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Blender Hot keys and Using Blender

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This will show you how to use Blender and also the hot keys.Hot keys are very important (and simple) in Blender.  They make navigation, distortion, editing, toggling, and other things much easier than if you were to search for each individual function on the software.  I'm going to go over most of the hot keys and their functions.  (This is for Blender 2.57, hot keys and functions listed below may not work/coordinate correctly with older or newer versions of Blender)
*I suggest you try out these functions for yourself, as I'm not going to post pictures
*Animation hot keys will be highlighted


Mouse:  In Blender, you use the RIGHT mouse button (RMB) in order to move and select objects, vertices, faces, edges, etc. and use the LEFT mouse button (LMB) to to manipulate what is select (such as scaling and rotating, how ever not so much in grabbing)  Using the LMB in Blender is a common misconception as we use the LMB for most everything else in daily computer life, however you will mainly use the RMB.  If this is uncomfortable, go to the bottom the post and I put how to switch the functions of the RMB and LMB.

Arrow Keys:  Used to advance frames in animation *left and right go 1 frame at a time and up and down go 10 frames at a time

Tab:  Toggles between object mode (default mode when opening a .blender file) and edit mode
If you do not know where to see what mode you're in, I posted a picture here, *it is found on the top and bottom of the Blender screen either above the animation timeline or below the menu bar
Spacebar:  Pulls up a search menu

A:  Selects or deselects an entire object 

CTRL+A:  If an object has been resized and/or rotated, this can reset the object's data to 1 and 0

ALT+A: Plays animation

Shift+A:  Brings up the tools menu where you can add meshes, cameras, lights, etc.

B:  Gives you a window drag to select multiple objects and works the same way to select multiple vertices

C:  Gives you a circle select in edit mode  ( You can size it by scrolling the mouse wheel)

ALT+C:  Used to convert meshes, text, and curves.  (Ex: Text can be converted to a mesh for other transform options)

F:  Makes a face in edit mode

ALT+F:  Will face or fill a closed set of selected verticies (a face)

CTRL+F:  Brings up Face Specials menu with other face options
SHIFT+F:  Enables camera flying and causes the camera to fly through the scenes
I:  Used to insert animation keys for various things
CTRL+J:  Joins selected objects together

K+LMB:  In edit mode, it will allow you to slice faces
R:  Rotates an object (or in edit mode you can rotate vertices, edges, and faces)

CTRL+R:  Allows you to make a loop cut along a face

G:  Grabs or moves an object (or in edit mode you can grab/move vertices, edges, and faces)

S:  Scales an object (or in edit mode you can scale vertices, edges, and faces)

Shift+S:  In both edit and object mode, this gives you options to locate objects to assist in placement

CTRL+S:  Saves Blender file
E:  Extrudes selected vertices when in EDIT mode

M:  Moves selected objects to other layers
 
CTRL+M:  Mirrors an object

N:  Brings up the numeric info on a selected object (location, rotation, and size)

O:  (Not zero)  will put you in proportional vertex editing.

P:  While in edit mode, this will separate selected vertices, in object mode, pressing P will cause you to enter real-time mode *hit esc to escape real-time mode

ALT/CTRL+P:  Creates or breaks a child/parent relationship.  Hit CTRL+P to clear a relationship

U:  In object mode, brings up the single-user

W:  Brings up a "Specials" menu while in edit mode

X:  Deletes an object, set of vertices or edges

Z:  Toggles between wireframe and sold view

CTRL+Z:  Undoes an edit to the object (Does NOT undo any perspective changes) 

CTRL+Shift+Z:  Redoes an undo

ALT+Z:  Toggles between a texture and shaded view

CTRL+0:  If using multiple cameras, this will switch to the selected camera


CTRL+Tab:  Puts you in pose mode for manipulating armatures  
Shift+Spacebar:  Toggles between multiple screens to full screen of active view point


MIDDLE MOUSE BUTTON

The middle mouse button has different types of viewing options.  Using a bare scroll, you will simply zoom in and out, If you hold down Shift+MMB, you can view north to south, and if you use CTRL+MMB, you can move left to right.  Also, if you click and hold the mouse scroll, you can move your view *try it out, click with the mouse scroll and hold it down and move your mouse around.

SHIFT KEY

As you've probably noticed, the shift key plays a role in many of the functions.  Another thing you can do involving the shift key is when in edit mode, Shift+RMB on multiple vertices to select an entire edge or face.

NUMBER PAD

Okay, so I lied, there will be a picture or two.  You can use the number pad to set perspectives.  7 numpad key will set the perspective to top view.  3 numpad key will set it to right view and 1 numpad key will set it to front view.  Numpad keys like 1,2,4,6, and 8 will allow you to adjust your perspective in degrees.  But this is ONLY WITH THE NUMBER PAD, number keys at the top of your keyboard are used for changing layers.  
Now, if you're like myself and use a laptop without a number pad, do not fret, it is very simple to set it so that you're upper keyboard keys act as your number pad keys.

  1. Hit space bar to pull up the search menu, and search "user preferences
  2. Go to the "Input" tab and check the "Emulate Numpad" section 

It's that simple.  Also, under this screen, you may notice
where it has two buttons; Left and Right, in which case, the Right button is highlighted in blue.  This means that moving an object around and selecting vertices, faces, edges, etc is done with the RMB.  If this is uncomfortable, simply click on the Left Button to switch the RMB and LMB functions.

 


   
For more information visit the official blender website
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