mouse roller to zoom in and out
 * Press mouse roller to move image
 * Right click to select object
 * Control-z to undo an action
 * Pan with shift-middle mouse button

=Blender Interface=

Press middle mouse button to scroll menus/headers.

=Navigating in 3D=



=Manipulating Objects=

Selecting objects:


 * Right click to select an object.


 * You select multiple elements down an axis with control and left click to drag a lasso around the area to be selected.

To move an object:


 * Left click or right click, move and release. This will start to move objects. Left click to finish moving.


 * Hold down control while moving to snap the object to the grid.
 * CAUTION: The object's center is snapped relative to it's position to the grid. To align the object to the grid use the 'Transform Window' with the N key.

To rotate an object:


 * Press the R key. Hold control to snap to 5 degree movements. Left click to finish.

To scale an object:


 * Press the S key. Hold control to snap to tenths of a percent. Left click to finish.

More operations, like select, duplicate:



=Object Mode and Mesh Edit Mode=

Object mode allows you to select and move objects, in any way desired. Mesh edit allows you to work on only the selected object.
 * Control-Tab in edit mode allows you to select vertex, edge, or face.



=Useful Hotkeys=

Extrude: E

Merge vertexes: ALT-M

Detach part of mesh: P

W: "Specials" in mesh editing

ctrl=L: Select contiguous vertexes in mesh edit

Ctrl-J: join two objects

P: Detach parts in mesh edit mode

=Inserting Objects=

Left mouse gets the pointer to where new objects will be inserted.

Go to add menu, in upper left, add mesh - start with cube.

=Transform Window=

Press N. You can center an object to the grid by setting the position to a whole number.

=Exam #1=


 * How do you select an object?
 * Right click
 * How do you move an object?
 * Right or left click + drag + release
 * Trick question: how do you insert an object?
 * Go to add menu, in upper left, add mesh - start with cube

=Questions= Say you have parts on a screen. How do you align them?

=Day 2=

Add a camera. Turn on the lights. Render.

To delete objects, use function-delete

=Integrated Set of Actions=

Take a u-channel profile. Duplicate it (shift D), scale it (N), rotate it (R), and then align it in the appropriate window. Add a camera. Add lights. Blender.

Result:

=Copy Objects - Duplicate=

Shift-D

=Split a Window=

MMB on border, and select Split. Good tutorial:

http://www.blender.org/education-help/tutorials/tutorial-folder/blender-user-interface-tutorial/

=Exercise=

Split a Blender window into 4 windows. First is a 3D view window, and the next 3 windows are the 3 other planes: xy, yz, xz - to view the object from 3 different sides. Draw a cube. turn the cube into a 12x1 unit object (extended cube). Then draw a cubic lattice of 12 unit sides.

After all these steps are done, set up lighting and Render.

=Links=
 * Blender Precision MOdelling
 * Blender3D, Noob to Pro on Wikibooks