Introduction

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create PS1-style textures in Affinity Studio, optimize those textures for a retro look, and apply them correctly to a 3D model in Blender 3D

Part 1: Understanding PS1 Texture Limitations

Before creating textures, it helps to understand what made PS1 visuals unique:

• Low texture resolution (often 32×32, 64×64, or 128×128)
• Limited color depth (often 16-bit color or lower)
• No texture filtering (nearest-neighbor scaling)
• Simple shading with little to no detail maps

We’ll recreate these limitations to achieve an authentic look.

Part 2: Creating PS1-Style Textures in Affinity Photo

Step 1: Create a Low-Resolution Canvas

• Make sure you have some photos you want to use as part of the texture downloaded – I would recommend using Pexels.Com

1. Open Affinity Studio and create a new document with DPI of 72 [128]
2. Use a transparent background and the RGB/8 color format

• To make a PS1 texture, drag-and-drop the photo into Affinity and scale it to the proper size
• Change the X and Y Positions to 0 to center the photo
• Export the texture

Part 3: Applying PS1 Textures in Blender 3D

Step 1: Apply the Texture

• Import or create a model – this scene is available for download 
• I have already UV unwrapped these models – if you need to UV unwrap your own model, I do have a tutorial on my channel
• Split the Viewport and open the Shader Editor
• Select the wall and add a new Material
• Drag-and-drop the wall texture into the Shader Editor and connect it to the Principled Shader
• To control the scale of the texture, make sure you have the Node Wrangler add-on activated
• With the Texture node selected, use CTRL + T to add a Mapping and Texture Coordinate node
• You can use the Scale of the Mapping node to control the scale of the texture
• Open the UV Editor and move, scale, and rotate the UV islands as needed

Conclusion

Creating PS1-style textures is all about embracing limitations. By working at low resolutions, using limited color palettes, and avoiding modern smoothing techniques, you can recreate the iconic look of early 3D games.

Introduction

In this tutorial, we will walk through the complete process of rigging and animating eyes in Blender 3D.

Eye Model: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19JgFks2WLbaB4oFe5E-j10-Mg5zsBuPH/view?usp=sharing

Rigging the Eye

Step 1: Rename the eye to eye.R and the eyelids to eyelid_bottom.R and eyelid_top.R

Step 2: Temporarily hide the eyelids

Step 3: Make sure you have the Rigify Add-on enabled

Step 4: Use SHIFT + A to add a single bone

Step 5: Move the bone in front of the eye and scale it as needed

Step 6: In the Outliner, rename the Armature to eye_bone.R

Step 7: Select the eye mesh and open the Constraints tab

Step 8: Add a Track To Constraint with the Target set to the eye_bone.R

Step 9: To fix the eye position, change the Track Axis to -Y and the Up to Z

Step 10: When you select the bone and move it, the eye should follow the bone correctly - by using G + X to move along the X-Axis and G + Z to move along the Z-Axis

Rigging the Eyelids

Step 1: Unhide the eyelids

Step 2: Use SHIFT + A to add a single bone and move it to the front of the eye and scale it down

Step 3: Rename the bone to eyelid_bone.R

Step 4: Rotate the bone 90-degrees on the X-Axis using R + X + 90 and use CTRL + A to apply the Rotation

Step 5: Select the top eyelid

Step 6: Add a Copy Rotation constraint and set the target to eyelid_bone.R

Step 7: Test the Constraint by rotating the bone around the X-Axis by using R + X

Step 8: Select the bottom eyelid

Step 9: Add a Copy Rotation constraint and set the target to eyelid_bone.R

Step 10: Test the Constraint by rotating the bone around the X-Axis by using R + X

Step 11: To fix the issue of both eyelids rotating the same direction, select the bottom eyelid

Step 12: Under the Constraint options, select Invert X

Step 13: Test the Constraint by rotating the bone around the X-Axis by using R + X

Step 14: To limit the bone rotation, select the eyelid bone and open the Object Data Properties tab

Step 15: Lock the Y- and Z-Axis Rotation properties by selecting the Lock icons

Step 16: Test the Constraint by rotating the bone around the X-Axis by using R + X

Creating the Left Eye

Step 1: Use the A-key to select the eye, eyelids, and bones

Step 2: Use SHIFT + D to duplicate the selection and use G + X to move them to the right

Step 3: Rename all the duplicated objects using the suffix .L

Step 3: Test all the bones to make sure they are working correctly

Step 4: Select all the bones and use the M-key to move them to their own collection

Creating Master Controller Bones

Step 1: Use Shift + A to add a single bone between the two eye bones to act as a master eye controller

Step 2: Scale it so it is slightly bigger than the eye bones and rename it in the Outliner to eye_controller

Step 3: Select both eye bones and SHIFT-Select the Controller

Step 4: Use CTRL + P and select Object to parent the eye bones to the controller

Step 5: Move the controller to confirm both eyes move together

*The individual eye bones can be controlled separately

Step 6: Use SHIFT + A to add a single bone between the two eyelid bones to act as a master eyelid controller

Step 7: Scale it so it is slightly bigger than the eyelid bones and rename it in the Outliner to eyelid_controller

Step 8: Rotate the eyelid controller around the X-Axis by 90-degrees by using R + X + 90

Step 9: Use CTRL + A to apply the rotation

Step 10: Select both eye bones and SHIFT-Select the Controller

Step 11: Use CTRL + P and select Object to parent the eye bones to the controller

Step 12: Move the controller to confirm both eyelids move together

*The individual eyelid bones can be controlled separately

Step 13: Select all the controller bones and use the M-key to move them to their own collection

Animating a Simple Eye Blink

Step 1: On Frame 1, select both controller bones and use the I-key to add keyframes

Step 2: On Frame 25, use the eye controller to move the eyes and use the I-key to add keyframes

Step 3: On Frame 35, Select the eyelid controller and rotate the eyelids until they are shut and use the I-key to add keyframes

Step 4: On Frame 45, Select the eyelid controller and rotate the eyelids until they are open and use the I-key to add keyframes

Step 5: Play the animation to see the result

Conclusion

You have now successfully built a complete eye rig system in Blender, including eye tracking, eyelid controls, master controllers, and a simple animated blink.

Introduction

This tutorial is a brief follow-up to the USD workflow tutorial. This brief tutorial will show you how to work with lights between Blender and Unreal Engine 5.

Step 1: Setting up Blender for export

Before we jump into Unreal, we start in Blender with a basic scene

Create the main structural elements of your scene

Set up initial lights to simulate how the scene should look

For better color matching, you can adjust Color Management in the Output tab in Blender and set The Look to High Contrast to match the Unreal visual style

Step 2: Match lighting and post process settings 

To match the lighting between Blender and Unreal, adjust Unreal’s post-processing settings

Add a Post Process Volume in Unreal by going to Add > Visual Effects > Post Process Volume and add it to the scene

In the Details Panel, enable Infinite Extent to make it apply globally

Search for Exposure in the details panel

Change the Metering Mode to Manual

Adjust the Exposure Compensation

A value of between 6 and 8 typically works well, but you may need to tweak this for your scene

It is important to note that Blender uses Watts and Unreal uses Lumens to determine the power of the lights

Watts to Lumen Calculator

I know that my Area Light is set to 750 watts in Blender so I use the calculator to determine the equivalent in Lumens

In my case, I can just use 9000 Lumens and scale the light

I can now do this for each of the other lights

Conclusion

This pipeline from Blender to Unreal using USD is incredibly powerful for iterative workflows. It allows for quick previews, easy updates, and seamless scene management. By exporting your Blender scene to USD, you can iterate freely, make quick changes.

Introduction

In this tutorial, we’ll use Blender to remove the black background from an imported texture image without the need for external software. This will work for both Cycles and Eevee render engines.

Step 1: Plane set up

1. Use the X-key to delete the default Cube

2. Use SHIFT + A to add a Plane

3. Rotate the Plane around the X-Axis by using R + X + 90

Step 2: Shader

1. Use the Z-key to enter Material Preview mode

2. Split the Viewport, open the Shader Editor, and make a new Material

3. Drag-and-drop your image into the Shader Editor

4. Delete the Principled Shader

5. Add an Emission Shader and Transparent Shader

6. Use a Mix Shader node to mix these two Shaders

7. Connect your Image Texture to the Color input of the Emission Shader

8. Connect the Mix Shader into the Surface input of the Material Output

9. Add a Color Ramp node

10. Connect the Color output of the Color Ramp to the Factor of the Mix Shader

11. Connect the Image Texture to the Color Ramp

12. Swap the Color Stops

13. Move the Black Color Stop to the Left

14. Increase the Strength of the Emission Shader

Conclusion

You have now learned how to remove a black background from an image completely within Blender. This workflow can save you time by not needing external software.

Introduction

In this tutorial, we’ll learn how to perform basic compositing in Blender. This will cover how to use view layers, separate objects, and merge them together with compositing nodes to create a clean final render.

Step 1: Create New Collections

Start by organizing your scene with different collections to separate the objects you want to composite later.

1. Right-click on Scene Collection and select New Collection – make as many Collections as needed and rename them appropriately

2. Select the Objects you want to move to a collection

3. Use the M-key to move the selected Object to the collection

4. If you then hide the Collection, it will be easier to see what has been moved and if you have missed anything

5. You can also add a Plane and use an image for the Material to be used as a background and place it in its own Collection

6. Set up your lights and camera in a separate Collection

Step 2: Create New View Layers

1. To create different view layers for each collection, click on the View Layer Properties

2. If you choose New, it will create a layer with no specific settings

3. Copy Settings duplicates your current layer's settings

4. Blank will hide all the Collections

5. For this tutorial, we’ll use the New option

6. Select each Collection and make a New View Layer – naming it appropriately

7. Uncheck the Exclude from View Layer boxes for each of the other Collections (not including the camera or lights)

8. You can use the dropdown menu to view each View Layer individually

9. Open the Render Settings and under the Film tab, check the Transparent option to make sure you have a transparent background

10. Make sure you see everything through the Camera and have the Main View Layer selected

11. Use F12 to Render the scene or go to Render > Render Image

Step 3: Compositing

1. Switch to the Compositing workspace

2. Enable Use Node (if you are using any versions before 5.0)

3. Click on the New button at the top of the workspace to set up the required Compositing nodes

4. You will see a Render Layers node which allows you to render a View Layer

5. The Group Output node determines the final output of the node group

6. The Viewer node allows you to see the output in the background

7. I have 4 View Layers so I will need to Duplicate the Render Layers node 3 times

8. If you use the dropdown menu for View Layer, you can change the specific View Layer for that Render Layer node

9. It is important to start with the View Layer that is the background first – these View Layers can always be changed later

10. To combine these View Layers, you will need to add an Alpha Over node

11. Combine two of the View Layers – one Background and one Foreground

12. Duplicate the Alpha Over and connect the remaining View Layer nodes

13. The final Alpha Over will then be connected to the Group Output and View nodes

14. You can now reorder the View Layers as needed – for example, if I switch the Sky View Layer to the Foreground of the Alpha Over node and the Background View Layer to the Foreground of the Alpha Over node, notice that the Sky is now in front of the Background

*NOTE: This is very useful for very large and/or complicated scenes and animations

15. Adjusting the Factor will determine the amount of mixing between the two Render Layers nodes – for example, if I wanted to add a bit of haze to the Background, I can lower the Factor of the Alpha Over node that connects the Sky and Background

Step 4: Adding Effects and Color Corrections

1. With all layers combined, you can add effects or adjust each layer independently

2. I can for example, add a Blur node to the Background View Layer and blur just that Render Layer

3. I can also make Color Correction changes by adding an RGB Curves node to the Foreground View Layer and adjust the colors

4. I can also add a Glare Effect to the Midground View Layer

Step 5: Render the Result

1. Once you’re happy with your compositing result, make sure everything is connected properly, and render the final image

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we explored the power of Blender’s Compositor and how to effectively use view layers and compositing nodes to combine separate elements in your scene. By setting up different collections and rendering each object on its own view layer, we gained fine control over each element's visibility and treatment in the final composite.

Introduction

In this tutorial, we’ll walk through the process of creating UDIMs in Blender 5.0 and then exporting them to be used in Substance Painter. After exporting the finished textures in Substance Painter, you will learn how to bring the UDIM textures back into Blender as well as Unreal Engine 5.7.

Step 1: Material ID

1. UDIM stands for U-Dimension and is a UV mapping technique for high-resolution textures which allows for high texel density and cleaner texture maps

2. For convenience, you can add materials to be used as an ID Map in Substance Painter

3. For example, I will give each part of my mesh a different material which will make it easier to texture in Substance Painter

Step 2: UDIMs in Blender

1. Split the viewport and open the Shader Editor and UV Editor

2. Make a new Image Texture – naming it and choosing your resolution

3. Check the box for Tiled be able to use UDIMs

4. If you have used different materials for the ID Map, you will need to copy and paste this Image Texture onto each material

5. Open the Image Texture you just made in the UV Editor

6. Use the N-key to open the Properties panel and open the Image tab

7. You will see your UDIM Tiles displayed - currently, there is only one UDIM Tile

8. To add a new UDIM Tile, click on the Plus Button

9. If you need to delete a UDIM Tile, click on the Minus Button

10. In my case, I need a total of 6 UDIM Tiles so I click on the Plus Button and change the count to 5

Step 3: Unwrapping the UVs 

1. Now you can unwrap your mesh

2. I select the first UDIM tile and will unwrap the wood first and place it on this UDIM Tile

3. One thing to remember is not to have any UV Island overlapping UDIM Tiles because this will cause shading issues and errors in Substance Painter

4. Once I have unwrapped the wood, I will make sure the UV Islands are facing the right direction

5. I now repeat this process for each part of the mesh

Step 4: Importing & Baking 

1. Once you have all the UDIM Tiles ready, make sure the Image Texture is selected on each of your materials

2. Select what you want to export and export the file format of your choice

3. Drag and drop your exported mesh into Substance Painter

4. Select your Resolution

5. Make sure you have Use UV Tile Workflow checked to use UDIM Tiles

6. Now you will notice that you have each of your material from the ID Map as well as a list of the related UDIM Tiles

7. Open the Texture Set Settings and choose Bask Mesh Maps

8. Select the Texture Maps you want to bake and change the Output Size if needed

9. If you do not have a high-poly mesh to bake from, select Use Low Poly Mesh as High Poly Mesh

10. Click on Bake Selected Textures

11. When the baking is complete, click on Return to Painting Mode

Step 5: Texturing     

1. I have other videos going over how to texture in Substance Painter so I won’t be going into detail in this tutorial – playlist

2. Once you have everything textured, export the Texture Maps (I will be exporting 2 separate Texture Maps – one for Blender and the other for UE)

Step 6: Importing to Blender

1. Back in Blender, make sure to have the Node Wrangler add-on activated

2. Open your first material

3. With the Principled Shader selected, use CTRL + SHIFT + T to import the appropriate Texture Maps

Step 7: Importing to UE

1. Import your mesh, materials, and textures into Unreal – I won’t be going into depth about importing and texturing but I do have a playlist with plenty of tutorials – link is in the description

2. Set up your materials

3. If you are using a version before 5.7, you may see errors on your materials – if this is the case, under Project Settings, look for Virtual Textures and enable it

You can see the video by Abe Leal for more information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJAKmIlDrjA

Conclusion

You’ve now successfully created UDIMs in Blender and exported them to Substance Painter. You have also learned how to export the texture maps and bring them back into Blender and also Unreal Engine.

Introduction

In this tutorial, we’ll walk through the process of creating a map for a globe in Substance Painter

Step 1: Set Up Your Globe Model

1. Drag-and-drop your mesh into Substance Painter (the link to the model I’m using is in the description)

2. Choose your Document Resolution and click OK

3. There are three textures on this mesh

Step 2: Importing Texture Maps

1. Under the Texture Set Settings tab, choose Bake Mesh Maps – change your Output size if needed

2. Select Bake Selected Textures

3. Drag-and-drop your texture maps (if you have any) into Substance Painter

4. Make sure you import them as Texture

Step 3: Applying Texture Maps

1. Select the Wood material and add a Fill Layer

2. Drag the Base Color Map onto the Base Color Property

3. Select the Roughness Map and drag the Roughness Map onto the Roughness Property

4. Select the Normal Map and drag the Normal Map onto the Normal Property

5. Repeat this process for the other Wood material

Step 4: Creating the Map

1. Select the Globe mesh and add a Fill Layer

2. Change the Base Color Property – this will be your Land

3. Right-click on the Fill Layer and add a Black Mask

4. Right-click on the Black Mask and add a Fill Layer

5. Clear out the Search Bar

6. Under the Textures tab, search for a Texture to use for the land mass [Clouds2]

7. Drag-and-drop this Texture onto the Grayscale Property

8. Make changes to the Parameters until you reach a look you like

9. Make any other changes you want by selecting the Base Color and changing the Height and Roughness maps

Conclusion

You’ve now successfully textured a map in Substance Painter. These steps can be adapted to any model. By mastering this technique, you can easily generate props for your various projects.

This tutorial will walk you through the steps of exporting a scene from Blender to Unreal Engine 5 (UE5) using USD (Universal Scene Description), focusing on the key concepts and pipeline to streamline your workflow. The goal is to efficiently transfer assets from Blender to Unreal for real-time rendering and interactive scene editing.

Step 1: Setting up Blender for export

Before we jump into Unreal, we start in Blender with a basic scene

Create the main structural elements of your scene

Set up initial lights to simulate how the scene should look

Once you’re happy with the basic scene, you can export the scene in USD format

Select the objects you want to export (mesh and lights, for example)

Set up the export options: Go to File > Export > Universal Scene Description (.usd)

For export settings:

Selection Only: Only export the selected objects

Enable UV Maps, Normals, and Materials to retain texture details

Keep other settings at default and export the file

Once you've exported your USD file, move on to Unreal Engine

Step 2: Set Up UE5 for USD Import

Open Unreal Engine 5 and go to Edit > Plugins

In the Plugin Browser, search for USD

Enable the USD Importer Plugin and restart Unreal Engine

After Unreal restarts, open a new level or use an existing template (e.g., Third Person Template)

Go to Window and open the USD Stage Editor

Click File > Open and select the USD file you exported from Blender

The USD Stage allows you to view your Blender scene within Unreal without importing it as actual assets yet

At this point, you’ll see your Blender scene in Unreal Engine

It’s like opening the scene in an interactive viewer

This approach allows you to preview the assets while continuing to work in Blender

Step 3: Match lighting and post process settings

To match the lighting between Blender and Unreal, adjust Unreal’s post-processing settings

Add a Post Process Volume in Unreal by going to Add > Visual Effects > Post Process Volume and add it to the scene

In the Details Panel, enable Infinite Extent to make it apply globally

Search for Exposure in the details panel

Change the Metering Mode to Manual

Adjust the Exposure Compensation

A value of 8 typically works well, but you may need to tweak this for your scene

For better color matching, you can adjust Color Management in the Output tab in Blender and set The Look to High Contrast to match the Unreal visual style

Step 4: Dynamic updates

One of the most powerful features of using USD is the ability to make changes in Blender and see them reflected in Unreal without re-importing everything from scratch

Make some changes in Blender and save the file by over-riding the original file

Back in Unreal, go to the USD Stage and click File > Reload Stage

Your scene in Unreal will automatically update with the changes you made in Blender

Step 5: Importing into UE5

Remember, at this point you can see your USD file, but it is not actually imported yet

To import assets into Unreal go to the USD Stage window

Click on Actions > Import

Select a folder in your Content Drawer where you want to store the imported assets

Enable Actors if you want the scene to come over with the same placement (e.g., meshes in the correct positions)

Click Import

Now, your scene is fully integrated into Unreal. At this point, you can start manipulating assets as native Unreal actors.

Conclusion

This pipeline from Blender to Unreal using USD is incredibly powerful for iterative workflows. It allows for quick previews, easy updates, and seamless scene management. By exporting your Blender scene to USD, you can iterate freely, make quick changes, and bring your work into Unreal without worrying about constant re-importing.

Now you have the tools and knowledge to create beautiful environments in Blender and bring them into Unreal Engine 5 with ease, leveraging USD for an optimized, interactive workflow.

Extrude Along Normals

If you need more volume for an object, there are two easy ways to add that volume.

First, you can Extrude Along Normals in Edit Mode.

This can be done in three ways.

With the object selected, open the Mesh menu. Then, choose Extrude > Extrude Faces Along Normals. Moving your mouse will allow you to extrude the faces. You can then refine the extrusion using the Popover menu.

Second, with the object selected, choose the Extrude Along Normals from the submenu of the Extrude tool in the Tool Bar. Then use the Gizmo to extrude the faces of the object. You can then refine the extrusion using the Popover menu.

Third, with the object selected, use ALT + E to open the Extrude menu. Then, choose Extrude Faces Along Normals. Moving your mouse will allow you to extrude the faces. You can then refine the extrusion using the Popover menu.

Solidify

Second, you can use the Solidify Modifier.

This can be done in two ways.

In Object Mode, with the object selected, open the Object menu. Go to Modifiers > Add Modifier > Generate > Solidify. You can then open the Modifier tab and make adjustment.

In Object Mode or Edit Mode, select the object. Open the Modifiers tab, add a modifier and under the Generate submenu, choose Solidify. You can then make any necessary modifications.

Poke Faces

The Poke Faces tool splits selected faces into a triangle fan. This creates a new center vertex with triangles between the original face edges and the new center vertex.

This can be done in two ways.

First, in Edit Mode, with the mesh selected, under the Face menu, choose Poke Faces. You can then make some adjustments using the Popover menu.

Second, in Edit Mode, with the mesh selected, you can right-click and select Poke Faces. You can then make some adjustments using the Popover menu.

Triangulate

The Triangulate tool converts selected faces into triangular faces. This will help to optimize your geometry if you choose to use the Decimate modifier.

This can be done in three ways.

First, in Edit Mode, with the mesh selected, under the Face menu, choose Triangulate Faces. You can then make some adjustments using the Popover menu.

Second, in Edit Mode, with the mesh selected, you can right-click and select Triangulate Faces. You can then make some adjustments using the Popover menu.

Third, in Edit Mode, with the mesh selected, you can use the hot-key CTRL + T to triangulate the faces. You can then make some adjustments using the Popover menu.

Loop Cut Slide

After you add a Loop Cut to your object you can use the Even and Flipped options. This is especially important if you have angled edges on the mesh.

After you add your Loop Cut, you can use the E-key to align the Edge Loop with an adjacent Edge Loop.

Alternatively, you can use the F-key to Flip to an alternative Edge Loop.

Booleans

Go to your preferences and look up bool tool and activate it.

This tool allows you to quickly perform Boolean operations on various objects.

SHIFT + CTRL + B is the hotkey to access the Boolean Tool menu.

The Auto Boolean Difference will mean that I will cut out the overlapping shape and delete the sphere – the last object selected is what will be the object that will have the cut-out applied to it.

If I instead choose the Brush Boolean Difference, I can select the sphere and move it in real time.

The Auto Boolean Union will join the overlapping shapes.

If I instead choose the Brush Boolean Union, I can select the sphere and move it in real time.

The Auto Boolean Intersect will join the overlapping shapes and delete anything outside of the overlapping shapes.

If I instead choose the Brush Boolean Intersect, I can select the sphere and move it in real time.

The Auto Boolean Slice will cut out the overlapping shape and leave behind the original cube and a separate section of the overlapping objects.

If I instead choose the Brush Boolean Slice, I can select the sphere and move it in real time.

Pin Modifier

When you are working with certain types of geometry, you need to be careful about the order of modifiers in your stack.

For example, if I add a Mirror Modifier to this object, notice the divot in the center of the joined area. However, if I move the Mirror Modifier to the top of the stack, the problem is solved.

There is an easier way to solve this issue. You can now Pin modifiers.

If I use the down arrow to access the options for the Subdivision Surface Modifier, I can now choose Pin To Last.

Now when I add my Mirror Modifier, it is automatically placed at the top of the Modifier stack.

Quick Cables

If you need to make some quick cables for your project, there is an easy way to do so in Blender.

In the Preferences window, make sure you have the Extra Curve Objects add-on activated.

Select two of the objects you want to be joined by the cable.

Use SHIFT + A and under the Curves menu, choose Knots > Caternary.

You then have multiple options for the cable in the Popover.

Collection Instances

If you have a large scene with a number of objects in it, you may want to consider using collection instances to cut down on the file size of the scene.

You can select the object or objects in your scene and move them into a collection by using the M-key.

To make a Collection Instance, use SHIFT + A to choose Collection Instance and select your Collection.

Whatever changes you make to the original will now be made to the Collection Instance.

Checker Deselect

If you need to quickly select alternating faces, you can use the Checker Deselect.

This can be done in Edit Mode by selecting your Object and using the Select menu.

Once you have Checker Deselect active, you can use the Popover menu to make changes.

The Deselected option tells Blender how many faces to leave unselected between selected Faces.

The Selected option tells Blender how many Faces to select in a row.

The Offset allows you to choose which rows to apply this tool to.

Edge Sliding

When you need to slide an edge, you can choose the Edge and use the G-key twice along with moving the mouse to slide the Edge.

However, you are restricted to the bounds of the mesh.

To solve this problem, after using the G-key twice, use the C-key. Now you are able to slide the Edge outside its original boundaries.

Color Palette

If you are in need of some color for your objects, you can always use a color palette.

There are many places online to download color palettes. The one I am using is from lospec.com.

Make sure you are in Material Preview Mode (use the Z-Key).

Once you have the color palette downloaded, open the UV Editor in Blender. Then open your color palette.

Open the Shader Editor and make a new Material.

Drag in the color palette and connect it to the Base Color of the Principled BSDF.

In Edit Mode, select your object (or portion of the object) and use the U-key to open the UV Mapping menu.

Use Project from View and then select the UV Islands and move them to the proper color.

A few modeling tips for Blender 3D (Add Objects, Loop Cuts, Duplicate, Extrude, Scale along Normals, Subdivide, Merge by Distance, Recalculate Normals, Delete, Move to a Collection, Object/Edit Mode, Convert to Curve, Set Scale, Mirror Modifier, Bevel Edges, Knife Tool).

Object/Edit Mode

When you start up a new general project you will be in object mode.

Object Mode allows you to move, rotate, and scale objects.

Edit Mode allows you to change your object’s geometry.

Add Objects

When you start Blender, by default, you will see this Cube (which is a primitive mesh).

Adding primitives to the scene can be done in a couple different ways.

The first way is to go to the Add menu and under the Mesh menu, you can add a primitive.

The hotkey to access this same menu is SHIFT + A – make sure your cursor is in the Viewport to access this menu.

Delete

Deleting any object in your scene can be done three ways.

First, you can select your object and under the Object menu, choose Delete.

Second, you can select your object and use the X-key to delete the object.

Third, you can select your object and use the Delete key to delete the object.

Duplicate

Under the Object menu, you have the option to duplicate the object. The hotkey for this operation is SHIFT + D.

If you wish to instead duplicate a linked object – you also have that option under the Object menu. The hotkey is ALT + D.

Move to a Collection

Scene Collections contain all of the scene’s objects.

You can make your own collections in a couple different ways.

First, you can right-click on “Scene Collection” and choose “New Collection”.

Second, in Object Mode, you can select one or more objects and use the M-key to choose which Collection you want to move the objects to.

If you have an object that you want to move from one Collection to another, select the object in the Outliner and drag-and-drop it into another Collection.

Extrude

In Edit Mode, the Extrude Region tool allows you to select a vertex, edge, or face and drag to extrude a region of the mesh – there are also sub-tools available

The hotkey to access the Extrude Region tool is E.

ALT + E will give you the submenu options.

Loop Cuts

In Edit Mode, the loop cut tool adds a loop cut to the mesh which you can immediately slide to a new location by keeping the left-mouse-button held down.

To add more than one loop cut, you go to the header and change the “Number of Cuts” field

The hotkey for accessing the Loop Cut tool is CTRL + R. You can use your scroll wheel to increase or decrease the number of cuts.

Knife Tool

The Knife tool will allow you to divide a face into multiple faces.

There are three ways to access the Knife tool.

First, in Edit Mode, with the object selected, you can go to the Mesh menu and choose Knife Topology Tool. You can then drag the knife between two edges to make the cut – using ENTER to complete the operation.

Second, in Edit Mode, with the object selected, you can choose the Knife tool from the Tool Bar. You can then drag the knife between two edges to make the cut – using ENTER to complete the operation.

Third, in Edit Mode, you can use the K-key to access the Knife tool. You can then drag the knife between two edges to make the cut – using ENTER to complete the operation.

Bevel Edges

Beveling the edges of an object can be done in four ways.

First, select the object and under the Object menu, go to Modifiers > Add Modifier > Generate > Bevel.

You can then open the Modifiers tab and make any needed adjustments.

Second, select the object and under the Modifiers tab, add a modifier and under Generate, choose Bevel. You can then make any needed adjustments.

Third, select the object and in Edit Mode, select the Bevel tool and use the gizmo to add bevel edges. You can change the Shape and Segments in the Popover menu.

Fourth, select the object and in Edit Mode, select the edges you want to bevel and use CTRL +B to add a bevel. You can move the mouse to adjust the amount of bevel and use the scroll wheel to adjust the number of segments.

Subdivide

In Edit Mode, you can subdivide a mesh in one of two ways.

Select the mesh and under the Edge menu, you have access to the Subdivide operation. Once clicked, you will see a pop-over that allows you to determine the number of subdivisions.

The alternative is to select the mesh and right-click to access the Subdivide operation. You will again see a pop-over that allows you to determine the number of subdivisions.

Merge By Distance

If you have a complicated mesh with multiple vertices, you can use Merge by distance to simplify the mesh and maintain the profile.

This can be done in one of two ways in Edit Mode.

You can select the entire mesh and under the Mesh menu, you can choose Merge > By Distance. You will see a pop-over that will allow you to adjust the merge distance.

You can also access this option by using the M-key and then using the pop-over to adjust the merge distance.

Set Scale

To set the Scale of an object you can select the object and open the Object menu. In the Object menu, go to Apply > Scale.

You can also select the object and use CTRL + A to access the Apply menu where you can choose Scale.

Scale Along Normals

If you need to scale a face, edge, or vertex along its normal, there is an easy fix.

You can do this in one of two ways.

In Edit Mode, select your object and use E > Enter and then S and move the mouse with the LMB pressed.

You can also use E > Enter and then ALT S and move the mouse with the LMB pressed.

Mirror Modifier

If you want to use the Mirror Modifier, select your object, right-click and choose Set Origin > Origin to 3D Cursor. Then use CTRL + A to apply all the Transforms.

You can apply the Mirror Modifier in two ways.

First, select the object and under the Object menu, go to Modifiers > Add Modifier > Generate > Mirror.

Second, under the Modifiers tab, go to Generate > Mirror. You can then choose how to mirror the object.

Convert to a Curve

There are two ways to convert a mesh into a curve.

First, with the object selected, you can open the Object menu and choose Convert > Curve.

Second, with the object selected, you can right-click to access the same Object menu and choose Convert To > Curve.

Recalculate Normals

Maintaining the direction of your Normals will allow you to avoid shading errors and invisible faces.

As I tumble around the cube, notice how the sides of the extruded area appear see-through. This indicates that the normals are facing the wrong way.

In Edit Mode, under the Overlays menu, you can turn on Face Orientation.

If you want to use the older way of seeing face orientation, open Preferences and under Themes > 3D Viewport, you can change the Face Orientation Alpha.

To correct your normals, select your mesh or parts of the mesh. You can go to the Mesh menu, and access the Flip, Recalculate Outside, and Recalculate Inside options.

The other option is to use ALT +N to access the same menu.