3D Object Selection in Blender
Basic Selection
- Left Click: Selects a single object.
- Example: Left click on the camera, then the cube to toggle selection.
- Selected objects are outlined in orange in the 3D view.
The Outliner
- The Outliner is a hierarchical view of the scene located at the top right.
- Objects can be selected by clicking them in the Outliner.
- Properties Editor: Located below the Outliner; it updates based on the selected object.
Selecting Multiple Objects
- Shift + Left Click: Holds multiple objects in selection.
- Acts as a toggle; it can add or remove an object from the selection.
- Example: Hold Shift and click objects to add/remove them from selection.
Active Object
- Distinguished by a brighter orange outline.
- Appears in the Properties Editor as the current focus for editing.
- Shift-clicking an object can make it the active object if it is not already.
Multiple Selections in the Outliner
- Shift in Outliner: Selects a range of objects between two selections.
- Control Key: Selects multiple objects without selecting those in between.
Deselecting Objects
- Left Click: Click in empty space to deselect all in both 3D View and Outliner.
- Select Menu: Options available to select all or none.
- Hotkeys: 'A' to select all, 'Alt + A' to deselect all.
Active Tool Selection
- Box Select Tool: Left click and drag to create a selection box.
- Does not affect the active object status.
- Tool properties can be changed to modify selection behavior.
Other Selection Tools
- Sub Tools: Accessed by holding left click on tool icons with a triangle.
- Tweak Tool: Move objects by dragging them.
- Circle Select: Paint-like selection.
- Lasso Select: Freeform selection.
Key Takeaways
- Left Click: Basic object selection.
- Shift + Left Click: Toggle selection of multiple objects.
- Select Menu: For selecting/deselecting all objects.
With these selection skills, you can effectively manage objects in Blender, setting the foundation for transforming objects in subsequent lessons.