Hi,
Here is a brief list of some hotkeys i've been using in blender.
Hope you find them helpful.
Modeling
editmode>ctrl+r — insert edgeloop
ctrl+leftclick >lasso select
ctrl+leftclick+shift> deselect lass select
alt+rightclick on edge or vtx in edit mode — select edge loop
edit mode ctrl+tab — change to vtx/edge/face selection
ctrl+ ‘+’/‘-‘ in editmode — to expand or contract selection
edit mode two vertices selected> alt+m — merge vertex
edit mode select edge > e — extrude edge
edit mode in faces edit > shift+k >hover over vertex > click start/end>enter — insert an edge cut snapping to vertex
editmode > x > dissolve edge —— delete an edge keeping face
editmode > face mode > x > faces — delete face entirely
editmode>edge mode > select two edges > F — insert face between edges
object mode > select two meshes > ctrl+j — merge two planes
edit mode > in vtx/face mode > select two faces > p > ‘choose loose parts’ or ‘selection’ —— separate two meshes
—-add divisions to plane - add a plane mesh, ctrl+r in edit mode roll mouse
object properties draw all edges and wire and z to see edges in object mode
to join feet and body (b window select all in object mode ‘ctrl+j’ join
-way of selecting edge loops
‘alt+right click’
-way of snapping one vertex to another
‘alt+m’ (in w specials menu) with two vertices selected
-way of appending face
select edge > f
-way of deleting one side of mesh
enter ortho front view > b to window select half of mesh in faces mode > x ‘delete faces and edges’
-way of mirroring one side mesh to other
put centre vertices at origin > in edit mode with center vertices selected > scale x 0
‘shift+d’ to duplicate half of mesh in object mode > object menu mirror in x > then join both halfs ‘ctrl+j’
zooming in ortho mode ‘ctrl+alt+leftclick’ (press 5 to switch to ortho mode)
‘a’ to deselect everything
’shift+rightclick’ to deselect face/vertex
‘ctrl+tab’ > 1/2/3 enter vertex/edge/face modes in edit mode
if need to fix normals in blender- N>turn on back face culling, in edit mode ‘ctrl+N’ to recalculate normals
ctrl+left click to lasso select multiple vertices
set model pivot to 3d cursor, shift+ctrl+alt+c , set origin to 3d cursor
gzz move in local coordinate system
3 key look in side view (5 to return to user perspective)
soft move - in edit mode ‘o’ click on vert to move a soft area around it ex. g z (0107-2019)
zbrush export each blend shape layer as obj (be nice to have a zscript that does that)
need to go into edit mode to move a component
right click to select vertex, g to move it
- change ortho front/side and persp views
5, then 1 to change to front ortho (3 is side), zoom ctlr+shift+mmb to return to perspective, .. press ‘.’ to frame on selected
- drawing over model staying in blender
N - new grease pencil layer, than hold D to draw (check surface on/ pencil thinner strokes), Erase with right click
g — model mode
k — cut edges (hit enter when done)
select two edges then ‘f’ - append face
select two vertices /dont need to be overlapping - alt+m merge them
shit+tab, enter snapping mode ctrl+shift+tab enter vertex snapping mode
in Edit Mode > N (to see selected vertex position)
python console > bpy.app.debug = True > N > mesh display indices ( to see vertex ids )
Rigging
edit mode with vtx selected> shift+s - cursor to selected
edit mode > shift+a - add single bone
edit mode > select child then parent > ctrl+p keep offset — parent one bone to another
alt+p (or in bone properties click x under parent towards bottom) — to remove parent
shift+d editmode— duplicate selected bones
edit mode with bone selected > pivot at 3dcuror > armature menu > mirror > ex: local — mirror selected bones
edit mode with bones selected > w —— to flip names right for left bone.R becomes bone.L
edit mode, two to right of ‘Edit Mode’ drop down choose pivot point 3d cursor - rotate bone in edit mode around cursor
pose mode alt+(g/r/s) reset transformations/rotations/scale
object mode select cube then cone, shift+ctrl+c damp track constraint, edit constraint axis in ‘chain’ menu ex -z — cube move cone (aim constrain way)
z — toggle wireframe
select vertices in edit mode > in weight paint mode click little face selection cube on bottom near shading > shift+k —— mask and flood weight on selected vertices
5 > 3 — switch to side ortho view (like 5 turns to ortho mode and 3 side view)
. — frame selected (works also in outliner)
—create bone, create armature in object mode shift+a, in object mode rotate bone 90 degrees, in edit mode select end joint e extrude y to extrude along y axis. name bone using bone icon.
in object mode shift+rmb to select mesh first then armature ctrl+p to skin with automatic weights, can only see mesh moving with bone in pose mode (tried object/edit all of mesh moved in object and non mesh moved in edit)
—weight paint, red full weight/blue no weight, F to change brush size (auto normalize make weights add to 1). with mesh selected choose weight paint mode from drop down at bottom.
to see joints through mesh >>> in pose mode select bone, in object menu (small cube) click X-ray
to see weights to each bone >>> in edit mode N
to make sure mesh is symmetric for x-mirror >>> mesh, snap symmetry with all vertices selected
to paint through mesh >> click little box at bottom limit to selection
can select different joint by right click
reset bone rotation when weight painting >> alt+r
mirror weights >> x mirror and topology in weight options
used blur brush to smooth weights and add
—blendshape or shapekey
+ icon in ‘upside down triangle object menu’ to add a shape key
add shape key from different object select it then main mesh which has basis shape key and click down arrow join shapes
if sculpting blend shape do it in edit mode.
—Driver
-making control for brow blendshape
in edit mode extrude bones to create a bone in a single axis, deleted unneeded bones afterwords (x).(shift+a was shortcut to add a disconnected bone when in edit mode of armature)
in object mode add mesh circle
in pose mode under little bone icon, custom shape choose the created mesh curve
display wire — to see bone shape
m - move animator control widget created to new layer, shift with two layers selected to see both layers
figure out max/min to move animator control to make brow up shape be at 1, brow dn shape at 1,
my example was z +.2, -.2 (locked all axis but z in transform panel)
-to setup brow up/dn driver for blendshape/shape key (like maya’s set driven key frame)
—over number in shape key right click ‘add driver’ manually create later single
—split window sliding lower existing window, pick graph editor, change bottom lower next to key to ‘Drivers’
—N to bring up panel (T to hide transform panel if its there)
—click + icon In Drivers window and select drivers tab
—in drivers tab pick ‘Averaged Value’ for Type
—object - pick rig armature object that has control bone
—for bone - enter animator control for shape key
—enter z location since for this example controller moving in z turns on brow blend shape
—enter local space
In F-Curve Tab, select F-Curve Tab
— right click to select second keyframe, set frame to .2 value 1. meaning at when z of animator control is at .2 the brow up shape key should be fully on at 1.
In Drivers Tab
— click ‘Update Dependencies’ to see change in action
Animation
alt+a play timeline
up/dn to move between keyframes
hover value i to put a keyframe on shape key
i to insert key frame
Render
camera icon set output path and avi raw to export video (using ffmeg with wireframe video)
— choose output location in render tab, OpenGL render animation (avi video output format)
Shading
use yingyang looking symbol option near upsidedowntriangle option> select a slot> click+New to make material > click assign to assign it to selected faces — assign material to selected faces
Layout
removing extra panel - click and drag on sizing corner >> slide it up/dn till when see grey to remove panel by joining it to another
Navigation
to rotate view with wacom — alt+left click rotates view — 3 button mouse setting
pan >>> with wacom pencil, ctrl+leftclick+lowmidbtn or shift+leftclick+lowmidbtn
orbit >>> alt+leftclick
accept rotation >>> click
middle mouse (tumbles camera)
shift + middle mouse (pan)
ctrl+shift+middle mouse (zoom)
shift+s, cursor at centre (to put cursor at center)
Happy Sketching!
Nate
