Datasheet

Navigating the 3D Space n 15
the currently active object, Shift+right-click it. Shift+right-click the active object to
remove it from the selection. By pressing the Z key, you can toggle between the wireframe
and solid views. In solid view, you cannot select objects that are completely obscured
from the view by other objects. You must either move your view to a place where you can
get to the object or enter wireframe view. Alt+right-clicking a spot with more than one
selectable object lets you select from a list of those objects.
You can also select objects with the Box Select tool, accessed by pressing the B key once.
With this tool, you drag a box over an area of the screen and then select all visible objects
within the box. Hold down the left mouse button while dragging the box to cover the selec-
tion. Pressing the B key and then dragging the box with the middle mouse button uses the
box for deselection. There are several ways to manipulate the location, rotation, and size
of objects, and it is entirely a matter of personal preference which one to use.
Hotkeys
The following are some hotkeys that might be helpful:
To rotate, press the R key once, and rotate the object with the mouse. The default •
rotation axis is the current angle of the 3D view. After you rotate the object the way
you like it with the mouse, click to accept the new rotation; otherwise, right-click to
quit the rotation without making the change.
To translate or change an object’s location in 3D space, the hotkey is G (for “grab”). •
Press this key once, and move the object around with the mouse. As with rotation,
clicking finalizes the move, and right-clicking aborts it.
To scale an object, the hotkey is S. When you have pressed the S key, moving the •
mouse closer to the pivot point reduces the scale of the object, and moving the
mouse farther from the pivot point enlarges the object. Again, clicking finalizes;
right-clicking aborts.
Motion Manipulators
Blender also provides the manipulator widgets shown in Figure 1.9 for rotating, translat-
ing, and scaling. You can toggle these three manipulators on and off independently of
each other by using the buttons in Figure 1.10. To use a manipulator, click the colored
portion of the manipulator of the axis along which you want to perform the operation. In
the case of translation, click the colored arrow on the appropriate axis; in the case of scal-
ing, click the colored rectangle; in the case of rotation, click the colored curve that circles
the axis you want to rotate the object around.
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