Blender Forge

What Blender Is — Blender is a free 3D creation suite. It can model, sculpt, animate, shade, light, render, simulate, and edit video. In RPG terms: Blender is the whole workshop, not just the hammer.

Viewport Navigation — The 3D Viewport is where you look around and work. Middle Mouse orbits, Shift + Middle Mouse pans, and Mouse Wheel zooms. Numpad 1, 3, and 7 jump to front, right, and top views.

Select, Move, Rotate, Scale — The core transform keys are G, R, and S. G moves, R rotates, and S scales. Press X, Y, or Z after a transform to lock the action to an axis.

Object Mode vs Edit Mode — Object Mode works on whole objects. Edit Mode works inside a mesh on vertices, edges, and faces. Tab toggles between Object Mode and Edit Mode.

Adding Objects — Shift + A opens the Add menu in the 3D Viewport. Start with simple primitives: cube, sphere, cylinder, plane. Big scenes are usually built from small clean shapes.

Saving Files — Ctrl + S saves the current file. Save early before experimental edits. A clean file name is part of a clean project.

Basic Camera and Light — The camera decides what the final render sees. Lights decide what the camera can see clearly. Numpad 0 looks through the active camera.

Rendering a Simple Scene — A simple render needs geometry, camera, light, and render settings. F12 renders one image. Ctrl + F12 renders an animation frame range.

Mesh Editing — Mesh editing means changing vertices, edges, and faces. Use 1, 2, and 3 for vertex, edge, and face select in Edit Mode. Good topology keeps later shading, UVs, and animation easier.

Extrude — E extrudes selected mesh parts. Extrude creates new connected geometry. It is one of the most important modeling actions in Blender.

Loop Cuts — Ctrl + R adds loop cuts. Loop cuts add supporting topology around a model. Clean loops help with bevels, deformation, and subdivision.

Bevels — Ctrl + B bevels selected edges or vertices. Bevels catch light and make objects feel less computer-sharp. Small bevels often make hard-surface models look more real.

Modifiers — Modifiers are non-destructive effects on objects. Common modifiers include Mirror, Bevel, Solidify, Array, and Subdivision Surface. Apply a modifier only when you are ready to make it real geometry.

Materials — Materials control the surface look. Start with base color, roughness, and metallic values. The Shader Editor exposes the node network behind a material.

UV Basics — UVs map 3D surfaces onto 2D texture space. U opens unwrap options in mesh Edit Mode. Good UVs reduce stretching and make textures easier to paint.

Animation Basics — A keyframe saves a value on a frame. I inserts keyframes in many animation contexts. The Timeline, Dope Sheet, and Graph Editor each show animation from a different angle.

Mesh Editing — Mesh editing means changing vertices, edges, and faces. Use 1, 2, and 3 for vertex, edge, and face select in Edit Mode. Good topology keeps later shading, UVs, and animation easier.

Extrude — E extrudes selected mesh parts. Extrude creates new connected geometry. It is one of the most important modeling actions in Blender.

Loop Cuts — Ctrl + R adds loop cuts. Loop cuts add supporting topology around a model. Clean loops help with bevels, deformation, and subdivision.

Bevels — Ctrl + B bevels selected edges or vertices. Bevels catch light and make objects feel less computer-sharp. Small bevels often make hard-surface models look more real.

Modifiers — Modifiers are non-destructive effects on objects. Common modifiers include Mirror, Bevel, Solidify, Array, and Subdivision Surface. Apply a modifier only when you are ready to make it real geometry.

Materials — Materials control the surface look. Start with base color, roughness, and metallic values. The Shader Editor exposes the node network behind a material.

UV Basics — UVs map 3D surfaces onto 2D texture space. U opens unwrap options in mesh Edit Mode. Good UVs reduce stretching and make textures easier to paint.

Animation Basics — A keyframe saves a value on a frame. I inserts keyframes in many animation contexts. The Timeline, Dope Sheet, and Graph Editor each show animation from a different angle.

Node Editor Basics — Node editors build logic by connecting blocks. Shader nodes build materials; geometry nodes build procedural geometry. Shift + A adds nodes in node editors.

Sculpting Basics — Sculpt Mode shapes forms like digital clay. F changes brush size and Shift + F changes brush strength. Sculpting usually needs enough geometry or dynamic topology to hold detail.

Geometry Nodes Intro — Geometry Nodes creates and modifies geometry procedurally. It is powerful for scattering, patterns, generated objects, and non-destructive systems. Think of it as a forge blueprint that can keep rebuilding itself.

Rigging Intro — Rigging gives a model controls for posing and animation. Armatures use bones to drive mesh deformation. Clean topology helps a rig bend without strange artifacts.

Rendering Settings — Render settings control engine, samples, resolution, output path, and frame range. Eevee is fast and Cycles is physically deeper. A good render balances light, materials, camera, and time.

Optimization — Optimization keeps scenes responsive and renders reasonable. Use instances, collections, modifiers, texture sizes, and render samples intentionally. A lighter scene is easier to teach, share, and finish.