Questions tagged [modeling]
Modeling refers to the process of creating 3D objects or entities using a 3D modeling application. This tag is used for anything related to modeling including techniques, tools and tips.
14,018
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Splitting pieces of a mesh into a new object
I've just made a set of armor by using a male body mesh model I downloaded and selecting certain faces from the model and duplicating them to create viable armor pieces.
Since the pieces are just ...
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137
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5
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How to recenter an object's origin?
So, I'm working creating a lamp... yes, newbie here.
After modeling for a bit, I noticed that my point of origin was no longer the center of my object:
How to I reset an object origin point to the ...
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104
votes
5
answers
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What is non-manifold geometry?
I am not quite sure what non-manifold geometry is. I thought non-manifold geometry was just floating vertices and hole in a mesh. From my experience this is not always the case however. What is non-...
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7
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How to smooth shade an object while retaining hard edges?
I frequently come to the problem of having a mesh with parts I would like to render smooth and "hard" edges connecting them.
How can I set the mesh to show the sharp edges but render everything else ...
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83
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3
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How can I quickly generate / create a large city without modeling it all by hand?
I am trying to create an urban open-world environment in Blender that would be about one square kilometre in size. To avoid having to model hundred of individual buildings, I am looking for a way to ...
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81
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5
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How would you cut a shape out of an object using another object?
Coming from SketchUp one of the tools I miss most is the circle draw tool which lets you draw a circle on any face and then you could extrude it in/out. The only tool that I know of that comes close ...
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votes
22
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What's the fastest and / or craziest way to model an arrow in Blender?
I'm curious about all the ways you can come up with a solution. I'm searching for the way with the least clicks and maybe the two runner ups. I made up some rules on how to count them:
A default ...
- 16k
73
votes
9
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How can I add vertices to intersection of two edges?
I need to put a point at the intersection of two edges. Below is a picture with red circles around where I need points to be placed.
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71
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4
answers
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When should N-Gons be used, and when shouldn't they?
Support for N-Gons (polygons consisting of more than 4 vertices) has been in Blender for a while now, but many of us still may not know when to use them, and how to do so effectively.
In what ...
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69
votes
3
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Keep sharp edges when using subdivision surface
How can I use the subdivision surface modifier to create more high poly meshes without ruining sharp edges?
For example this mesh
The sphere should be subdivided but the rim of the cylinder should ...
- 7,016
68
votes
6
answers
270k
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Cutting a mesh in half
I have a mesh which I have imported from an OBJ file. I would like to apply Material A to the section of the mesh which is on one side of a given plane, and apply Material B to the section of the mesh ...
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58
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7
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How can I make sharp geometric 3d models look more realistic?
I'm making a scene in Blender with manufactured mechanical and electrical objects - cylinders, metal objects and so forth. I want to make these look real, be fully present with a sense of mass and ...
- 2,951
58
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7
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117k
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How to model effectively using exact measurements?
I always struggle when trying to create a floor plan or furniture. How do I model using exact measurements.
- 38.4k
55
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4
answers
142k
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How to round corners of plane?
How can I cut an arc into a square plane? The gif above shows what I want to do, but, in another software.
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6
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How to edit Parameters for an Object after it is created?
When you first add a cylinder, you have the option to change the number of vertices, etc, but once you do anything else in blender, it seems you no longer can edit those parameters.
Is there a ...
- 16.5k
49
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4
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How can I round the edges of a mesh?
I have looked at other similar questions on this site but couldn't answer my question. I have a model made of cubes the edges look very sharp (I would put a picture here but I don't have the required ...
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6
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Change radius for proportional editing
When proportional editing is enabled in edit mode, then if you select and drag a point, nearby points will also move with it. The effect has a certain radius. How can you set this radius?
According to ...
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44
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3
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165k
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How to cut and paste part of a mesh to another mesh?
Hi im new to Blender and i want to know when im in edit mode if i can copy or cut a selections of polygons faces and paste to another mesh.
Thanks in advance for any help
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3
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How to merge vertices in Blender?
I am attempting to create my first 3D character just for practice. Being one of my first 3d models I going through the learning curve needless to say. In doing so I find myself creating many extra ...
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6
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Extrude Faces along Local Normals
I am trying to extrude faces of a cylinder along local normals. 3dsmax can do it easy, couldn't find how to do it in blender.
The extrude region option extrudes it as shown in the first example. I ...
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1
answer
49k
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How to move multiple faces along their individual normals?
I'd like to grab multiple faces and move each one along its normal. Is there a grab individual command?
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41
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2
answers
116k
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Extrude along path
Is there a way to extrude an object or shape along a path/curve, so you get a solid object? For example, a rectangle shape along a curve to get a long bendy sidewalk.
I feel this was in an older ...
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39
votes
3
answers
75k
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How to merge 4 adjacent, coplanar faces into a single face
I have a plane consisting of 4 squares - take as an example a subdivided plane. How can I merge these faces into one?
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39
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2
answers
6k
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How can I make a wrought iron basket?
I'm want to know how to make something like the wrought iron shapes as shown in the picture.
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39
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2
answers
17k
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How to animate morphing a rectangular plane into a sphere
How to make a grid-to-sphere animation like this?
- 27.6k
39
votes
2
answers
16k
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Generate curve from equation
I've been trying to design a dynamic sculpture which I can only define with exactitude through mathematical equations. Now, the equations yield only lines, like you can see in the animation below:
I ...
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39
votes
4
answers
59k
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Select every other face loop
How can I select every other edge loop. In this example its not too bad to do it manually but it other cases it might be. How can I easily select alternating face loops?
- 14.6k
38
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15
answers
5k
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What's the most fun way to make a Snowman in Blender? ❄︎❄︎❄︎
Previous challenge: What's the most fun way to create a fork in Blender??
Winter is here, and I'm trying to build a snowman.
But my Blender freezes after the first snowball! (is it because of the ice?...
- 31.2k
38
votes
2
answers
186k
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How to 'merge/dissolve' two faces?
I had trouble merging/dissolve two faces together, like merging these two faces in the screenshot. Any help is appreciated :)
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3
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68k
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How to solidify edges
I have a complex mesh with only vertices and edges that I want to solidify.
The problem is I just want to solidify edges (not any faces) to have some kind of fat wireframe model (i.e. just every ...
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38
votes
1
answer
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Rotating each iteration of an Array Modifier
Is there a way to rotate each iteration of an Array Modifier?
For example, I've created the helices of a DNA molecule, and I'm trying to add the base pairs. I've got a cylinder with an array modifier....
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37
votes
5
answers
91k
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How can I quickly move/translate an object to the center location/position of another object in a static scene?
This question relates to positioning static objects while modeling. This is not a question about how to move objects dynamically/programmatically like in a game context.
For example, I need to ...
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36
votes
3
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5k
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Procedurally generating wear on an object?
What are some techniques for procedurally generating wear (chips, cracks, dents, etc.) on a mesh object?
For example, what are some ways I could do something like this:
but with more dents and ...
- 157k
36
votes
4
answers
56k
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Apply subsurf modifier to only part of an object
How can I apply a modifier only to a part of an object? I want to model a goblet with a pedestal, and if I add a subsurf, the pedestal, of course, gets an unwanted round shape. How can I avoid that? I ...
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6
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What is the fastest way to create a curved plane?
For a background, a lot of times I need a vertical wall, horizontal bottom, and a nice connecting curved surface between them in front of the camera. So far, I have used two methods:
Deform a plane ...
- 453
35
votes
4
answers
80k
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Model a simple 3D spiral shape?
I need to model a simple spiral shape. I imagine the best way to do this is with curves, but I am unsure how to create a perfect spiral shape with curves. What's the best/easiest way to make a spiral ...
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35
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7
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Create vertex on a desired part of an edge
Ctrl + R creates vertex exactly between two vertices of an edge but I want it in the place where I click, that is any part of an edge where I click. I wanted to know if there is any such feature ...
- 607
35
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4
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Is blender actually useable for engineering?
A moving design would be the final goal, but first I need to build complex shapes based on geometry as 3D modeling for engineering.
Does blender have a work tree where you can rearrange the order of ...
- 359
35
votes
2
answers
144k
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How to set the current scale to 1? [duplicate]
I want to take an object that I have scaled in object mode and set the current scale to 1. I can find the current scale, clear the scale with Alt+S, and then switch to edit mode and scale to what it ...
- 491
35
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7
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How to set a specific edge length numerically?
I've got this question from one of my best students. The question is the following:
Suppose, that we have Edit mode with some edges, vertices, etc. How to set a selected edge to have a specific ...
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votes
6
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How to distribute objects evenly?
how to distribute different objects evenly in Object Mode? I know about dupliverts, particles, array modifier, etc, but they do not serve as a good, general solution.
EDIT: I have a scene with a ...
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35
votes
1
answer
74k
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35
votes
4
answers
69k
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Selecting faces on object from UV editor window
I can't see this as an option so is there a way to select faces or islands and have them show up as selected faces on the object in 3D view.
In programs such as maya it is possible to work from ...
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35
votes
1
answer
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Why are the longer edges being beveled more?
I'll preface this by saying I'm very new to Blender - I'm trying to put a bevel on an edge, looks something like this:
As you can see, the vertical side is much longer than the horizontal side. When ...
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6
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7k
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What's the fastest / most fun way to create a fork in Blender?
Related challenge: What's the fastest and / or craziest way to
model an arrow in Blender?
I tried to make a fork in Blender, but it was so boring I fell asleep.
Is there a faster / more fun way to ...
- 31.2k
34
votes
7
answers
15k
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Organic yet accurate modeling with the golden spiral
Foreword
First off, let me say that I am profoundly amazed at the orderliness in nature. If you haven't heard about the Fibonacci sequence (0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, ...), you should check it out.
...
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5
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How to merge two edge loops
This is a Q&A so I answer it myself. I searched for an answer to this question for ages and didn't find anything so I'll add this here if anybody else struggles with the same issue.
So, how can I ...
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34
votes
2
answers
81k
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Bevel specific edges
How would one curve specific edges while leaving others alone? I'm trying to model this (circled) object, But can't figure out how to bevel side edges and leave the front-edge flat.
Tried using the ...
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2
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42k
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How to align a cluster of points?
If you have a cluster of points selected like this:
how do you align the points so that they create a flat plane?
- 3,537
34
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7
answers
196k
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How to make all faces flip to the right/consistent direction?
What's happening is that I have tried to flip the normals, inside and out, but there are always faces which have to be flipped!
Normals recalculated
Inside View
If I flip them again, all faces get ...
- 3,807