Mesh Selection Mode – Blender 2.80 Fundamentals

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This tutorial is part of the Blender Fundamentals series, produced by Dillon Gu.

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Mesh Selection Modes in Blender #

Mesh selection modes in Blender allow you to work with the individual components of a mesh object—vertices, edges, and faces—while in Edit Mode. This guide will cover the various selection modes and techniques available to enhance your modeling workflow.

Accessing Selection Modes #

To access the selection modes in Blender, follow these steps:

1. Select a mesh object.
2. Press ‘Tab’ on your keyboard or choose ‘Edit Mode’ from the interaction mode dropdown menu in the 3D viewport’s top-left corner.
3. Press ‘1’, ‘2’, or ‘3’ on your keyboard to toggle between vertex, edge, and face selection modes, respectively. Alternatively, use the selection buttons in the 3D viewport’s top-left corner.

Selection Techniques #

Basic Selection #

• Single Selection: Left-click on a vertex, edge, or face to select it.
• Area Selection: Press ‘B’ and drag the mouse to create a selection box. Components within the box will be selected.
• Lasso Selection: Press ‘Ctrl’ + left-click and drag the mouse to create a freehand selection area. Components within the lasso will be selected.
• Circle Selection: Press ‘C’ and move the mouse to select components within the circle. Adjust the circle size with the mouse wheel. Left-click to confirm the selection.
• Select All/Deselect All: Press ‘A’ to select all components or ‘Alt’ + ‘A’ to deselect all.

Advanced Selection #

• Select Loop: To select an edge loop, hold ‘Alt’ and click on an edge. In the case of vertices or faces, hold ‘Alt’ + ‘Shift’ and click on a vertex or face to select the loop.
• Select Ring: To select an edge ring, hold ‘Ctrl’ + ‘Alt’ and click on an edge.
• Path Selection: To select a path between two components, select the first component, then hold ‘Ctrl’ and click on the second component. Blender will calculate the shortest path between the two and select it.
• Select Linked: To select all linked components, press ‘L’ when hovering the mouse cursor over a component, or choose ‘Select Linked’ from the Select menu.
• Select by Trait: Use the Select menu to choose options like ‘Select Sharp Edges’, ‘Select Random’, or ‘Select Non-Manifold’ to refine your selection based on specific criteria.

Selection Tips #

1. Multiple Selection: Hold ‘Shift’ while clicking to add or remove components from the selection.
2. Select Through: Press ‘Z’ and choose ‘X-Ray’ mode or ‘Wireframe’ mode to enable selecting components that are obscured by other geometry.
3. Grow/Shrink Selection: Press ‘Ctrl’ + ‘+’ or ‘Ctrl’ + ‘-‘ to grow or shrink the selection by one element.
4. Invert Selection: Press ‘Ctrl’ + ‘I’ to invert the current selection.

Mastering mesh selection modes and techniques in Blender will improve your efficiency in creating and editing 3D models, as well as enable more precise and refined control over your mesh objects.

Selection Modes for UV Editing #

Mesh selection modes are also applicable when working with UV maps in the UV Editor. To use selection modes in the UV Editor, follow these steps:

1. Switch to the ‘UV Editing’ workspace or open a ‘UV Editor’ window.
2. Press ‘Tab’ to enter Edit Mode in the 3D viewport.
3. Unwrap your mesh or select an existing UV map.
4. Press ‘1’, ‘2’, or ‘3’ on your keyboard to toggle between vertex, edge, and face selection modes, respectively, in the UV Editor. Alternatively, use the selection buttons at the top of the UV Editor window.

Numeric Input for Selection and Transformations #

For precise control over selections and transformations, Blender provides a numeric input method:

1. Select the desired component(s) using any selection mode or technique.
2. Start a transformation operation (‘G’, ‘R’, or ‘S’).
3. Instead of dragging the mouse, type the desired value on your keyboard.
4. Press ‘Enter’ to confirm the transformation, or ‘Esc’ to cancel.

Advanced Selection Add-ons #

Blender has a range of built-in and third-party add-ons that can enhance selection capabilities and provide specialized selection tools:

1. LoopTools: Enable the ‘LoopTools’ add-on in Blender’s preferences to access additional loop selection and editing features.
2. F2: Enable the ‘F2’ add-on to extend the functionality of Blender’s polygon filling tools.
3. MeshLint: The third-party ‘MeshLint’ add-on allows you to select mesh elements based on specific criteria like non-manifold geometry, interior faces, or degenerate geometry.

By familiarizing yourself with Blender’s mesh selection modes, selection techniques, and advanced selection features, you will be better equipped to work effectively and accurately on a wide range of 3D modeling projects, from simple objects to complex, detailed models.