Blender Common Tools
This doc goes over the most common tools in Blender to create your 3D model using Extrude, Inset, Bevel, Loop Cut and Knife.
Last updated
This doc goes over the most common tools in Blender to create your 3D model using Extrude, Inset, Bevel, Loop Cut and Knife.
Last updated
The 5 most common tools you can use to modify your model are Extrude, Inset, Bevel , Loop Cut, and Knife. The order will be used in order to make the Crate easily.
The Inset tool is a way to create a polygon within a polygon. It will inset the shape of whatever polygons you have selected. This does not work with Vertices or Edges.
Select the Cube and go into Edit Mode [Tab}.
Go into 'Polygon Select' mode [3] and select any polygon.
Select the Inset tool [I] and select + drag the Yellow Circle on the polygon to Inset the polygon.
Release the mouse to finalize.
Use the Tool Popup at the bottom left to adjust the parameters if needed.
If you had selected more than one polygon, the Popup has an 'Individual' toggle which would apply the inset to each polygon individually.
Use the 'Repeat Last Action' hotkey [Shift + R] to apply the same inset to each polygon manually.
The Extrude tool will extend the selection along the defined axis for Vertices, Edges, or Polygons.
Select the polygons [3] that you just created using the Inset Tool [I].
Select the Extrude Tool [E] and select + drag the gizmo that appears. All the polygons will extrude in the same direction, this is the default Extrude approach that the [I] hotkey uses.
Undo this action with [Ctrl + Z].
The Extrude hotkey is useful for many situations, but in this case we need something a little more specific.
Click and hold on the Extrude button Icon in the Viewport tools to display alternative Extrude options. Select the 'Extrude along Normals' option.
Select + drag the gizmo that appears on the selected polygons. All the polygons will extrude according to the polygon normal. The Normal is the direction that is perpendicular to a polygon.
Use the Tool Popup at the bottom left to adjust the parameters if needed.
The Bevel tool will split an edge with one or more polygons.
Select the edges [2] that you would like to add a bevel to such as all the exterior slat edges.
Select the Bevel tool [Ctrl + B] and select + drag the gizmo that appears. All the edges will split into another polygon.
If you want to add more edges into the bevel you can with the Tool Popup at the bottom left of the screen. This is not recommended for a low poly asset like this however.
Polygon count, or Polycount, will play a key part in how well you experience can run such as frame rate. This is especially important on low end devices like Mobile, Standalone VR/XR, or WebGL experiences.
It is less important if you are just starting out as you need to learn the techniques to get started, but know that it will become more important the larger your experience becomes.
The Loop Cut tool will create a loop, or a group of edges along polygons. This is one of the key reasons why polygons, rather than Triangles or NGons, are used so that Edge Loops are easy to create.
Loops will be added to create a more cartoon-style crate.
The Loop Cut button is there, but as it is more limited in functionality there is little reason to use it.
Use [Ctrl + R] and rollover an edge to see the yellow line.
Use the Scroll Wheel to add 2 loops instead of 1 and left click to Apply.
Move the mouse to adjust the loop position and Left Click again to place the repositioned loops, or Right Click to centre the loops.
Adjust the settings manually in the Tool Popup if needed.
Repeat for all sides of the box.
Select a complete loop using [Alt + Click]. Use [Shift + Alt + Click] to select multiple loops.
Scale the newly created loops inwards to give a more cartoon style appearance to the Crate.
The Knife tool allows custom edges anywhere on the surface of the model. The tool has a pulldown option (similar to the Extrude tool) called the Bisect tool that allows you to cut along polygons in a single line.
Select the Knife Tool [K].
Click anywhere on the surface of the Crate to add edges such as a chip or damaged area on the crate. Continue clicking on the surface as needed.
Press [Space] to finalize the cut.
Go to 'Polygon Select Mode' [3] and select the polygons within the damaged edges.
Press [Delete] then select the 'Faces' option to delete the polygons.
Go to Edge Mode [2], and select two edges and press [F] to connect the two edges with a new polygon. Continue to close the hole by selecting multiple edges and using the [F] key.
Hold the Knife Tool down to select the 'Bisect' Tool.
Go to the 'Polygon Select' Mode [3] and select all the polygons you would like to cut through such as the polygons on a corner of the crate.
Drag left click across the selected polygons to make the cut. Note that it will only cut selected polygons.
Select all the polygons on the corner and [Delete] the faces.
[Alt + click] or [Shift + Alt + Click] the edges of the new hole in the model.
Press [F] to join edges with a polygon.
Close a complete loop with [F] (rather than edge to edge).
Tweak the nGon with the Knife Tool [I] if need be. Bonus points if you make them all 4 sided polygons (not Ngons). Triangles are better than nGons.
In this tutorial you looked at using the 5 most common tools in Blender : Extrude, Inset, Bevel, Loop Cut, and Knife / Bisect.
[Shift + R] - Repeat Last Action.
[F] - Join Edges / Close loop.
[Alt + Left Click] - Select Loop.
[Shift + Alt + Left Click] - Multi Loop Select.
[E] - Extrude Tool.
[I] - Inset Tool.
[Ctrl + B] - Bevel Tool.
[Ctrl + R] - Loop Cut.
[K] - Knife.
With that you have created a basic Crate! A grey crate isn't exactly all that, so lets look at adding some color to it with a basic Material.
