Blender: Intro to Modeling

by Jonathan Williamson

Something we realized is though there are plenty of amazing video blender tutorials all over our site, there wasn’t a clearly defined starting point. As with anything there has to be a beginning or an initial handshake of “Hey, nice to meet you” to really get started on the right foot.

This is why we have created this dedicated “Getting Started with Blender” page to help break the ice and get introductions out of the way.

In this blender video we will cover the basics of modeling within Blender.

Getting Started in Blender<>

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Discussion

80 Responses to “Blender: Intro to Modeling”
  1. Claus
    Posts: 2

    Unfortunately, I’m not able to view this video. It says:
    “Sorry,
    The creator of this video has not given you permission to embed it on this domain. This is a Vimeo Plus feature”
    Is there any other way I can watch this?

    #
    1
     Sep 2, 2011 at 12:25 pm
    Reply
  2. Claus
    Posts: 2

    Aah, now it’s working fine, seemed to be a temporary error.

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    2
     Sep 2, 2011 at 12:26 pm
    Reply
  3. zach
    Posts: 1

    I have been trying to find out how to model a game character yet i am a noob at blender and cant seem to figure out how they move the cube by making more faces and vertices on a face of the cube

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    3
     Sep 2, 2011 at 1:42 pm
    Reply
  4. kickflare
    Posts: 1

    i can’t view the video… it just shows the opening page and thats it

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    4
     Sep 2, 2011 at 6:26 pm
    Reply
  5. Melissa
    Posts: 1

    How do you deselect half of the image as he does at 8:30?

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    5
     Sep 3, 2011 at 11:22 am
    Reply
    • AJaxxxe
      Posts: 1

      “b” for box select and then either the left mouse button to select or the middle mouse button to deselect and then drag with the mouse

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      5.1
       Sep 6, 2011 at 3:23 am
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      • Darwin
        Posts: 1

        B + middle mouse button + drag over item to deselect items.

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        5.1.1
         Oct 7, 2011 at 4:18 am
    • Davide
      Posts: 1

      I think the correct answer to your question is: “press Z to limit the visibility of objects to the z-buffer.

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      5.2
       Nov 12, 2011 at 12:08 pm
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      • simon Hampshire
        Posts: 2

        Thanks, Z was what I needed

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        5.2.1
         Dec 21, 2011 at 11:04 pm
  6. falariem
    Posts: 26

    I’m loving the new tutorial series. :)

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    6
     Sep 8, 2011 at 10:35 pm
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    • iscrunchywithketchup
      Posts: 1

      I know, right? Better than just the old HTML series they had, though, learning to build the gingerbread man, “Gus”, was his name? was fun!

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      6.1
       Jan 16, 2012 at 3:01 pm
      Reply
  7. Erik the Viking
    Posts: 2

    Was working through the tutorial and got to the point of duplicating/extruding the torus, and Blender crashed on me. Tried over and over but it crashes every time. Are my settings messed up somewhere? Is there a fix for this?

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    7
     Sep 12, 2011 at 8:53 pm
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    • Erik the Viking
      Posts: 2

      Oops, looks like I just needed to update my grafix drivers!

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      7.1
       Sep 13, 2011 at 12:14 am
      Reply
  8. Max
    Posts: 2

    Can u tell me about the undo key?
    At the part when you show the delete options,you not mention about that key,and i cant find it.

    Please tell me:)

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    8
     Sep 13, 2011 at 12:06 pm
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    • jonathanwilliamson
      Posts: 1786

      CTRL + Z or CMD + Z is the undo. CTRL + SHIFT + Z is redo :)

      -Jonathan

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      8.1
       Sep 13, 2011 at 12:07 pm
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      • Max
        Posts: 2

        Thank you very much!!:)

        #
        8.1.1
         Sep 13, 2011 at 12:12 pm
  9. Simon
    Posts: 1

    How did he select only one of the toruses? I tried using the box tool in edit mode but it only selects the faces that are facing me, not the entire shape. And when I use the box tool in object mode, both toruses are selected!

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    9
     Sep 16, 2011 at 1:34 am
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    • jonathanwilliamson
      Posts: 1786

      Hi Simon,

      If you hover your mouse of a single mesh and press L it will select anything that is directly connected, or linked, to that part of the mesh.

      -Jonathan

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      9.1
       Sep 16, 2011 at 9:22 am
      Reply
  10. ilija
    Posts: 3

    when you decrease the alpha in transparency shouldn’t the object you make be like glass or something? i tested it by putting a cube in a torso didn’t exactly work even when i render the image, so how exactly is this material think working?

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    10
     Sep 17, 2011 at 12:54 pm
    Reply
  11. Adam Jones
    Posts: 1

    Hey John

    I’m just getting started with blender but i am really bad with modeling but all the other tutorials seem to be too advanced.
    Have you got any ideas? :D

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    11
     Sep 19, 2011 at 11:56 am
    Reply
  12. jess
    Posts: 2

    i have a laptop without a mouse how to rotate the image?……and when im in sculpt mode nothing i do works when i move the mouse nothing changes i know to draw i have to push “d” do i have to push the letter of everything i do?

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    12
     Sep 21, 2011 at 12:29 pm
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  13. Dylan
    Posts: 1

    Hello i need help with the top view mode eveytime i click 7 or the other numbers it does nothing at all. please help!

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    13
     Sep 24, 2011 at 2:09 pm
    Reply
    • jonathanwilliamson
      Posts: 1786

      Hi Dylan,

      You made need to press your “Numluck” key to enable the numpad input. Or if you are using the 1-0 keys at the top of your keyboard then you need to go to User Preferences > Input and enable “Emulate Numpad”

      -Jonathan

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      13.1
       Sep 26, 2011 at 9:08 am
      Reply
  14. Flamarion
    Posts: 1

    Hi, very nice work. I have a problem with the extrude tool. Blender only extrudes a face in a direction perpendicular to it. I see you moving the mouse freely, and in my case the movement is locked to the axis perpendicular to the plane, or edge. Do I have any option that is locking this feature?

    Thanks a lot.

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    14
     Sep 29, 2011 at 1:25 pm
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    • drawnout
      Posts: 2

      In the version of blender I am using (2.59) pressing “e” followed by “c” allows you to extrude freely. By pressing the “c”, your are turning off the axis constraint feature. Hope this helps, though may be a little too late.

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      14.1
       Nov 14, 2011 at 7:30 pm
      Reply
  15. Sayantan Datta
    Posts: 1

    hi,
    all the objects shown here when converted to mesh mode, has a transparency in them, and all points which aren’t directly visible to the camera are also select-able, how do i set this feature on?? Mine shows solid mesh.

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    15
     Sep 30, 2011 at 8:53 pm
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  16. Ghosthunter1337
    Posts: 1

    i cant leave the object mode

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    16
     Oct 19, 2011 at 4:55 am
    Reply
  17. Amanda W.
    Posts: 2

    Hello, whenever I attempt to access the user preferences, the program shuts down. I’m also don’t have a keypad available on my laptop. Any suggestions?

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    17
     Oct 30, 2011 at 10:49 pm
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    • Amanda W.
      Posts: 2

      Uh, definitely typos in the comment. >.<

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      17.1
       Oct 30, 2011 at 10:50 pm
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    • fred c
      Posts: 1

      I’m having the same problem with user preferences. whenever i click on it the program closes! I’m using a laptop and trying to avoid going out and buying a mouse. Sooo used to the pad now…

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      17.2
       Nov 13, 2011 at 6:52 pm
      Reply
  18. Jeremy P.
    Posts: 1

    Hmmm… It seems I have a problem… This didn’t explain how to add new Vertices, so I can’t do what I want to, which is making a character mesh. Would you mind telling me how?

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    18
     Nov 1, 2011 at 6:47 pm
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  19. Bluntmasterflash
    Posts: 1

    Thanks for taking the time to upload this. It is greatly appreciated.

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    19
     Nov 3, 2011 at 8:18 pm
    Reply
  20. martis973
    Posts: 25

    I’m new to Blender and i can’t seem to find any tutorials on making a simple figure for animations but he has a complex rig. Thanks

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    20
     Nov 12, 2011 at 9:10 am
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  21. petertheta
    Posts: 1

    I appreciate this tutorial; Thanks! One question: what did you do to keep your newly-duplicated object “locked to an individual axis” as shown at 4:40?

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    21
     Nov 15, 2011 at 6:01 am
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    • jonathanwilliamson
      Posts: 1786

      After duplicating (or any other transformation) you can press X, Y or Z to lock it to that axis.

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      21.1
       Nov 15, 2011 at 8:04 am
      Reply
  22. Obviousuy
    Posts: 1

    Hey guys selct the cube then you can exit object mode YOU MUST SELCT THE CUBE BEFORE YOU CAN EXCAPE OBJECT MODE hope it helps :D !

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    22
     Nov 22, 2011 at 4:55 pm
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  23. tytom2003
    Posts: 2

    i watch the movie. i have a problem about the movie. How to between two cube at “4:41″

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    23
     Dec 7, 2011 at 9:11 am
    Reply
    • jonathanwilliamson
      Posts: 1786

      You can lock the movement of any object while in Grab Mode by pressing X, Y or Z to lock it to that axis.

      I hope that helps!

      -Jonathan

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      23.1
       Dec 7, 2011 at 9:15 am
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  24. tytom2003
    Posts: 2

    how to make torus transparent in “8:39″?

    thank you very much for your help.

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    24
     Dec 8, 2011 at 9:01 am
    Reply
  25. Kazemekah
    Posts: 2

    How you do that extension at 06:46 ? Is it I or Y?

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    25
     Dec 12, 2011 at 10:58 am
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    • Kazemekah
      Posts: 2

      I hitted Y and goten cube streched out, so i “Accedently” made a some kind of thingy and i had to restart everything…

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      25.1
       Dec 12, 2011 at 11:06 am
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  26. petrino00
    Posts: 14

    ive always had trouble (probably because english is not my first language) following training videos. ever since learning photoshop 10 years ago, id rather have good text with lots of screenshots than any lenght of video.

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    26
     Dec 13, 2011 at 8:38 am
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  27. dukky
    Posts: 2

    When entering edit mode I am unable to select the faces of the object by right clicking like you do in the video, I can only select the corners of the cube.

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    27
     Dec 13, 2011 at 5:00 pm
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    • jonathanwilliamson
      Posts: 1786

      If you press CTRL + TAB while in Edit Mode you can switch between Vertex, Edge and Face select modes.

      -Jonathan

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      27.1
       Dec 13, 2011 at 6:03 pm
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      • dukky
        Posts: 2

        Thanks alot.

        #
        27.1.1
         Dec 13, 2011 at 6:20 pm
  28. tom
    Posts: 1

    hi, why i can only select vertex in the edit mode, but no face and edge?

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    28
     Dec 22, 2011 at 6:56 am
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    • jonathanwilliamson
      Posts: 1786

      Hi Tom,

      You can switch to Edge and Face select modes by pressing CTRL + Tab.

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      28.1
       Dec 22, 2011 at 4:48 pm
      Reply
  29. joyfull14u
    Posts: 1

    @ 8:37 or this video, you stat about DE-seleting half of the torus. i have no idea how you are doing that and i haven’t been able to get the same image as you have or the video. What am i missing
    tyvm
    joy

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    29
     Dec 22, 2011 at 4:32 pm
    Reply
    • jonathanwilliamson
      Posts: 1786

      Hi Joy,

      You can use the Box Selection tool for deselecting by pressing B and then using your Middle Mouse Button to click and drag. Using B with your Left Mouse Button will select.

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      29.1
       Dec 22, 2011 at 4:48 pm
      Reply
  30. Kitutal
    Posts: 1

    Where do I go now, though, this tutorial was actually even more basic than the last one that I found, which gave a pretty good set of instructions to creating a ‘gingerbread man’ figure, which was basically just a 2D image stretched out into 3D but still mostly flat. I managed that quite easily, but everywhere else I look, there are pages of information with some on more advanced options buried in there, but yet no actual practical tasks, or more tutorials like the one linked to above that jump quickly through some rather complex tools and shortcuts that I have yet to get used to, does anyone know of a project that is somewhere between this and that one in complexity? My interests as well are more in rounded organic shapes, snimals, people and so on, rather than boxes.
    Thanks for any help,
    ~Oliver

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    30
     Dec 31, 2011 at 10:26 am
    Reply
  31. mrdemenza
    Posts: 6

    First I got Blender, then I did find this threw Blender.org. Have been watching videos for almost a day straight. Time to “pay” back. Best regards, a happy Citizen member from Denmark. :)

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    31
     Jan 10, 2012 at 10:08 pm
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  32. Craig
    Posts: 1

    I’m having an issue. i just installed blender by when i click around the 3D area I can’t select anything, it just seems to move around a red and white circle. Am I in some sort of other mode or have i got something turned on that I shouldent?

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    32
     Jan 17, 2012 at 10:49 am
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    • jonathanwilliamson
      Posts: 1786

      Hi Craig,

      In Blender the Left Mouse Button moves the 3D cursor (the red and white circle) while the Right Mouse Button selects. If you wish to change this you can go to your User Preferences > Input and set the Selection mouse to the Left Mouse Button.

      -Jonathan

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      32.1
       Jan 17, 2012 at 11:07 am
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  33. James T.
    Posts: 1

    So here is my issue. I am trying on circular shapes, sort of a coin like model: I extrude the edges of the circle, shrink or enlarge as I please, but when I try to adjust the height of the newly extruded vertices, it moves the entire object globaly, instead of only the selected vertices.

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    33
     Feb 1, 2012 at 1:35 pm
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  34. sparkcloud
    Posts: 1

    Hey there, love the tutorial series you guys have.

    anyway, I’m having an issue with extruding from my meshes that’s just driving me nuts!

    In your video, you were able to move the extruded meshes freeform like and I was able to do the same on my end. However, after playing with it for a while I noticed that now when I use e to extrude, it’s locked on the z axis everytime!

    I’ve read the comment above about pressing ‘c’ afterward to remove the constraint but I have to do it everytime I extrude and it’s getting really annoying.

    Is there a short cut key that I may have pressed that has enabled axis locking when extruding? it’s also done the same thing when I try extruding from vertices I’ve selected but will constrain it to everything BUT the z-axis.

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    34
     Feb 11, 2012 at 3:02 am
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  35. Kevin
    Posts: 1

    Some of this stuff doesn’t seem to be working right for me. When you hit tab, there are points all around the torus, and when I press tab, it creates points in this weird rectangle thing, and it won’t do it on both torus’ when i draw the box around it. Also, my torus’ seem to start out thicker than yours.

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    35
     Feb 11, 2012 at 11:27 am
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  36. Mary
    Posts: 2

    trying to get to edit mode the object mode is my only option on the menu. help the keyboard option doesn’t work on IMAC

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    36
     Feb 23, 2012 at 8:23 am
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    • jonathanwilliamson
      Posts: 1786

      Hi Mary, this likely means that your object is not selected. Switching to Edit Mode works only on the current primary selection.

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      36.1
       Feb 23, 2012 at 8:31 am
      Reply
  37. Dylan
    Posts: 2

    I made a bunch of models in diffrent ptojects but i want them all to be in one project. Is there a way i can combine all the models?

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    37
     Feb 25, 2012 at 2:33 pm
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    • Dylan
      Posts: 2

      I made a bunch of models in diffrent ptojects, projects not ptojects

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      37.1
       Feb 25, 2012 at 2:34 pm
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  38. hughsbayou
    Posts: 1

    I have an iMac with a three button mouse. I set the mouse middle button to just be button 3 in System prefs. It turns out that to zoom one must hold the Control button down and DRAG the mouse, do not turn the wheel. If one just holds the middle button on the mouse that rotates the scene.

    Also, to rotate, scale etc. the RMB is the one to use, not the LMB.

    It’s a challenge as these are not the instructions given. It pays to experiment with the control, shift and command keys and see what happens.

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    38
     Feb 28, 2012 at 9:02 pm
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  39. Riga
    Posts: 1

    How come my blender doesn’t look like the ones in the videos even though I just downloaded the newest version?

    #
    39
     Mar 1, 2012 at 3:44 pm
    Reply
    • jonathanwilliamson
      Posts: 1786

      What does your version look like? The latest version is Blender 2.62.

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      39.1
       Mar 1, 2012 at 4:26 pm
      Reply
  40. Alice
    Posts: 1

    This may sound incredibly stupid, I am very new to Blender, but whoever i try to switch tools (i.e. from transform to rotate/ transform to scale) it will not work. It will work for a few seconds after I click it, but I have very limited range of movement. It automatically switches back to the transform tool, which really doesn’t help me.

    I am working on a laptop, with a mouse with only two buttons. I don’t know if that helps, but I really would like to know what I am doing wrong.

    Thank you!

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    40
     Mar 2, 2012 at 3:20 am
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  41. S
    Posts: 2

    I only have object mode…. :( This is no fun…

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    41
     Apr 11, 2012 at 2:18 pm
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  42. S
    Posts: 2

    Oh, never mind, I got it. :p

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    42
     Apr 11, 2012 at 2:20 pm
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  43. zeeke
    Posts: 2

    this is what i needed a starting point! learning alot bout this stuff thank u for giving me a starting point!!

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    43
     Apr 11, 2012 at 3:11 pm
    Reply
  44. dreamercatcher
    Posts: 2

    Why isn’t the edit mode working tried both ways and nothing

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    44
     Apr 22, 2012 at 9:27 am
    Reply
    • jonathanwilliamson
      Posts: 1786

      Hi there,

      What kind of Object are you using Edit Mode on? It only works with specific kinds of objects, such as meshes, curves, metas, etc.

      #
      44.1
       Apr 22, 2012 at 9:29 am
      Reply
      • dreamercatcher
        Posts: 2

        Hello,
        I was following along with you in your video.

        #
        44.1.1
         Apr 24, 2012 at 4:40 pm
    • werwulf
      Posts: 2

      i think you did have selected nothing

      #
      44.2
       May 17, 2012 at 10:07 am
      Reply
  45. Sander
    Posts: 3

    Sometimes i find gaps in my object like missing planes.
    Is there a way to fill these planes, like selecting two lines and then make a plane between those two lines?

    #
    45
     Apr 23, 2012 at 7:42 am
    Reply
  46. Guest
    Posts: 1

    Is there a list somewhere of optimal specifications one should have for using Blender? I’m thinking mine is comparatively mediocre — perhaps someone can verify?

    HP dm1z-2100 | 5GB RAM | 500GB HD | Win7 Pro x64 SP1
    GFX card: AMD M880G with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4225
    Processor: AMD Turion II Neo K625 Dual-Core 1500MHz

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    46
     May 7, 2012 at 2:00 pm
    Reply
  47. gigidi
    Posts: 1

    when I’m on the front view and mark everything he marked only the front. not the whole object, why? how do I change this

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    47
     May 11, 2012 at 10:37 am
    Reply
  48. Some Guy
    Posts: 1

    Can you include a text version of your tutorials as well? I sometimes can’t understand what you said because you tend to speak and go too fast.

    #
    48
     May 27, 2012 at 2:47 pm
    Reply

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