Overview
This lecture introduces Blender's interface, key panels, navigation, basic object manipulation, and foundational tools, guiding students through creating and rendering a simple 3D scene.
Getting Started with Blender
- Download Blender from blender.org and install it for your operating system.
- On first launch, you see a splash screen and the default interface colors and theme.
- The main area is the 3D Viewport, where your scene is constructed and viewed.
Blender Interface Overview
- Top left: standard menus (File, Edit, etc.).
- Left sidebar: tool panel (move, rotate, scale); tools change based on active mode.
- Top right: Outliner lists all scene objects; organize with Collections (folders).
- Bottom right: Properties panel contains tabs for tool, render, output, scene, world, object, modifiers, particles, constraints, materials, and textures.
- Bottom: Animation timeline and playback controls.
- Editors (3D Viewport, Outliner, Properties) can be rearranged, split, or joined for custom layouts.
Basic Preferences & Shortcuts
- Edit > Preferences to change selection method (right or left click) and set Spacebar for search.
- Essential shortcuts: G = move, S = scale, R = rotate; combine with X/Y/Z to constrain to axis (e.g., G+Z).
- Use numpad: 1 = front view, 3 = right view, 7 = top view, 5 = toggle perspective/orthographic.
- Dot on numpad focuses on the selected object; forward slash isolates selected.
Object Manipulation
- Add objects with Shift+A; new objects appear at the 3D Cursor's location.
- Move 3D Cursor by clicking or Shift+S for precise placement.
- Select multiple objects with Shift+click; last selected is the active object.
- Box select with B; A selects all, double A deselects all.
- Duplicate objects with Shift+D.
- Reset location/rotation/scale with Alt+G/Alt+R/Alt+S; Apply transforms with Ctrl+A.
Transform Orientation & Pivot Points
- Global coordinates affect all objects by scene axes; Local coordinates act relative to object rotation.
- Transform pivot points: Bounding Box Center, 3D Cursor, Individual Origins, Active Element.
- Change transform orientation quickly: double-tap axis key (e.g., G+Y+Y for local Y).
Snapping & Alignment
- Enable snapping to grid, vertex, edge, or face for precise movement (toggle with icon or hold Ctrl while transforming).
- Align objects using face/vertex snapping and transformation pivot adjustments.
Display and Viewport Settings
- Toggle visibility of object types, overlays, gizmos, and grid for clarity.
- Press Z to switch viewport shading: wireframe, solid, material preview, or render preview.
Object Origin and Joining
- Object origin (yellow dot) is the pivot for transformations; set origin via Object > Set Origin to 3D Cursor.
- Join objects into one mesh with Ctrl+J.
Practical Exercise: Creating and Rendering a Simple Scene
- Create a building, ground, road, windows, doors, trees, and lamps using primitives and transformation tools.
- Assign simple materials/colors to objects for visual clarity.
- Set up camera: create, align to view (Ctrl+Alt+0), and adjust viewport as needed.
- Add lighting/environment HDRI for rendering.
- Render image and save output.
Key Terms & Definitions
- 3D Viewport — Main area to view and manipulate your 3D scene.
- Outliner — Panel listing all objects in the scene.
- Properties Panel — Area to adjust properties for scene, render, objects, and materials.
- 3D Cursor — Point used to place new objects and set pivot/origin.
- Active Object — Last selected object, highlighted, used for operations like parenting.
- Global/Local Coordinates — World vs. object-relative axes for transformations.
- Pivot Point — Reference for rotation/scaling of selected objects.
- Snapping — Feature to align objects to grid, vertices, edges, or faces.
- Material — Color or texture assigned to an object’s surface.
- Origin — The pivot or reference point of an object.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Practice basic navigation, object creation, and transformation shortcuts in Blender.
- Complete the scene-building assignment and experiment with arranging objects, colors, and camera.
- Review and memorize essential shortcut keys for efficient workflow.
- Prepare for the next chapter on editing objects and creating custom shapes.