Have you ever enjoyed amazing animations, visual effects, or 3D models? Behind every masterpiece lies a powerful tool that brings imagination to life.
Blender is a free, open-source 3D modeling software used to create animations, visual effects, art, interactive 3D applications, and video games. Blender is a versatile program that enables various tasks including modeling, animation, simulation, rendering, and compositing.
Table of Contents
What is Mesh Modeling?
To address the meaning of mesh modeling, we first define mesh.
Simply put, a mesh is a set of vertices, edges, and faces that define the shape of an object in 3D computer graphics.
Mesh Modeling is a technique used in computer graphics and 3D modeling. This type of modeling is used in creating complex 3D objects by connecting vertices (points), edges (lines), and faces (polygons) to generate a mesh structure.
Mesh modeling is widely used in various fields such as animation, video games, virtual reality, and architectural visualization. It allows artists and designers to create accurate and realistic 3D models by manipulating mesh vertices, edges, and faces. This technique offers flexibility and control over the shape and structure of the model.
In the following, we have listed the terms of 3D design and mesh modeling that you need to learn in Blender.
Terms used in mesh modeling
loop: In Blender, a circle is a sequence of connected edges or vertices that form a closed or open path on a mesh object.
Normals: Normals are imaginary lines perpendicular to a plane. They help determine the direction of that page. Normals are essential for many operations in Blender, such as shading and lighting calculations.
Non-manifold: simply refers to a type of geometry that does not exist in the real world. For example, imagine two objects that touch each other at only one point (the vertex). In reality, these bodies touch at multiple points, but in non-manifold geometry, they will touch at only one point.
Poles: Refers to specific points on the mesh surface that can affect the smoothness of shapes. Poles are vertices that have more or less than four edges attached to them. They create sharp folds or distortions in the mesh when the object changes shape.
In Blender, poles may also refer to specific points on curves where intersecting edges meet at a point. There are two types of poles in this field: E poles and N poles.
E-Poles: E-poles are also known as Edge-Poles. They occur when five edges intersect at a single vertex. This pole creates a star-like shape, with a central vertex and five outward-facing edges.
N-poles: N-poles are also known as node poles. They occur when three edges intersect at a single vertex. This pole creates a triangular shape with a central vertex and three edges attached to it.
How does mesh modeling work?
To do mesh modeling you need to start with a basic shape. Blender provides designers with many options, including spheres, cubes, and cylinders. These shapes are meshed and you can easily change the resolution to make them consist of more or less elements.
The next essential step is to refine the mesh, and there are several ways to do this. In Blender, the designer chooses between Modeling modes such as Object Mode and Edit Mode.
- Using Edit Mode, artists can modify elements in the mesh, such as edges, faces, or rings, by moving them around, deleting, rotating, or extruding them.
- Animators in Object Mode can use a tool called Modifiers that gives them more possibilities. For example, using this tool, you can combine or cut elements, turn two objects into one, and…
In the following, we will have a closer look at these elements and tools.
Useful tools in Blender for mesh modeling
You can choose between edges, faces, and vertices when modeling a mesh in edit mode. A simple but important thing to check is whether the designer has chosen the right item or not. Because the model can be easily changed by moving the selected elements.
Here are some simple operations for designers:
- Scale tool: S shortcut key
- Select all objects on the page: shortcut key A
- Extrude an area from a selected face or edge: shortcut key E
- Create rounded or beveled edges on vertices, edges, or faces: Bevel tool or keyboard shortcut Ctrl + B
- Add more basic shapes: Add a menu at the top of the window or shortcut key Shift + A
- Cutting a mesh screen into more parts manually: knife cut or shortcut key K
The 3D designer should remember that when deleting complete objects, do so in Object Mode. Otherwise, Blender may give errors such as keeping the object as an empty object.
Modifiers in Blender
Along with the tools mentioned earlier, modifiers are the focal point of modeling in Blender. Modifiers are an operation to quickly and automatically change an object. Here, the most common Blender modifiers are introduced.
1. Subdivision Surface
In Blender, the Subdivision Surface modifier is used to smooth the surfaces of 3D models. It subdivides the existing geometry and adds more ras1s and faces, resulting in a smoother appearance of the model.
2. Array
In Blender, the Array modifier is used to create multiple copies or instances of an object along a specified axis or direction. This modifier is especially useful for creating patterns or repeating elements in a scene. This tool gives the designer flexibility and high efficiency in creating complex scenes.
3. Mirror
This one is quite simple to understand. If you’re modeling something symmetrical, just create half of it and then generate the other half with the Mirror modifier. You can also glue the mirrored parts together so that they stick in the center instead of separating.
4. Solidify
This modifier adds thickness and volume to the surfaces of an object. By adjusting the parameters of the Solidify modifier, you can control the thickness or depth of object surfaces and give them a more realistic or desired appearance.
5. Boolean
The Boolean modifier in Blender is a powerful tool that allows the designer to blend or cut an object using the shape of another object.
A Boolean modifier is used between two objects, preferably in contact. The designer has defined one of them as the main object and the other as an auxiliary object. (The object selected to add the modifier is the parent object.)
Then, you can choose one of the following three operations:
- Difference: Reduces the difference in the shape of the auxiliary object (where they meet) to the main object.
- Union: Combines meshes to make them a single object.
- Intersect: Keeps the intersection of two objects and removes everything else.
Advanced Blender tool for curves
Circles in Blender are a collection of small flat lines, not curves. But there is a way to create perfectly curved shapes. These forms are defined through mathematical equations, similar to a function in calculus.
The most popular and practical way to do this is called NURBS. In Blender, NURBS curves can be created and edited using the built-in Curve toolset.
Overall, NURBS provides a flexible way to model complex shapes and is commonly used in industrial design, automotive design, and animation.