[back]Using Blender 3D - uesful shortcut keys

The following is a list of useful keyboard shortcut keys, commands and features that you'll find handy when using Blender 3D to model content for use in either Blenders own 'Blender Game Engine' or external third party game engines; it's worth getting to know as they'll allow you to get the most out of Blender 3D when game modelling.

Keyboard shortcuts to know and use ^

Blender 3D does have a complex interface because it can do quite a lot of other things besides modelling. Most of 'actions' needed for polygon modelling can be accessed via the press of a button or 'shortcut' - during the videos you'll see a number of things happen without accessing 'menu's', these will be functions activated by using shortcut keys; 'A' for example selects/deselects items on screen. The list below are the common Blender 3D shortcuts used when modelling;

• G = MOVE
  G then 'X', 'Y' or 'Z' = MOVE along specific axis only.

• S = RESIZE
  S then 'X', 'Y' or 'Z' = RESIZE along specific axis only.

• R = ROTATE
  R then 'X', 'Y' or 'Z' = ROTATE along specific axis only.

• B = BORDER SELECT
  Pressing 'B' once activates the 'grid' border select tool. Pressing again activates the selector 'brush' that allows 'paintselecting' objects. Useful for selecting multiple faces or vertices in edit mode.

• X = DELETE
  Displays the delete 'options' pop up.

• M = LAYERS
  Displays the 'move to layer' pop up - selected object will be moved to the selected layer. Displays current layer as selected on opening.

• NumPad 1, 3, 7 and 5
  Viewport control; 'front', 'side', 'top' and 'perspective' respectively. Pressing any of these will put the viewport the mouse has control over (the mouse is placed over) into 'orthogonal' or 'perspective' mode.

• F = UVW mode

• TAB = EDIT mode

• V = VERTEX PAINT mode

• A = SELECT/DESELECT
  Mode sensitive - will select/deselect items based on which mode you're in.

• E = EXTRUDE
  Mode sensitive - will extrude polygons, vertices or edges either individually (so the create their own 'children', or as a group.

• U = UVWunwrap
  UVWmode only.

• Ctrl+R = LOOPCUT
  Cuts a 'loop' - a line that follows the contours of a model.

• Ctrl+TAB = FACE SELECT TYPE - Edit mode
  In edit mode allows the selecting of faces by polygon, edge or vertex 'groups'. Allows working on a mesh in different modes, facilitating slightly different working methods.

• Middle Mouse Button (MMB)

  MMB Click Hold
  By default moves the viewport the mouse has control over based on mouse position. Can be altered to use different rotation focus points.

  MMB Scroll Up/Down
  Zooms the viewport forwards/backwards.

  MMB+Shift
  'Translates' the viewport, moves view left/right and up/down.

  MMB+Ctrl
  Zooms viewport. Uses a finer distance control than scrolling MMB.

• Left Mouse Button (LMB)

LMB Click
'Sets' an action. After moving or doing something LMB Click is used to 'set' the action in place. For example, a moved object stays placed relative to it's position when you click the left mouse button during a 'move' action.

• Right Mouse Button (RMB)

RMB Click
Selects object or item.

RMB+Shift
Selects multiple objects or items.