Blender is a free open-source, 3D creation software. With the help of this software, 3D visualization like images, models, and animation can be created apart from this VFX and video editing can be also done in this software. For an individual artist or small software studio, this is very useful software. In the Blender software, several tasks related to graphic designing can be performed. In the beginning, this software might look difficult to handle due to too many features but while working on it and after practice, it will be easy. Blender is a cross-platform application it can work on all types of operating systems like Windows, Linux, and, MAC. In comparison to the other 3D graphic software, it has limited system requirements.
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Features of Blender
Blender is an integrated 3D content creation software. It provides several tools that are utilized in 3D modeling, rendering, video editing, animation & ringing, VFX and video editing, and several types of simulations.
Blender is a cross-platform application. It has an open graphical user interface that makes its usage easy.
It has high creation 3D architecture that makes it more effective and increases its speed.
Blender provides the facility of community. In these communities, users around the world share their problems and solutions to those problems.
Blender consumes very less space on the PC and it is portable.
Users of Blender
There is a vast community of people that uses the Blender software. 3D artist, animators, VFX artists, Game developers, Video editors, and users in the field of editing uses this software. Several wonderful tools can be used in numerous ways. Blender is used in modeling, texturing, animation, and, sculpting mostly. The artist that works in 3D modeling will mostly use sculpting and modeling tools only. But those who wish to learn advanced techniques can learn advanced tools such as 2D/3D hybrid grease pencils, physics simulations, scripting, visual effects, etc.
System requirements
A blender is a cross-platform software that can be used on several operating systems like Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.
Minimum System Requirement
Required System Requirement
64 Bit dual-core 2Ghz CPU with SSE2 support
64 Bit quad-core CPU
4 GB RAM
16 GB RAM
1280 × 768 display
Full HD display
Mouse, Trackpad, or pen + tablet
Three-button mouse or pen + tablet
Graphic card with 1 GB RAM, OpenGL 3.3
Graphic card with 4 GB VRAM
Blender is a free and open-source 3D computer graphics software that can be used by animators, modellers, VFX artists, and game developers. You can also use keyboard shortcut keys to improve your productivity. Below are the most helpful keyboard shortcut keys to learn and apply to your workflow. You can download these shortcut keys in Excel and PDF format by clicking the download button.
Blender Shortcut Keys
1.Blender shortcut keys – 3D viewport :-
Edit mode toggle
Tab
Mode switching pie menu (toggles pose mode for armatures)
3.Blender for beginners – Global Keys and shortcuts :-
Open File
Ctrl+O
Save File
Ctrl+S
New File
Ctrl+N
Undo
Ctrl+Z
Redo
Ctrl+Shift+Z
Quit
Ctrl+Q
Help (context Sensitive)
F1
Rename Active Item
F2
Operator Search
F3
File Context Menu
F4
F8
F5
Adjust the Last operation
F9
Show render window
F11
Render the current frame
F12
Quick Access (Favourites)
Q
Toggle Maximie Area
Ctrl+Spacebar
Toggle Fullscreen Area
Ctrl+Alt+Spacebar
Next/Previous Workspace
Ctrl+PageUp/Ctrl+PageDown
User configurable
Spacebar
Playback Animations (reverse)
Shift+Ctrl+Spacebar
4.Blender shortcut keys for Confirm or Cancel :-
Cancels
ESC or RMB (Right Mouse Button)
Confirms
Enter or LMB (Left Mouse Button)
5.Blender for beginners – Text Editing shortcuts:-
Go to the beginning of the text
Home
Go to the ending of the text
End
Move the cursor left or right one character at a time.
Left, Right
Move the cursor left or right through an entire word
Ctrl+Left, Ctrl+Right
Delete the characters
Backspace, Delete
Deletes whole words
Ctrl+Backspace, Ctrl+Delete
Makes a selection while moving the cursor and holding the key.
Shift
Selects the entire text
Ctrl+A
Copies the selected text
Ctrl+C
Cuts the selected text
Ctrl+X
Pastes the text at the position of the cursor
Ctrl+V
6.Blender shortcuts for Dragging :-
while dragging to snap discrete and accurate steps
Ctrl
Gives precision control to the values
Shift
Precise snap, this command will move the object with high precision along with the snapping constraint.
Shift+Ctrl
7.Blender for beginners – Python Scripting:-
Over any Operator Button, the shortcut copies the Python command into the clipboard (The program shortcut can be used in the Python console or the Text Editor while writing scripts)
Ctrl+C
Over any property button, the hotkey is used to copy the data path for the property. The feature is also available from the context menu.
Shift+Ctrl+C
Over the property buttons, the command copies the full data path for the data,block and property. Note: it is best to access values based on the context rather than by name, in most cases.
Shift+Ctrl+Alt+C
8.Blender shortcuts for Properties:-
Copy the (single) value of the button
Ctrl+C
Paste the (single) value of the button
Ctrl+V
Copy the entire vector or the colour field
Ctrl+Alt+C
Paste vector as the whole or the whole colour field
Ctrl+Alt+V
Open the context menu
RMB (Right Mouse Button)
Clear the value (clears a text field or sets the value to 0)
Backspace
Negate the number values (multiply by
Minus
Change the value in incremental steps, this option cycles the values for popup option
Ctrl+Wheel (Mouse Scrolling Wheel)
Activates the menus or toggles the values
Return/Enter
When held while editing values, it applies the changes to all the selected items, including objects, bones and sequence strips.It can be used for number fields and toggles.
Alt
9.Blender shortcut keys for Animation:-
insert a keyframe
I
Clear the keyframe
Alt+I
Clear all keyframes (removing all F
Shift+Alt+I
Assign a driver
Ctrl+D
Clear the driver
Ctrl+Alt+D
Add a Keying Set
K
Clear the Keying Set
Alt+K
Blender for beginners – Industry Compatible
Keymapping
1.Blender shortcut keys – Animation :-
Play/Pause
Spacebar
Set Location + Rotation + Scale Keyframe
S
Insert Keyframe Menu
Shift+S
Set Location Key
Shift+W
Set Rotation Key
Shift+E
Set Scale Key
Shift+R
2.Blender shortcuts – Edit Mode Tools :-
Extrude
Ctrl+E
Bevel
Ctrl+B
Inset
I
Knife
K
Loop Cut
Alt+C
3.Blender commands – Tools :–
Transform Tools
W, E, R
Box Select
Q
Annotate
D
Cursor Tool
C
4.Blender shortcuts – Selection :-
Select
LMB (Left Mouse Button)
Select All
Ctrl+A
Deselect All
Shift+Ctrl+A
Select Inverse
Ctrl+I
Select more
Up
Select less
Down
Select Loop
Double LMB (Left Mouse Button)
Select Ring
Alt+Double LMB (Left Mouse Button)
Select linked
]
5.Blender commands – General :-
Mode/Element Switching
1 to 9
Context Menu
RMB (Right Mouse Button)
Operator search
Tab
Quick Access (Favourites)
Shift+Tab
Duplicate
Ctrl+D
Set Parent
P
Rename
Return
Render
Ctrl+Return
Proportional Editing/Soft Selection
B
toggle toolbar
Ctrl+[
toggle sidebar
Ctrl+]
6.Blender shortcut keys – Viewport :-
Orbit View
Alt+LMB (Left Mouse Button)
Pan View
Alt+MMB (Middle Mouse Button)
Zoom View
Alt+RMB (Right Mouse Button)
Front/Side/Top camera viewpoints
F1 to F4
Frame Selected
F
Frame All
A
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