Hi there everybody, it's Oliver here from Blendtoots.com.
In this tutorial we're going to cover how to create and transform updates in Blender.
So first things first, if you're new to Blender you're probably still wondering what the hell
is this thing here.
Well this is the 3D cursor and it's very useful.
Here we're going to see some applications for it, but for now let's say that this tells
Blender where to create new updates.
You can position it left clicking in the space, ok?
With Shift C you recenter it and you can position it precisely from the orthographic views.
You can even align it, but we're going to see that later.
For now let's stay on the perspective and recenter this 3D cursor.
Now let's see how to create objects.
The first way is pressing here, add in the main menu, selecting mesh for example and
add a plane, ok?
The second way is the shortcut Shift A. We'll pop up a menu like this where you will have
the same exact menu as here, right?
So it's very useful, add a queue for example and now the third way is pressing the space
bar and writing down add for example and now you can search here what to add.
Sample you have here, plane, queue, circle, tube or you can write precisely what you want
to add.
For example add a tube, press enter and here we have a tube.
Now when you create an object or execute some operator you will have here in this tool shelf
which you can hide or show with the T shortcut or from here in the menu tool shelf you will
have some properties for that object or that operator.
In this case we created an object so we have here the operator name, add tube and here
we have some options like this which are the vertices that conform the tube, radius, depth
and things like that, ok?
Now I'm going to show you another way of creating objects.
If you create an object right now you see that it's aligned to the world but there is
another way to align it which is go to the preferences, Ctrl Alt U and select here align
object to view, ok?
So now when you add an object it will be aligned to the view, well this is useful for
example if you want to add a plane you can add it from here from the top view be in the
floor or you can add it from a side view for being a wall, ok?
Or just from another view here like this so as you can see it's pretty useful, ok?
Now let me explain two basic concepts.
When you work in a 3D software you can transform and edit objects.
The difference between editing and transforming is that transforms don't change the topology
or the shape of the object but editing does.
So when you move, rotate or scale an object you are transforming it and when you enter
in the edit mode, yeah that's why it's called edit mode in blender and move vertices around
or stood faces you are editing that object because you are modifying its topology and
shape and this tutorial will cover transforms and in future tutorials of modeling we'll
see the editing and that's it.
Now you know this let's move on to translating, rotating and scaling objects.
So let's create an object so you can see manipulators.
This is the translate manipulator.
Here in the 3D view header you can select which manipulator you want to use, for example
this is the rotate one and this is the scaling one.
You can show or hide the manipulators by pressing this icon here.
Now if you click an arrow and move it you are moving the object on that axis, if I want
for example to move the object in the C and Y axis at the same time what I have to do
is to shift click the X axis so it will be moving in the other two axis at the same time.
Now if we click and drag and while dragging I press shift it will be slowed down so we
can do a more precise movement and if we press control it will be moving with the snapping
options.
This is the perfect time to explain the snapping which is here in the 3D view header if you
activate it you don't need to press control it will be snapping automatically and if you
with this activated wand to move it without snapping you have to push control so it moves
normally but the most useful at least for main things is to disable it and just pressing
control when you want to snap.
This is the kind of snapping you do.
Now it's with increments so it will snap the object to the grid in whatever axis.
You can snap it to vertices, to edges, faces or volumes but for now we are not going to
see that.
You can let rotate is the same, click and drag, click and drag and with this scaling
is the same, click and drag, click and drag and if you press on the center you will scale
in all the axis at the same time.
This happens too with the transform.
It will move the object relative to the view.
Now you can select more than one manipulator at the same time, for example if I want to
show the manipulators of rotating and moving at the same time just shift click and we have
here the translating and rotating objects at the same time.
Now for derotate if you press in the center you will rotate it in a trackball method.
So this is rotating in all the axis.
You can also transform objects from the properties panel.
So if you change here to the object menu you will have here a sub menu called transform
with location, rotation and scale values.
So you can change them here or write them directly into these sliders.
You can also from the 3d view press N to discover the properties tool shelf and here you got
to the transform panel with location, rotation and scale.
Now let's say what the coordinate systems are.
For example we have this cube rotated just a bit more so you can see better the difference.
You can see even though the cube is rotated the manipulator is aligned to the world.
If we take the translate manipulator you can see that if we move the object into the
c-axis it will move on the world c-axis.
And if we want to use the local c-axis of the object we have to go here to this list
and select local for example.
So here is the local c-axis of the object.
We have several more coordinate systems and we have the ability to create a custom coordinate
system depending on objects.
We can do it from transform orientation here we have the same menu and here create.
So with create we are going to add here a new coordinate system which is mesh which is
the system of this cube.
So if we add here another object like this we are going to use this coordinate system
of the other object.
Even this object is not oriented that way.
So it's pretty cool.
Now let's go to the initial frame alright.
The shortcut for accessing the coordinate systems is alt spacebar.
So here you have global normal gimbal local mbu.
Okay let's go to the global for now.
Let's take a look now at the shortcuts for transforming objects in Blender.
We have to select the object I'm going to hide the manipulator.
And now the shortcuts are g for grabbing in a bu coordinate system r for rotating and
s for scaling.
If you right click it will be cancelled alright.
Now let's say I want to move this object just on one axis.
Well while grabbing so press G and while grabbing we can press X, Y or Z.
So the object will be aligned to that axis.
Pressing R twice we rotate the object on a track build method.
So we have this for example and now if we want to move this object on a local axis we
can press X for example twice.
And we move the object on a local axis.
The same for Y pressing twice and the same for Z.
Okay the same happens with rotating and with scaling.
And there is even another method to align the object to an axis.
For example let's right click it for selected and press G.
Now while grabbing if we press the middle mouse button depending on the direction I
grab it will be aligned to one axis.
So this is very cool.
Another thing if I press well I have to have this activated release confirm.
So if we right click and drag it will be moved automatically on a view coordinate system.
Another thing while grabbing for example if I want to move this object on X and Y at the
same time just press shift and set and there we go.
The same if I want to move it on C and X at the same time just press shift and Y while
grabbing sorry.
Shift and Y and here we have it.
So this is a very cool system.
I think this is a good moment to show you how to configure your blender measurements.
So if you go here to the same panel you can see I am working on metric.
So I have everything on meters and degrees and that stuff.
But you can change it to imperial for working in inches and well this is how you want.
And none you are working with blender units.
But let's work with meters right now.
So let's take a look at this 3d view header and when I am transforming an object you will
see that here some numbers will appear.
For example if I move the object with G and X you can see there the amount of centimeters
I am moving it.
Alright so without confirming the action just while dragging you can type down the amount
of centimeters you want or meters or whatever.
So if I put here 1 you can see that it automatically will move my object 1 meter.
I can backspace and press for example 3 or just 0.3 if I want to move it 30 centimeters
in the X axis.
Okay the same for rotating for example in the X axis I wanted to rotate 90 degrees and
that's it.
So this is very very useful.
Okay now let's see the 3d cursor functions.
So let's create another object for example I don't know a sphere like this.
And let's hide these panels here.
So if I want to align this sphere to this object we can use the 3d cursor for that.
We can use it even for align this sphere for a vertex.
But now we are going to align it to the object.
So if we press here Shift S and pop up menu will appear.
This is the menu of the 3d cursor.
So here we got some options like cursor to selected.
This will put the 3d cursor on the position of the center of the selected object.
Okay if we have more than one object selected it will be put on the middle right but for
now let's put it here.
And now select the sphere, Shift S again and selection to cursor and there we have it.
We cannot see the sphere right now because it's inside the cube.
So let's put the screen on a wireframe mode and there we got the sphere.
Now we can align the 3d cursor to the grid.
So as you can see if I put the cursor here for example and I want it to be just on a
point on the grid we can press here and cursor to grid and there we go.
And now we could align these objects selection to cursor okay or if I want to put them on
the center just align to grid and now let's selection to cursor okay and there we go.
We can also align the rotation of the object.
For example here you have this sphere that is lined with the world but the cube is not.
So if I want to align this sphere with this cube we have to do this.
In the object menu we have an option here with this align to transform orientation.
The transform orientation is this one here global normal whatever.
So in this case if we work in a global orientation the object will be aligned to that orientation.
Let's take a look with the cube.
So object align to transform orientation.
You can add a shortcut to this option on the user preferences.
Now let's press it and you can see the cube is aligned now with the transform orientation.
So Ctrl C for undo and what we want is to align this sphere with this cube.
So let's press the sphere and with shift let's select now the cube.
So the cube is the active object.
If we put this in normal coordinate system the transform will be orientated as the active
object is.
So if we press now transform align to transform orientation it will move this sphere so it
will be aligned with the cube.
There we have it.
And that's how it works.
There is even another use that you can give to this 3D cursor which is one of the most
important.
So if we for example let's let this object stay there and let's change the cursor position.
Here in this list I have some options for the center we are using for transforms.
So you have here individual, median point when you have more than one object selected
and active element.
So for example let's try them.
If we use the active element you see that the transform is at the position of the active
element.
Alright so if we rotate it even we have a lot of objects selected they will rotate over
the active one.
Now with individual for example they will rotate indefinitely.
And this one here is 3D cursor.
So now they will rotate around the 3D cursor or they will be scaled from the 3D cursor.
So this is very cool for example if I want let's say this point here shift S cursor to
select it.
And now I can rotate this cube around that vertex which is very cool in some cases.
I even can align the cube to that vertex.
So you can use the 3D cursor as a pivot point to make transforms in the objects.
And now there is another thing that I like to talk about and is this one.
This option here which is manipulate object centers only.
If you have more than one object selected if you push here and you scale the objects
will be moved apart from each other but they will not be scaled independently.
So you are going just to scale this center of the objects position.
This is very cool.
So let's go to the previews scene.
And well that's all for this tutorial in the next one we will talk about modifiers in
blender.
I'll see you soon and happy blending.
